Ancient history of Pakistan

**Ancient history of Pakistan** covers the history of Pakistan from prehistoric times until the start of the Medieval period. Pakistan is located on a vast geographic region known as the **Greater Indus Region** or the **Greater Indus Valley**, which is a Geo-Cultural Cradle. It includes many different cultures, languages, social systems, and religions, creating a special and lasting cultural identity known for tolerance, variety, and adaptation. Since the beginning, the land of Pakistan has been shaped by the Indus River (Urdu: _Darya-i-Sindh_) and its tributaries, as well as the Himalayas, Karakoram, Pamir and Hindu Kush mountain ranges. Surrounded by the sandy Thar and Cholistan deserts, the rough hills and valleys of Balochistan, and the shiny Arabian Sea, Pakistan's land has been a place where people have lived since ancient times and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited land in the world. Pakistan has one of the oldest signs of humans outside Africa. Stone tools, over 2 million years old, were found in the Soan Valley.

The Ancient history of Pakistan is seen in its valuable archaeological heritage, covering thousands of years of human effort and creativity. Proof of early human settlements, going back over 2.2 million years, has been found along the Soan River, near Islamabad, showing that this area is one of the oldest places where people lived. The time known as the Neolithic period (6500–2500 BCE) saw the beginning of farming and the start of towns and cities, best seen in the old site of Mehrgarh in Sibi, where the earliest proof of farming and urban life in South Asia has been found.
Throughout its history, the region of Pakistan has been a melting pot of civilizations and cultural sharing. The area saw the growth of the **Indus Valley Civilization** (c. 3000–1300 BCE), one of the earliest urban societies and civilisations in the world. This civilization had well-planned cities, standard ways of measuring things, and a written language (Harappan language) that still hasn't been fully understood, showing how organized and advanced its society and culture were. The cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were important centers for trade, culture, and government. Later times saw the rise of the **Vedic Civilization** (c. 1500–500 BCE), started by the migration of Indo-Aryan tribes and the composition of the Vedas in Punjab, Pakistan. The influence of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 518–330 BCE) extended into parts of ancient Pakistan, shaping its political and cultural landscape, while the Hellenic Period witnessed the establishment of Greek kingdoms in the region, blending Greek and local traditions.

The **Gandhara Civilization** (c. 1500 BCE–500 CE) in the northwest of Pakistan emerged as a significant cultural and religious center, known for its unique artistic traditions (Gandhara art) blending Hellenistic and indigenous styles. It became the second holy land of Buddhism after Magadha in Nepal and India. Gandharan monks from Ancient Pakistan were the first to spread Buddhism in Central Asia, China, Korea and Japan. Two of the world's major religions, Hinduism and Sikhism originated in modern-day Pakistan. The Mahayana, Vajrayana and Tibetan Buddhism have roots in the Gandhara region of Pakistan. The region of Pakistan has been known by various names throughout history, the oldest recorded name is _Meluhha_ (Sumerian: 𒈨𒈛𒄩𒆠), the Mesopotamian name for the Indus country.