The city of Kandahar in Afghanistan has always been in the news for different reasons. But now under the rule of the Taliban, the situation in Kandahar has worsened and often the sound of bomb blasts is heard from there. But do you know that today’s Kandahar was once known as Gandhara and it also has a connection with the Mahabharata. Today we will tell you about Gandhara i.e. today’s Afghanistan city Kandahar.
Afghanistan
Today Kandahar is a major city of Afghanistan. But the Taliban rule here. The history of Afghanistan begins when it was an important region of ancient India, which was called ‘Gandhara’. But now this city has become infamous due to the Taliban. The city’s old name was ‘Quandhar’, derived from the name of the Gandhara region.
History
History has it that Kandahar has always been a strategic site, situated on the main Persian routes to Central Asia and India. Kandahar was conquered by Alexander in 329 BC, but was ceded by the Greeks to Chandragupta in 305 BC. It is also distinguished by an inscription of Ashoka. It was under Arab rule in the 7th century BC and the Ghaznavids in the 10th century. But Kandahar was destroyed by Genghis Khan and then by the Turkic conqueror Timur, after which it came under the control of the Mughals. At that time the Mughal emperor Babur built 40 huge steps on a hill from solid limestone, on which are inscriptions recording the details of his glorious victories. In 1747, it became the first capital of unified Afghanistan.
Connection with Mahabharata period
Let us tell you that Gandhara was located in Afghanistan during the Mahabharata period, the fact is that one of the cities of the country is still known as Kandahar. The word originates from Gandhara, which literally means ‘land of fragrances’. This word is mentioned in various old texts like Rigveda, Mahabharata and Uttar-Ramayana. According to Sahasranama, Gandhara is one of the names of Lord Shiva. It is also believed that the first inhabitants of Gandhara were devotees of Shiva.
Relation between Mahabharata and Kandahar
The Gandhara Empire includes today’s eastern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan and north-western Punjab. Mahabharata is a Sanskrit epic written by sage Veda Vyasa. It contains the story of the war between the Kaurava and Pandava princes. According to this text, about 5500 years ago, Gandhara was ruled by King Subala. He had a daughter and a son named Gandhari and Shakuni. His daughter was married to Dhritarashtra, who was the prince of the Hastinapur kingdom and later became the king.
Gandhar became Kandahar
According to the story of the Mahabharata, Gandhari had 100 sons, called Kauravas. Who suffered tragic losses after the war by the Pandava brothers. After the war, those who survived settled in the Gandhara kingdom and gradually migrated to today’s Saudi Arabia and Iraq. With the gradual elimination of Shiva worshippers from the Gandhara region and the spread of Buddhism, Gandhara was renamed Kandahar. Not only this, Mauryan rulers like Chandragupta, Ashoka, Turk conqueror Timur and Mughal emperor Babur also ruled this region. It is believed that the name of Gandhara was changed during the rule of one of these rulers.
Capital of Gandhara country
Let us tell you that Takshila was the capital of Gandhara country. It is currently called Rawalpindi. Takshila has also been called the city of knowledge and education. Not only this, according to Hindu stories, the mother of the Kauravas, Gandhari, had cursed Lord Krishna, due to which the entire Dwarka city drowned in the sea. Along with this, Gandhari also cursed her brother Shakuni, because Gandhari considered her brother as guilty for the death of her sons as she considered Shri Krishna. Therefore, Gandhari cursed that the King of Gandhara, who killed my 100 sons, there will never be peace in your kingdom, there will always be an atmosphere of distress here. It is believed that due to this curse of Gandhari, there is never peace in Afghanistan.
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