Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | History
Why in News?
The ongoing excavation at Zehanpora put the spotlight on the significance of Kashmir in Buddhist history.
It is a Buddhist site dating back nearly 2,000 years to the Kushan period.
Located in –Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Structures found –Stupas, monk living spaces, and carefully planned stone foundations.
Possible Links –Archaeologists believe Zehanpora may have had links with Huvishkapura, an ancient Kushan capital often mentioned in historical texts.
Architecture –The stupa layouts show Gandharan influence, indicating cultural exchange with north-western Buddhist regions.
Strategic Location –Zehanpora, situated on an ancient trade and pilgrimage corridor linking Gandhara and Kashmir, enabled the movement of monks, merchants, and religious ideas.
Cultural Importance –It shows Kashmir’s role as a major Buddhist centre and a hub in ancient trade and pilgrimage networks.
Other Significance of Jammu & Kashmir
Historical Significance -Emperor Ashoka, who isbelieved to have founded the city of Srinagar, established monasteries and stupas in the region.
Geographical Significance –Kashmir’s position between the Indus-Gandhara region and the Himalayas made it a natural link between India and Asia.
Learning Centre –Early Buddhist and Sanskrit texts describe Kashmir as Sharada Pitha, a major centre of learning in ancient and medieval times.
4th Buddhist Council –King Kanishka convened a Buddhist council in Kashmir, led by Vasumitra and attended by Ashvaghosha.
This council played a key role in organising and spreading Mahayana Buddhism.
Philosophical significance– Nagarjuna’s Madhyamaka philosophy peaked in Kashmir, making it a hub of Mahayana Buddhist thought.
Global outreach –Kashmir spread Mahayana ideas westward to Qandhar, Kabul, and Bactria and preserved Buddhist knowledge through the Gilgit Manuscripts (among the oldest Buddhist texts).
Kashmir was a key launchpad for global Buddhism, not a peripheral region.
