Introduction

This introductory chapter discusses the fascination among British military officials and surveyors in the nineteenth century for Buddhist sculptures which were often seen to bear resemblance to Greek art. From 1860 onwards, these collections led to the development of a distinctive school of art termed Gandhara. Given the archaeological discoveries of the last few decades, it is important to provide a context to these collections, especially with reference to the prehistoric beginnings of habitation in the region of Gandhara and its interlinkages through the river Indus with other areas of the subcontinent, such as Gujarat in western India. A second issue relates to patronage provided to Buddhist monasteries, which are often linked to kings and royalty. Finally, it is important to underscore the multi-religious milieu of ancient Gandhara where Buddhism flourished along with several local cults, in addition to Hinduism.