Being located on a branch off of the Silk Road connecting China to the west, Taxila thrived between the 1st and 5th centuries through trade with the assistance of the Silk Road. By looking at the development of the city, it is shown that there is influence through the stages from Persia, Greece and Central Asia (UNESCO "Taxila" 2014).

Taxila was influenced by many places and was involved with many changes. At the beginning of the cities life, Bhir was associated with a visit from Alexander the Great. Later on, the founder of the Maruyan Dynasty (321-297 BC), Chandragupta, dominated and took over Punjab, which took independence from Taxila and made it a province capital. When his son, Ashoka took over (after being the governor of the Taxila capital), he established his religious policy, which spread Buddhism throughout the region. In 186 BC, Punjab and another nearby region were invaded by the Greeks, and a ruler named Demetrius (Lendering 2002). This led to an Greek influence and brought a multi-ethnic living society for his time as ruler there.

Due to the large amount of Buddhist monuments that were located all of the Taxila area, it is known to have been religiously affiliated with Buddhism, and even Hinduism (as seen with the city of Bhir with possibly the oldest Hindu temple in the world) and made itself a popular destination (UNESCO Taxila 2104). For more than a thousand years, Buddhism was the dominant religion and was a famous location for Gandhara art sculpturing, architecture, education and Buddhism (Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation).

Source:

Lendering, Jona. "Taxila." Livius - Articles on Ancient History. January 1, 2002. Accessed November 21, 2014. http://www.livius.org/place/taxila/.

"Taxila." UNESCO | World Heritage Conservation. Accessed November 21, 2014. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/139/.

"Its Beautiful Its Pakistan." Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation. Accessed November 21, 2014. http://www.tourism.gov.pk/taxila_punjab.html.

Graphic:

http://pakedu.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/taxila1.jpg

The Dharmarajika Stupa was an important monument that was built during Ashoka's rule. It is also known as the "The Tomb of the Real Law Lord", which is a reference to Buddha. This was a burial site and

In the second Taxila city, Sirkap, the sanctuaries present reflect the multi-ethnic society that was begun. Different cultures were brought together and can be seen as an influence on the city. (Lendering 2004) Other religious practices came out of this second city, such as Greek religious practices, Jainism, Hinduism, and even Zoroastrian cults (Lendering 2004).

Sites such as these have preserved thousands of years of heritage and art. The large importance of this history can be reflected in even modern culture in this area (Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation). The different major sites of the Taxila Valley area show evidence of increase in social complexity, as well as urbanization (UNESCO "Taxila"). This is important to preserve because this site was largely important in this region and has even made an impact on modern culture. Without it, we would have less of an understanding about the evolution and urbanization that flourish in Pakistan.

Source:

"Its Beautiful Its Pakistan." Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation. Accessed November 21, 2014. http://www.tourism.gov.pk/taxila_punjab.html.

Lendering, Jona. "Taxila - Sirkap." Livius - Articles on Ancient History. January 1, 2004. Accessed November 21, 2014. http://www.livius.org/place/taxila/taxila-photos/taxila-sirkap/.

Lendering, Jona. "Taxila - Bhir." Livius - Articles on Ancient History. January 1, 2004. Accessed November 21, 2014. http://www.livius.org/place/taxila/taxila-photos/taxila-bhir/.

"Taxila." UNESCO | World Heritage Conservation. Accessed November 21, 2014. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/139/.

Graphic: http://historypak.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/taxila.jpg

This assignment is being used for an educational assignment.

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 “Copyright Fair Use and How It Works for Online Images.” Social Media Examiner. http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/copyright-fair-use-and-how-it-works-for-online-images/ (accessed Nov. 1, 2013).

Reasons for the destruction and loss of this culture are:

Exposure of the archaeological remains to tropical climate and weather.

Uncontrolled vegetation growth.

Earthquakes (listed as a posed threat).

Expansions of estates and housing in the Taxila Valley area.

Limestone blasting and quarrying.

Illegal excavations and looting done in Buddhist monasteries.

According to UNESCO, "Taxila is a protected antiquity in terms of the Antiquities Act, 1975, passed by the Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The Constitution (18th Amendment) Act 2010 (Act No. X of 2010), bestowed the Government of the Punjab and the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with full administrative and financial authority over all heritage sites located in these respective provinces." (UNESCO "Taxila").

Steps that we can take to continue to preserve this site, and famous and evidence/culture rich archaeological sites, is to spread awareness of their importance. Awareness needs to be the first step because people won't do anything to contribute to keeping these sites conserved, unless they know their role in history and what we can learn from them.

Source:

"Taxila." UNESCO | World Heritage Conservation. Accessed November 21, 2014. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/139/.

Graphic: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cDOn0D-JthA/T4BxPsuGlHI/AAAAAAAAAI4/OBCNEVfkhwc/s1600/The%2BDouble-Headed-Eagle%2BStupa%2B%25E2%2580%2594%2Bat%2BSirkap%252C%2BtheIndo-Greek%2Barchaeological%2Bsite.%2BLocated%2Bnear%2Bancient%2BTaxila%2B%25E2%2580%2594%2Bin%2BPunjab%2BProvince%252C%2BPakistan..JPG