Shahbaz Garhi

Shahbaz Garhi is an historic site located in Mardan District in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. It has an altitude of 293 metres (964 feet).

It is about 12 km from Mardan city. It has mountains, green trees, open fields and a small river in the centre of the village.

In old times all these facilities made it attractive for the army and travellers to dig in their tents here, stay for few days and organize their further strategy. The historic Stones of Ashoka, and other sites like Mekha Sanda are worth visiting.

Location

Shahbaz Garhi is situated on the junction of three ancient routes;

1. Kabul to Pushkalavati(modern Charsadda)
2. Swat through Buner
3. Taxila through Hund on the bank of Indus River.

Situated on the modern Mardan-Swabi Road, the town was once a thriving Buddhist city surrounded by monasteries and stupas.

Archaeological relics

Ashokan inscriptions

Main article: Edicts of Ashoka

Edicts of Ashoka I-XI in Shahbazgarhi, Peshawar

Rock edicts of Ashoka (272-231 BC) were carved on two rocks on a hill. This edict was inscribed in Kharoshthi script.

The translation of the text is written on a board nearby the rocks. The sight is a famous tourist spot for people who are interested in history.

The town is the location of ancient rock-inscriptions that are cut into two large rock boulders and written in the Kharosthi script. They retain immense historical importance, as they appear to be the first examples of writing in South Asia. They were constructed during the 3rd Century BC, during the reign of Ashoka, the famous Mauryan emperor. The rock edicts were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on January 30, 2004 in the Cultural category.

External links

• Map of Gandhara archeological sites, from the Huntington Collection, Ohio State University (large file)