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A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree <i>Mangifera indica</i> which is believed to have originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. Mangoes have been cultivated in South and Southeast Asia since ancient times.
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree <i>Mangifera indica</i> which is believed to have originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. Mangoes have been cultivated in South and Southeast Asia since ancient times.
The <i>Padshahnama</i> is a genre of works written to visually record the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666). The historical volumes were written by multiple authors, including Muhammad Amin Qazvini, Jalaluddin Tabatabai and Abdul Hamid Lahori, the latter having written the most significant works of the genre.<br/><br/> Lahori completed his two-volume portion in 1648, and when he died in 1654, his pupil, Muhammad Waris, completed the last volume of the <i>Pahshahnama</i>, covering the final years of Shah Jahan's reign. These works are the greatest source of information on Shah Jahan's rule, with indepth looks at his court and the administration of the Mughal Empire.
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was waged between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880. A consequence of the Great Game between Britain and Russia, the conflict was instigated by the latter sending an uninvited diplomatic mission to Kabul, despite the wishes and protestations of Sher Ali Khan, the Amir of Afghanistan. When a British demand for their own diplomatic mission was refused, the Second Anglo-Afghan War commenced.<br/><br/> The first phase of the invasion saw a string of British military victories that led to the Treaty of Gandamak, which saw Afghan foreign affairs given over to the British in exchange for internal sovereignty and military protection; British representatives were installed in Kabul to secure the deal. When the representatives were slaughtered by an uprising in 1879 however, the second phase of the war began, which once again saw the British reigning supreme and the ceding of further territories from Afghanistan.
The Afridi is a Karlani Pashtun tribe present in Pakistan, with substantial numbers in Afghanistan. The Afridis are most dominant in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, inhabiting about 1,000 square miles (3,000 km²) of rough hilly area in the eastern Spin Ghar range west of Peshawar, covering most of Khyber Agency, FR Peshawar and FR Kohat.<br/><br/> The Afridis are historically known for the strategic location they inhabit, and for belligerence against outside forces; battling the Mughal dynasty's armies throughout Mughal rule. Their later clashes against British expeditions comprised the most savage fighting of the Anglo-Afghan Wars. After independence, Afridi tribesmen also helped attack Jammu and Kashmir for Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947. Today, Afridis make use of their dominant social position in FATA and areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by controlling transport and various businesses, including trade in arms, munitions, and other goods.
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was waged between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880. A consequence of the Great Game between Britain and Russia, the conflict was instigated by the latter sending an uninvited diplomatic mission to Kabul, despite the wishes and protestations of Sher Ali Khan, the Amir of Afghanistan. When a British demand for their own diplomatic mission was refused, the Second Anglo-Afghan War commenced.<br/><br/> The first phase of the invasion saw a string of British military victories that led to the Treaty of Gandamak, which saw Afghan foreign affairs given over to the British in exchange for internal sovereignty and military protection; British representatives were installed in Kabul to secure the deal. When the representatives were slaughtered by an uprising in 1879 however, the second phase of the war began, which once again saw the British reigning supreme and the ceding of further territories from Afghanistan.
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst setbacks inflicted on British power in the region after the consolidation of British Raj by the East India Company.
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst setbacks inflicted on British power in the region after the consolidation of British Raj by the East India Company.
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst setbacks inflicted on British power in the region after the consolidation of British Raj by the East India Company.
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst setbacks inflicted on British power in the region after the consolidation of British Raj by the East India Company.
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst setbacks inflicted on British power in the region after the consolidation of British Raj by the East India Company.
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst setbacks inflicted on British power in the region after the consolidation of British Raj by the East India Company.
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst setbacks inflicted on British power in the region after the consolidation of British Raj by the East India Company.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (December 25, 1876 – September 11, 1948) was a 20th century lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam (Great Leader). <br/><br/> Jinnah died aged 71 in September 1948, just over a year after Pakistan gained independence from the British Empire.
Peshawar is the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is the largest city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and according to the 1998 census was the ninth-largest city of Pakistan. Peshawar is a metropolitan city and the administrative centre and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan.<br/><br/> Peshawar is situated in a large valley near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, close to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar is irrigated by various canals of the Kabul River and by its right tributary, the Bara River.<br/><br/> Peshawar's recorded history dates back to at least 539 BCE, making it the oldest city in Pakistan and one of the oldest in South Asia.
The Mukti Bahini (Bengali: 'Liberation Army') was the guerrilla and regular armed forces of Bangladesh during the 1971 Liberation War against Pakistan.<br/><br/> It comprised defecting Bengali regiments from the Pakistani military, paramilitary and police, as well as thousands of Bengali civilians, particularly students and political activists. Its members are known in Bangladesh as Freedom Fighters.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (December 25, 1876 – September 11, 1948) was a 20th century lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam (Great Leader). <br/><br/> Jinnah died aged 71 in September 1948, just over a year after Pakistan gained independence from the British Empire.
Gandhāra is noted for the distinctive Gandhāra style of Buddhist art, which developed out of a merger of Greek, Syrian, Persian, and Indian artistic influence. This development began during the Parthian Period (50 BCE – 75 CE). Gandhāran style flourished and achieved its peak during the Kushan period, from the 1st to the 5th century. It declined and suffered destruction after invasion of the White Huns in the 5th century.<br/><br/> Stucco as well as stone was widely used by sculptors in Gandhara for the decoration of monastic and cult buildings. Stucco provided the artist with a medium of great plasticity, enabling a high degree of expresivness to be given to the sculpture. Sculpting in stucco was popular wherever Buddhism spread from Gandhara - India, Afghanistan, Central Asia and China.
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was waged between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880. A consequence of the Great Game between Britain and Russia, the conflict was instigated by the latter sending an uninvited diplomatic mission to Kabul, despite the wishes and protestations of Sher Ali Khan, the Amir of Afghanistan. When a British demand for their own diplomatic mission was refused, the Second Anglo-Afghan War commenced.<br/><br/> The first phase of the invasion saw a string of British military victories that led to the Treaty of Gandamak, which saw Afghan foreign affairs given over to the British in exchange for internal sovereignty and military protection; British representatives were installed in Kabul to secure the deal. When the representatives were slaughtered by an uprising in 1879 however, the second phase of the war began, which once again saw the British reigning supreme and the ceding of further territories from Afghanistan.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (December 25, 1876 – September 11, 1948) was a 20th century lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam (Great Leader). <br/><br/> Jinnah died aged 71 in September 1948, just over a year after Pakistan gained independence from the British Empire.
Maitreya (Sanskrit), Metteyya (Pāli), Maithree (Sinhala), or Jampa (Tibetan) is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. According to scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor of the historic Śakyamuni Buddha.<br/><br/> The prophecy of the arrival of Maitreya references a time when the Dharma will have been forgotten on Jambudvipa. It is found in the canonical literature of all Buddhist sects (Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana), and is accepted by most Buddhists as a statement about an event that will take place when the Dharma will have been forgotten on Earth.
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst setbacks inflicted on British power in the region after the consolidation of British Raj by the East India Company.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (December 25, 1876 – September 11, 1948) was a 20th century lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam (Great Leader). <br/><br/> Jinnah died aged 71 in September 1948, just over a year after Pakistan gained independence from the British Empire.
Choudhry Rahmat Ali (Urdu: چودھری رحمت علی‎) (16 November 1895 – 3 February 1951) was a Pakistani Muslim nationalist who was one of the earliest proponents of the creation of the state of Pakistan.<br/><br/> He is credited with creating the name 'Pakistan' for a separate Muslim homeland in South Asia and is generally known as the founder of the movement for its creation.
Malala Yousafzai, born 12 July 1997, is a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate.<br/><br/> She is known mainly for human rights advocacy for education and for women in her native Swat Valley in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of northwest Pakistan, where the local Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school. Yousafzai's advocacy has since grown into an international movement.
Choudhry Rahmat Ali (16 November 1895 – 3 February 1951) was a Pakistani Muslim nationalist who was one of the earliest proponents of the creation of the state of Pakistan. He is credited with creating the name 'Pakistan' for a separate Muslim homeland in South Asia and is generally known as the founder of the movement for its creation.<br/><br/> Sir Muhammad Iqbal (9 November 1877 – 21 April 1938) was a philosopher, poet, mystic and politician in British India who is widely regarded as having inspired the Pakistan Movement. He is considered one of the most important figures in Urdu literature, with literary work in both the Urdu and Persian languages.
The 25th Cavalry (Frontier Force) was raised by Captain Robert Fitzgerald as the 5th Punjab Irregular Cavalry at Multan in 1849. During the Indian Mutiny they were part of the besieging army at Delhi and took part in the Relief of Lucknow. One squadron fought at Bareilly, where two of its Indian officers won the Order of British India and nine other ranks received the Indian Order of Merit. The regiment was involved in a number of small actions on the North West Frontier with the Punjab Frontier Force. In March 1860, 150 men under an Indian officer attacked a 3,000 strong lashkar of Mahsuds and Waziris at Tank, killing 300 and dispersing the others. In January 1867, an Indian officer with 27 sowars charged a body of 1,000 tribesmen, killed 150 and captured most of the rest. During the Second Afghan War, the 5th Punjab Cavalry were present at the capture of Charasiah and Frederick Roberts the Commanding General ordered that they and the 9th Lancers should have the honour of escorting him into Kabul. During the attack on the Asmai Heights in December 1879, near Kabul, Captain William John Vousden made repeated charges with a small body of men of the 5th Punjab Cavalry, passing through the ranks of an overwhelming force again and again until the enemy fled. Vousden received a Victoria Cross and his ten surviving men the Indian Order of Merit. During the First World War, it served in German East Africa, followed by service in the Third Afghan War of 1919.
Bahram V (Persian: بهرام‎) was the fourteenth Sassanid King of Persia (421–438). Also called Bahram Gur or Bahramgur (Persian: بهرام گور‎), he was a son of Yazdegerd I (399–421), after whose sudden death (or assassination) he gained the crown against the opposition of the grandees by the help of Mundhir, the Arab dynast of al-Hirah.<br/><br/> Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted from the woods for use. Both the wood and the oil produce a distinctive fragrance that has been highly valued for centuries.
Bahram V (Persian: بهرام‎) was the fourteenth Sassanid King of Persia (421–438). Also called Bahram Gur or Bahramgur (Persian: بهرام گور‎), he was a son of Yazdegerd I (399–421), after whose sudden death (or assassination) he gained the crown against the opposition of the grandees by the help of Mundhir, the Arab dynast of al-Hirah.
Bahram V (Persian: بهرام‎) was the fourteenth Sassanid King of Persia (421–438). Also called Bahram Gur or Bahramgur (Persian: بهرام گور‎), he was a son of Yazdegerd I (399–421), after whose sudden death (or assassination) he gained the crown against the opposition of the grandees by the help of Mundhir, the Arab dynast of al-Hirah.
Bahram V (Persian: بهرام‎) was the fourteenth Sassanid King of Persia (421–438). Also called Bahram Gur or Bahramgur (Persian: بهرام گور‎), he was a son of Yazdegerd I (399–421), after whose sudden death (or assassination) he gained the crown against the opposition of the grandees by the help of Mundhir, the Arab dynast of al-Hirah.<br/><br/> The poem was illustrated in a manuscript probably produced in Lahore in the late sixteenth which is associated with the patronage of Akbar (r. 1556-1605).<br/><br/> Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted from the woods for use. Both the wood and the oil produce a distinctive fragrance that has been highly valued for centuries.
This map was produced at the height of British Imperial power and shows direct British rule extending all the way from Iran (Persia) to Thailand (Siam). Most of the contiguous Indian Ocean littoral, from South Africa to Singapore and Australia, was also under British administration or de facto control.<br/><br/> It is relevant to note that the map shows Sikkim extending north into the present-day territory of China's Tibetan Autonomous Region. Similarly Darjeeling is shown in eastern Nepal, while Bhutan is elongated to the east and most of India's Arunachal Pradesh province is shown as part of the Qing Empire. In Kashmir, by contrast, the disputed Aksai Chin region, now under Chinese control, is shown as part of India.
Front row 2nd left to 2nd right: Sergeant Machray, Captain and Adjutant the Honourable M.C.A. Drummond, Sergeant Major Anderson, Corporal Findlay.<br/><br/> Before 28 March 2006, the Black Watch was an infantry regiment. The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) from 1931 to 2006, and The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) from 1881 to 1931. Part of the Scottish Division, it was the senior regiment of Highlanders.<br/><br/> Since 2006 The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) has been an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Ghilzai (Pashto: Ghar-Zai, meaning: 'hill people') are the largest Pashtun tribal confederacy found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are also known historically as Ghilji, Khilji, Ghalji, Ghilzye, and possibly Gharzai.<br/><br/> These Pashtun people are located mainly in southeastern Afghanistan, between Kandahar and Kabul, and extending eastwards towards the Suleiman Mountains into Pakistan. In Afghanistan they are the second largest Pashtun tribal confederation after the Abdali/Durrani.<br/><br/> Ghilzai are often considered to be the most courageous,fiercely independent, warlike and tough Afghan Pashtun tribe.
Jinnah served as leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until Pakistan's independence on August 14, 1947, and as Pakistan's first Governor-General from August 15, 1947 until his death on September 11, 1948. Jinnah rose to prominence in the Indian National Congress initially expounding ideas of Hindu-Muslim unity and helping shape the 1916 Lucknow Pact between the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress; he also became a key leader in the All India Home Rule League. He proposed a fourteen-point constitutional reform plan to safeguard the political rights of Muslims in a self-governing India.<br/><br/> Jinnah later advocated the two-nation theory embracing the goal of creating a separate Muslim state as per the Lahore Resolution. The League won most reserved Muslim seats in the elections of 1946. After the British and Congress backed out of the Cabinet Mission Plan Jinnah called for a Direct Action Day to achieve the formation of Pakistan. This direct action by the Muslim League and its Volunteer Corps resulted in massive rioting in Calcutta between Muslims and Hindus. As the Indian National Congress and Muslim League failed to reach a power sharing formula for a united India, it prompted both the parties and the British to agree to the independence of Pakistan and India. As the first Governor-General of Pakistan, Jinnah led efforts to lay the foundations of the new state of Pakistan, frame national policies and rehabilitate millions of Muslim refugees who had migrated from India.<br/><br/> Jinnah died aged 71 in September 1948, just over a year after Pakistan gained independence from the British Empire.
Pashtuns, also called Pathans, are an Eastern Iranian ethno-linguistic group with populations primarily in Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, which includes Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan. The Pashtuns are typically characterized by their usage of the Pashto language and practice of Pashtunwali, a traditional set of ethics guiding individual and communal conduct. Their true origin is unclear but historians have come across references to a people called Paktha (Pactyans) between the 2nd and the 1st millennium BC, who may be the early ancestors of Pashtuns.
Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun (1508-56) was the second Mughal emperor who ruled present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of northern India from 1530–40 and again from 1555–56. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early, but with Persian aid, he eventually regained a larger one. On the eve of his death in 1556, the Mughal Empire spanned almost one million square kilometers.
Pashtuns, also called Pathans, are an Eastern Iranian ethno-linguistic group with populations primarily in Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, which includes Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan. The Pashtuns are typically characterized by their usage of the Pashto language and practice of Pashtunwali, a traditional set of ethics guiding individual and communal conduct. Their true origin is unclear but historians have come across references to a people called Paktha (Pactyans) between the 2nd and the 1st millennium BC, who may be the early ancestors of Pashtuns.
A dragon (thu‘ban), from a copy of ‘Ajā’ib al-makhlūqāt wa-gharā’ib al-mawjūdāt (Marvels of Things Created and Miraculous Aspects of Things Existing) by al-Qazwīnī (d. 1283/682).<br/><br/> Neither the copyist nor illustrator is named, and the copy is undated. The nature of paper, script, ink, illumination, and illustrations suggest that it was produced in provincial Mughal India, possibly the Punjab, in the 17th century.
The bharal or Himalayan blue sheep, Pseudois nayaur, is a caprid found in the high Himalayas of Nepal, Tibet, China, India, Pakistan, and Bhutan. Its native names include bharal, bharar and bharut in Hindi, Na or Sna in Ladakh, Nervati in Nepali and Nao or Gnao in Bhutan. The bharal has horns that grow upwards, curve out and then towards the back, somewhat like an upside down mustache. The bharal was the focus of George Schaller's and Peter Matthiessen's expedition to Nepal in 1973. Their personal experiences are well documented by Matthiessen in his book, The Snow Leopard. The bharal is a major food of the snow leopard.
Ghilzai are one of the major Pashtun tribes found in Afghanistan. They are also known historically as Ghiljies, Ghaljis, and possibly Gharzais. These Pashtun people are located mainly in southeastern Afghanistan, between Kandahar and Kabul, and extending eastwards towards the Suleiman Mountains into Pakistan. They are the second Pashtun tribal confederation after the Durrani.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who served as the fourth President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and as the ninth Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977. He was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan. His daughter Benazir Bhutto also served twice as prime minister. She was assassinated on 27 December 2007.<br/><br/> Educated at the University of California, Berkeley, in the United States and University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, Bhutto was noted for his economic initiatives and authoring and administrating Pakistan's nuclear weapons research programme, for this he is known as the Father of the Nuclear Programme.<br/><br/> He was executed in 1979 after the Supreme Court of Pakistan sentenced him to death for authorising the murder of a political opponent in a move that many believe was carried out under the directives of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.
Edwin Lord Weeks (1849 – 1903), American artist and Orientalist, was born at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1849. He was a pupil of Léon Bonnat and of Jean-Léon Gérôme, at Paris. He made many voyages to the East, and was distinguished as a painter of oriental scenes.<br/><br> Weeks' parents were affluent spice and tea merchants from Newton, a suburb of Boston and as such they were able to accept, probably encourage, and certainly finance their son's youthful interest in painting and travelling.<br/><br> As a young man Edwin Lord Weeks visited the Florida Keys to draw and also travelled to Surinam in South America. His earliest known paintings date from 1867 when Edwin Lord Weeks was eighteen years old. In 1895 he wrote and illustrated a book of travels, From the Black Sea through Persia and India.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (March 17, 1920 – August 15, 1975) was a Bengali politician and the founding leader of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, generally considered in the country as the father of the Bangladeshi nation. After talks broke down with President Yahya Khan and West Pakistani politician Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Sheikh Mujib on 26 March 1971 announced the declaration of independence of East Pakistan and announced the establishment of the sovereign People's Republic of Bangladesh. Subsequently he was arrested and tried by a military court. During his nine month detention, a guerrilla war erupted between government forces and Bengali nationalists aided by India. An all out war between the Pakistan Army and Bangladesh-India Joint Forces led to the establishment of Bangladesh, and after his release Mujib assumed office as a provisional president, and later prime minister. Mujib was assassinated along with most of his family by a group of army officers in 1975.
Gandhāra is noted for the distinctive Gandhāra style of Buddhist art, which developed out of a merger of Greek, Syrian, Persian, and Indian artistic influence. This development began during the Parthian Period (50 BCE – 75 CE). Gandhāran style flourished and achieved its peak during the Kushan period, from the 1st to the 5th century. It declined and suffered destruction after invasion of the White Huns in the 5th century.<br/><br/> Stucco as well as stone was widely used by sculptors in Gandhara for the decoration of monastic and cult buildings. Stucco provided the artist with a medium of great plasticity, enabling a high degree of expresivness to be given to the sculpture. Sculpting in stucco was popular wherever Buddhism spread from Gandhara - India, Afghanistan, Central Asia and China.
Mohenjo-daro (lit. Mound of the Dead), situated in the province of Sindh, Pakistan, was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Built around 2600 BC, it was one of the world's earliest major urban settlements, existing at the same time as the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Crete. The archaeological ruins of the city are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<br/><br/> In 1927, a seated male figure, 17.5 cm tall, was found in a building with unusually ornamental brickwork and a wall-niche. Though there is no evidence that priests or monarchs ruled the city, archeologists dubbed this dignified figure a 'Priest-King', and, like the 'Dancing Girl', it has become symbolic of the Indus valley civilization.<br/><br/> The bearded sculpture wears a fillet around the head, an armband, and a cloak decorated with trefoil patterns that were originally filled with red pigment.<br/><br/> The two ends of the fillet fall along the back, and though the hair is carefully combed towards the back of the head, no bun is present. The flat back of the head may have held a separately carved bun, as is traditional on the other seated figures, or it could have held a more elaborate horn and plumed headdress.<br/><br/> Two holes beneath the highly stylized ears suggest that a necklace or other head ornament was attached to the sculpture. The left shoulder is covered with a cloak decorated with trefoil, double circle and single circle designs that were originally filled with red pigment. Drill holes in the center of each circle indicate they were made with a specialized drill and then touched up with a chisel.<br/><br/> The eyes are deeply incised and may have held inlay. The upper lip is shaved, and a short combed beard frames the face. The large crack in the face may be due to weathering, or it may be a result of the original firing of this object.
Mohenjo-daro (lit. Mound of the Dead), situated in the province of Sindh, Pakistan, was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Built around 2600 BC, it was one of the world's earliest major urban settlements, existing at the same time as the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Crete. The archaeological ruins of the city are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<br/><br/> A bronze statuette dubbed the 'Dancing Girl', 10.8 cm high and some 4,500 years old, was found in Mohenjo-daro in 1926. In 1973, British archaeologist Mortimer Wheeler described the item as his favorite statuette:<br/><br/> 'There is her little Balochi-style face with pouting lips and insolent look in the eyes. She's about fifteen years old I should think, not more, but she stands there with bangles all the way up her arm and nothing else on. A girl perfectly, for the moment, perfectly confident of herself and the world. There's nothing like her, I think, in the world'.<br/><br/> John Marshall, another archeologist at Mohenjo-daro, described the figure as 'a young girl, her hand on her hip in a half-impudent posture, and legs slightly forward as she beats time to the music with her legs and feet'.<br/><br/> The archaeologist Gregory Possehl said of the statuette, 'We may not be certain that she was a dancer, but she was good at what she did and she knew it'.
Mohenjo-daro (lit. Mound of the Dead), situated in the province of Sindh, Pakistan, was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Built around 2600 BC, it was one of the world's earliest major urban settlements, existing at the same time as the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Crete. The archaeological ruins of the city are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<br/><br/> A bronze statuette dubbed the 'Dancing Girl', 10.8 cm high and some 4,500 years old, was found in Mohenjo-daro in 1926. In 1973, British archaeologist Mortimer Wheeler described the item as his favorite statuette:<br/><br/> 'There is her little Balochi-style face with pouting lips and insolent look in the eyes. She's about fifteen years old I should think, not more, but she stands there with bangles all the way up her arm and nothing else on. A girl perfectly, for the moment, perfectly confident of herself and the world. There's nothing like her, I think, in the world'.<br/><br/> John Marshall, another archeologist at Mohenjo-daro, described the figure as 'a young girl, her hand on her hip in a half-impudent posture, and legs slightly forward as she beats time to the music with her legs and feet'.<br/><br/> The archaeologist Gregory Possehl said of the statuette, 'We may not be certain that she was a dancer, but she was good at what she did and she knew it'.
Gandhāra is noted for the distinctive Gandhāra style of Buddhist art, which developed out of a merger of Greek, Syrian, Persian, and Indian artistic influence. This development began during the Parthian Period (50 BCE – 75 CE). Gandhāran style flourished and achieved its peak during the Kushan period, from the 1st to the 5th century. It declined and suffered destruction after invasion of the White Huns in the 5th century.<br/><br/> Stucco as well as stone was widely used by sculptors in Gandhara for the decoration of monastic and cult buildings. Stucco provided the artist with a medium of great plasticity, enabling a high degree of expresivness to be given to the sculpture. Sculpting in stucco was popular wherever Buddhism spread from Gandhara - India, Afghanistan, Central Asia and China.
The Wazir Khan Mosque (Masjid Wazir Khan) in Lahore, Pakistan, is celebrated for its extensive faience tile work. It has been described as 'a beauty spot on the cheek of Lahore'. It was built in seven years, starting around 1634-1635 A.D., during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan. It was built by Shaikh Ilm-ud-din Ansari, a native of Chiniot, who rose to be the court physician to Shah Jahan and later, the Governor of Lahore. He was commonly known as Wazir Khan. The mosque is located inside the Inner City and is easiest accessed from Delhi Gate.
The Wazir Khan Mosque (Masjid Wazir Khan) in Lahore, Pakistan, is celebrated for its extensive faience tile work. It has been described as 'a beauty spot on the cheek of Lahore'. It was built in seven years, starting around 1634-1635 A.D., during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan. It was built by Shaikh Ilm-ud-din Ansari, a native of Chiniot, who rose to be the court physician to Shah Jahan and later, the Governor of Lahore. He was commonly known as Wazir Khan. The mosque is located inside the Inner City and is easiest accessed from Delhi Gate.
The Wazir Khan Mosque (Masjid Wazir Khan) in Lahore, Pakistan, is celebrated for its extensive faience tile work. It has been described as 'a beauty spot on the cheek of Lahore'. It was built in seven years, starting around 1634-1635 A.D., during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan. It was built by Shaikh Ilm-ud-din Ansari, a native of Chiniot, who rose to be the court physician to Shah Jahan and later, the Governor of Lahore. He was commonly known as Wazir Khan. The mosque is located inside the Inner City and is easiest accessed from Delhi Gate.
The Wazir Khan Mosque (Masjid Wazir Khan) in Lahore, Pakistan, is celebrated for its extensive faience tile work. It has been described as 'a beauty spot on the cheek of Lahore'. It was built in seven years, starting around 1634-1635 A.D., during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan. It was built by Shaikh Ilm-ud-din Ansari, a native of Chiniot, who rose to be the court physician to Shah Jahan and later, the Governor of Lahore. He was commonly known as Wazir Khan. The mosque is located inside the Inner City and is easiest accessed from Delhi Gate.
The Wazir Khan Mosque (Masjid Wazir Khan) in Lahore, Pakistan, is celebrated for its extensive faience tile work. It has been described as 'a beauty spot on the cheek of Lahore'. It was built in seven years, starting around 1634-1635 A.D., during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan. It was built by Shaikh Ilm-ud-din Ansari, a native of Chiniot, who rose to be the court physician to Shah Jahan and later, the Governor of Lahore. He was commonly known as Wazir Khan. The mosque is located inside the Inner City and is easiest accessed from Delhi Gate.
Gandhāra is noted for the distinctive Gandhāra style of Buddhist art, which developed out of a merger of Greek, Syrian, Persian, and Indian artistic influence. This development began during the Parthian Period (50 BCE – 75 CE). Gandhāran style flourished and achieved its peak during the Kushan period, from the 1st to the 5th century. It declined and suffered destruction after invasion of the White Huns in the 5th century.<br/><br/> Stucco as well as stone was widely used by sculptors in Gandhara for the decoration of monastic and cult buildings. Stucco provided the artist with a medium of great plasticity, enabling a high degree of expresivness to be given to the sculpture. Sculpting in stucco was popular wherever Buddhism spread from Gandhara - India, Afghanistan, Central Asia and China.
The Wazir Khan Mosque (Masjid Wazir Khan) in Lahore, Pakistan, is celebrated for its extensive faience tile work. It has been described as 'a beauty spot on the cheek of Lahore'. It was built in seven years, starting around 1634-1635 A.D., during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan. It was built by Shaikh Ilm-ud-din Ansari, a native of Chiniot, who rose to be the court physician to Shah Jahan and later, the Governor of Lahore. He was commonly known as Wazir Khan. The mosque is located inside the Inner City and is easiest accessed from Delhi Gate. Public Domain image by Guilhem Vellut.