Zarawar Khan

University Of Swat (www.uswat.edu.pk), Institute Of Cultural Heritage, Tourism And Hospitality Management, Faculty Member

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Dr. Zarawar Khan is an Assistant Professor of Archaeology, at the Institute of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. His area of interest is Buddhist Art and Architecture , Archival Study and Persian Inscriptions and Manuscripts of Pakistan. Email. [email protected]

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Papers by Zarawar Khan

A Note on the Archaeological Significance of Hund

It was the third and last capital city of Gandhara, conquered by the Muslim invaders under the le... more It was the third and last capital city of Gandhara, conquered by the Muslim invaders under the leadership of Mahmud of Ghazna in the 11 th century A.D. The history of Hund as a crossing point goes back to a very remote age, because it is generally believed that Alexander the great had crossed the mighty river Indus here to advance to Taxila. However, during the recent excavations, the antiquities of Hund go back to the Kushan period and no evidence of the time of Alexander has come to light. But the area gained popularity during the middle of the 9 th century A.D, when it became the winter capital of the Hindu Shahi rulers.Research on the Archaeology of Hund started in the 19 th century, when it was first surveyed by General Court in 1836. Since that many Archaeological finds have come to light till present day. The richest Archaeological site at Hund is that of Salamgarh, which is spread over an area of nearly 2 km. Many important structures are still visible here and there including a wide mouth water well, probably to the time of Hindu Shahi period. The well is internally finished with excellent stone masonry work, but unfortunately it is now under great threats due to the cruel hands of antiques hunters. Similarly the owners of the site are using heavy machinery for leveling the ancient mounds of Salamgarh and destroying the evidences of the past glory of Hund.

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Gandhāran stucco sculptures from Sultan Khel (former Khyber Agency) in the collection of Peshawar Museum: a study in three parts

The Rediscovery and Reception of Gandhāran Art

The Peshawar Museum of Pakistan was inaugurated in the Victoria Memorial hall of Peshawar by the ... more The Peshawar Museum of Pakistan was inaugurated in the Victoria Memorial hall of Peshawar by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1907, and since then, it has achieved a worldwide reputation for housing one of the best collections of Gandhāran Buddhist sculptures. The antiquities of the Museum have chiefly come from archaeological excavations and explorations of ancient sites and monuments of the former North-West Frontier Province, however, the number of artefacts has also been supplemented by the sculptures donated by the civil and military officials of the British Indian Empire. Most of the donated and gifted sculptures were collected in military operations or punitive expeditions, or purchased from the local people, as well as confiscated under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act of 1904.

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The Shpola Stupa of Khyber Pass: The Twentieth-Century Record of a Proposed Conservation Project

Pakistan Heritage, 2021

The Shpola stupa of Khyber Pass is one of the biggest Buddhist sepulchral mounds of Gandhara, sit... more The Shpola stupa of Khyber Pass is one of the biggest Buddhist sepulchral mounds of Gandhara, situated on the main road, which connects Peshawar with Afghanistan. It was a well-preserved monument until the 19 th century of the Common Era; however, with the annexation of Khyber into the British Indian Empire, the stupa suffered from illicit diggings. The contractor of the road reutilized its building materials, while the antiques hunters dug out its dome in the hope of finding treasures. In the first half of the twentieth century, the Political Agents of Khyber Agency tried to preserve the stupa from further deterioration, however, the plan postponed due to various reasons. The present study is focused on a set of archival documents, dealing with the failed conservation project of the Shpola stupa of Khyber Pass in the twentieth century.

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A Persian manuscript of Durr-i-Maqāl: A versified account of the British Military Expeditions in the former North-West Frontier Province (1858 to 1863

A Persian manuscript of Durr-i-Maqāl: A versified account of the British Military Expeditions in the former North-West Frontier Province (1858 to 1863, 2021

A Persian manuscript entitled Durr-i-Maqāl, a poetical work of Mirza Abdul Haq Arvi has recently ... more A Persian manuscript entitled Durr-i-Maqāl, a poetical work of Mirza Abdul Haq Arvi has recently surfaced in the Swat valley. It is a voluminous and versified account of the military expeditions of the British Indian Empire carried out against the Hindustan Mujahidin (the so-called Hindustani fanatics) stationed at Panjtar, Sitana, Mangal Thana, and Malka between 1858 and 1863. The manuscript is substantially devoted to the Ambela war of 1863, in which various tribes of Buner, Swat, Dir, Bajur, Chitral and upper Indus valley participated against the British forces. Unlike the British military and Intelligence reports, wherein the bravery of Colonial officers is exaggerated, Durr-i-Maqāl, on the contrary, impartially records the casualties of the English army and Mujahidin. Moreover, this is perhaps the only recorded document of the bribery of thirteen thousand rupees received by the local chiefs of Buner from the British government in lieu of the destruction of Malka. An attempt is made here to present a summary of this important MS and to find out the facts so for shrouded in mystery.

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A Persian Inscription at the Tomb of Shaykh Im┐m al-D┘n (Peshawar) Revisited

A Persian Inscription at the Tomb of Shaykh Imam al Din (Peshawar) Revisited, 2014

Peshawar remained one of the most important trading and political center of activities throughout... more Peshawar remained one of the most important trading and political center of activities throughout the history due to its strategic location. History says that the city became a capital town for different dynasties who ruled over the region and it is, in fact, this area that has been playing a vital role in making and unmaking the history of South Asia. The different archaeological and other remains of these early eras are the testimonies of the glorious past of Peshawar, particularly under the Mughals. The most significant evidences that speak about the splendid rule of the Mughal dynasty are their buildings in form of mosques, tombs and forts or numismatic and epigraphic evidence. The Persian inscription presented here is one of the most important findings which shed light on the religious beliefs and tradition of the people of the time. Although this inscription has been previously mentioned or published by different scholars, unfortunately, it is not only misread but also misinterpreted creating discrepancy in the related history. The present paper is, therefore, an attempt to give a correct reading, accurate translation of the inscription and also comments and draws a historical sketch of the Shyakh' sect mentioned in the inscription.

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Assassination Attempt on the Buddha - A Mysterious Relief Panel in the SRO Collection of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Peshawar

Journal of Asian Civilizations, 2022

The relief panel (Fig.1) that shows a scene from the life of Buddha is part of the SRO collection... more The relief panel (Fig.1) that shows a scene from the life of Buddha is part of the SRO collection, which is now in the possession of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums (DOAM), Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Since its first entry to the collection, the sculpture remains unidentified and to our knowledge unpublished. It is a unique or at least a rare example of its kind not only because it depicts one of the most important events of the Buddha's life, but it also represents certain enigmatic figures that needs to be distinguished and identified. In this preliminary study, we are trying to describe the pictorial representation of the episode vis-à-vis the Buddhist texts and also to decipher the characters of the event.

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The Taming of Naga Apalala: A Buddhist Narrative Relief Panel in the SSAQ Museum, University of Peshawar

Journal of Asian Civilizations, 2015

The Department of Archaeology, University of Peshawar since its establishment in 1962, has render... more The Department of Archaeology, University of Peshawar since its establishment in 1962, has rendered great services to the Archaeology and cultural assets of the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by excavating different Pre-historic, Proto-historic sites and Buddhist establishments. One of the memorable achievements of the department is the launching of the "Gandhara Archaeological Project", which was initiated in 1981 in collaboration with the Department of Archaeology & Museums, Govt. of Pakistan for the exploration, excavations and conservation of the Buddhist period sites and monuments, located in Malakand and Swat valleys.The team members of the project, particularly Professor Abdur Rahman and Professor Farid Khan, under the directives of the late Dr. Farzand Ali Durrani, discovered more than fifty archaeological sites and also excavated some of them such as Matkanai, Baghrajai (in Malakand Agency), Parrai and Chargpaty (in district Dir) Butkara III, Shnaisha, Gumbatkai, ...

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A Note on the Archaeological Significance of Hund

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Gandhāran stucco sculptures from Sultan Khel (former Khyber Agency) in the collection of Peshawar Museum: a study in three parts

The Rediscovery and Reception of Gandhāran Art

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The Shpola Stupa of Khyber Pass: The Twentieth-Century Record of a Proposed Conservation Project

Pakistan Heritage, 2021

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A Persian manuscript of Durr-i-Maqāl: A versified account of the British Military Expeditions in the former North-West Frontier Province (1858 to 1863

A Persian manuscript of Durr-i-Maqāl: A versified account of the British Military Expeditions in the former North-West Frontier Province (1858 to 1863, 2021

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A Persian Inscription at the Tomb of Shaykh Im┐m al-D┘n (Peshawar) Revisited

A Persian Inscription at the Tomb of Shaykh Imam al Din (Peshawar) Revisited, 2014

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Assassination Attempt on the Buddha - A Mysterious Relief Panel in the SRO Collection of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Peshawar

Journal of Asian Civilizations, 2022

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The Taming of Naga Apalala: A Buddhist Narrative Relief Panel in the SSAQ Museum, University of Peshawar

Journal of Asian Civilizations, 2015

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Zarawar Khan

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