59-680: Damaan Valley is a valley of Dera Ismail Khan District in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan . It is situated 55 km from Dera Ismail Khan . Sherani mountain range on its west side and Sulaiman Range in the south-west. Pezu mountains Sheikh Budin range mark its boundary on the north east side. River Indus bounds Damaan from the east and Dera Ghazi Khan District Punjab lies on its south side. Dera Ismail Khan District Dera Ismail Khan District ( Urdu and Saraiki : ضلع ڈیره اسماعیل خان , Pashto : دېره اسماعيل خان ولسوالۍ ), often abbreviated as D.I. Khan
118-798: A ... reward to whoever brought him the head of a Buddhist monk. Also, the Malavikagnimitra claims that the empire of Pushyamitra extended to the Narmada River in the south. They may also have controlled the city of Ujjain . Meanwhile, Kabul and much of the Punjab passed into the hands of the Indo-Greeks and the Deccan Plateau to the Satavahana dynasty . Pushyamitra died after ruling for 36 years (187–151 BCE). He
177-715: A Brahmin named Pushyamitra, is believed by some historians to have persecuted Buddhists and contributed to a resurgence of Brahmanism that forced Buddhism outwards to Kashmir , Gandhara and Bactria . Buddhist scripture such as the Asokavadana account of the Divyavadana and ancient Tibetan historian Taranatha have written about persecution of Buddhists. Pushyamitra is said to have burned down Buddhist monasteries, destroyed stupas, massacred Buddhist monks and put rewards on their heads, but some consider these stories as probable exaggerations. "... Pushyamitra equipped
236-463: A big circular ground encircled by spectators) are still popular among native Saraiki people and have been for decades. The district is subdivided into six Tehsils which contain a total of 47 Union Councils : After the merger of Tribal areas, Darazinda is now also a tehsil of D.I.Khan. 32°00′N 70°30′E / 32.000°N 70.500°E / 32.000; 70.500 Shunga Empire The Shunga dynasty ( IAST : Śuṅga )
295-833: A campaign to Pataliputra with other Indian rulers; however, very little is known about the exact nature and success of the campaign. The net result of these wars remains uncertain. Several works, such as the Mahabharata and the Yuga Purana describe the conflict between the Shungas and the Indo-Greeks. Scriptures such as the Ashokavadana claim that Pushyamitra toppled Emperor Brihadratha and killed many Buddhist monks. Then it describes how Pushyamitra sent an army to Pataliputra and as far as Sakala ( Sialkot ), in
354-701: A direct battle between the Greeks and the Shunga is also found in the Mālavikāgnimitram , a play by Kālidāsa which describes a battle between a squadron of Greek cavalrymen and Vasumitra , the grandson of Pushyamitra , accompanied by a hundred soldiers on the "Sindhu river", in which the Indians defeated a squadron of Greeks and Pushyamitra successfully completed the Ashvamedha Yagna. This river may be
413-811: A fourfold army, and intending to destroy the Buddhist religion, he went to the Kukkutarama. ... Pushyamitra therefore destroyed the sangharama, killed the monks there, and departed. ... After some time, he arrived in Sakala, and proclaimed that he would give a ... reward to whoever brought him the head of a Buddhist monk." Pushyamitra is known to have revived the supremacy of the Bramahnical religion and reestablished animal sacrifices ( Yajnas ) that had been prohibited by Ashoka . Later Shunga emperors were seen as amenable to Buddhism and as having contributed to
472-513: A local king Dhanadeva , who claimed to be the sixth descendant of Pushyamitra. The inscription also records that Pushyamitra performed two Ashvamedhas (victory sacrifices) in Ayodhya. The Greeks seem to have maintained control of Mathura. The Yavanarajya inscription , also called the "Maghera inscription", discovered in Mathura , suggests that the Indo-Greeks were in control of Mathura during
531-484: A member of the Shunga dynasty. Neither is he known from "Shunga" regnal lists. The mention "in the reign of the Shungas" also suggests that he was not himself a Shunga ruler, only that he may have been a tributary of the Shungas, or a ruler in a neighbouring territory, such as Kosala or Panchala . The name "Sunga" or "Shunga" is also used in the Vishnu Purana , the date of which is contested, to designate
590-703: Is a district in the Dera Ismail Khan division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan . The capital of the district is the town of Dera Ismail Khan . The district has an area of 9,334 km (3,604 sq mi) and a population of 1,822,916 as of the 2023 Census. After the Second Anglo-Sikh war in 1849 the district was annexed by the British as part of the Punjab and remained so until 1901 when NWFP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
649-529: Is known all over Pakistan, and brings a lot of attention to the district and the city. Football is a very popular game in Dera Ismail Khan. Other games including cricket , hockey , badminton , and many more are played as well. Ali Amin Khan has also provided a platform for more involvement in sports in this region. In 2017, he introduced a tennis ball cricket league, named Dera Premier League, and
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#1732780945696708-586: Is noted for its numerous wars with both foreign and indigenous powers. They fought the Kalinga , the Satavahana dynasty , the Indo-Greek kingdom and possibly the Panchalas and Mitras of Mathura . Art, education, philosophy, and other forms of learning flowered during this period, including small terracotta images, larger stone sculptures, and architectural monuments such as the stupa at Bharhut , and
767-644: Is on exhibit at the Asutosh Museum in Kolkata. Two dedications by a king named Brahmamitra as well as the monarch Indragnimitra are recorded at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya. Some may claim these show Sunga support for Buddhism. These kings, however, are essentially unknown, and do not form a part of the Shunga recorded genealogy. They are thought to be post- Ashokan and to belong to
826-670: Is protected by the Sheikh Badin National Park . Near the Indus River is a spur of limestone hills known as the Kafir Kot hills, where the ancient Hindu complex of Kafir Kot is located. DI Khan is also considered the center of Pakistan because of its location between Bhakkar , Mianwali of North Punjab , Zhob of Balochistan and South Waziristan of Pakistan's tribal belt . It is named after Dodai mercenary Ismail Khan, son of Malik Sohrab Dodai of
885-690: The Divyavadana claims that the Shungas sent an army to persecute Buddhist monks as far as Sakala ( Sialkot ) in the Punjab region in the northwest: ... Pushyamitra equipped a fourfold army, and intending to destroy the Buddhist religion, he went to the Kukkutarama (in Pataliputra ). ... Pushyamitra therefore destroyed the sangharama , killed the monks there, and departed. ... After some time, he arrived in Sakala , and proclaimed that he would give
944-420: The 2023 census , Dera Ismail Khan district has 270,021 households and a population of 1,829,811. The district has a sex ratio of 110.24 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 46.58%: 58.14% for males and 33.71% for females. 559,401 (30.69% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age. 374,757 (20.48%) live in urban areas. The Dera Ismail Khan district has many schools and colleges, predominantly in
1003-564: The Gangetic plains . Buddhism flourished in the realms of the Bactrian kings. Some Indian scholars are of the opinion that the orthodox Shunga emperors were not intolerant towards Buddhism and that Buddhism prospered during the time of the Shunga emperors. The existence of Buddhism in Bengal in the Shunga period can also be inferred from a terracotta tablet that was found at Tamralipti and
1062-556: The Heliodorus pillar inscription , are only assumed to relate to Shunga rulers. The Ayodhya Inscription of Dhana mentions a ruler named Pushyamitra , but does not mention the name "Shunga". The Bharut epigraph appears on a pillar of the gateway of the stupa, and mentions its erection "during the rule of the Sugas , by Vatsiputra Dhanabhuti ". The expression used ( Suganam raje , Brahmi script : 𑀲𑀼𑀕𑀦𑀁 𑀭𑀚𑁂), may mean "during
1121-737: The Indus River in the northwest, but such expansion by the Shungas is unlikely, and it is more probable that the river mentioned in the text is the Sindh River or the Kali Sindh River in the Ganges Basin . Ultimately, Shunga rule seems to have extended to the area of Ayodhya. Shunga inscriptions are known as far as Ayodhya in northern central India; in particular, the Dhanadeva-Ayodhya inscription refers to
1180-587: The Indus river which intersected it from north to south. To the west of the Indus, the characteristics of the country resembled those of Dera Ghazi Khan . To the east of the present bed of the river, there is a wide track known as the Kachi, exposed to river action. Beyond this, the country rises abruptly, and a barren, almost desert plain stretches eastwards, sparsely cultivated, and inhabited by nomadic tribes. In 1901,
1239-673: The Kalingas , Satavahanas , the Indo-Greeks , and possibly the Panchalas and Mathuras . The Shunga empire's wars with the Indo-Greek kingdom figure greatly in the history of this period. From around 180 BCE the Greco-Bactrian ruler Demetrius conquered the Kabul Valley and is theorised to have advanced into the trans-Indus to confront the Shungas. The Indo-Greek Menander I is credited with either joining or leading
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#17327809456961298-776: The Koh-e-Sulaiman mountain in the neighboring Baluchistan province. In the northwest is the Tank District . D.I Khan is separated from the Marwat plains of the Lakki Marwat district by a spur of clay and sandstone hills that stretch east from the Sulaiman mountains to the Indus river known as the Sheikh Badin Hills. The highest peak in the range is the limestone Sheik Badin mountain, which
1357-583: The Kuffar (Disbelievers)). These Hindu Shahi forts were known for high towers and steep defensive walls. The Hindus also built many Hindu temples around the area. However, many of them are now in rubble. The Hindu Shahis remained in control of the area until their defeat by the Turkic Muslim army of Ghaznavids. The district is part of what was historically territory inhabited by the Baloch people during
1416-527: The Langah Sultanate , who laid the foundation of the area. The Dera Ismail Khan District is littered with ruins from ancient civilizations . Dera Ismail Khan is home to the collection of Hindu ruins from two separate sites 20 miles apart, jointly known as Kafir Kot . The region came under the influence of the Nanda empire of the ancient India from 300 BCE. With the rise of Chandragupta Maurya ,
1475-710: The Mahabharata affirms that the city of Mathura was under the joint control of the Yavanas and the Kambojas . Later however, it seems the city of Mathura was retaken from them, if not by the Shungas themselves, then probably by other indigenous rulers such as the Datta dynasty or the Mitra dynasty , or more probably by the Indo-Scythian Northern Satraps under Rajuvula . In the region of Mathura,
1534-583: The Punjab , to persecute Buddhist monks. The Indo-Greeks , called Yavanas in Indian sources, either led by Demetrius I or Menander I , then invaded India, possibly receiving the help of Buddhists. Menander in particular is described as a convert to Buddhism in the Milindapanha . The Hindu text of the Yuga Purana , which describes Indian historical events in the form of a prophecy, relates
1593-591: The 1st century BCE. The inscription is important in that it mentions the date of its dedication as "The last day of year 116 of Yavana hegemony ( Yavanarajya )". It is considered that this inscription is attesting the control of the Indo-Greeks in the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE in Mathura, a fact that is also confirmed by numismatic and literary evidence. Moreover, it does not seem that the Shungas ever ruled in Mathura or Surasena since no Shunga coins or inscriptions have been found there. The Anushasana Parva of
1652-557: The Buddhist religion, some authors argue that the constructions of that period in Sanchi for example cannot really be called "Shunga". They were not the result of royal sponsorship, in contrast with what happened during the Mauryas, and most of the dedications at Sanchi were private or collective, rather than the result of royal patronage. Some writers believe that Brahmanism competed in political and spiritual realm with Buddhism in
1711-614: The Buddhist ruler Kanishka . After the fall of the Kushans, the region came under the control of the Gupta empire of the ancient India. During this period, Hindu and Buddhist art and architecture flourished in the area. With the decline of the imperial Guptas, the Hindu Shahis came to rule the area. The Hindu Shahis built two massive forts in the northern edges of Dera Ismail Khan. The forts were later renamed as "Kafir kots" (forts of
1770-482: The Greeks in Shunga–Greek War . Pushyamitra ruled for 36 years and was succeeded by his son Agnimitra . There were ten Shunga rulers. However, after the death of Agnimitra, the second king of the dynasty, the empire rapidly disintegrated: inscriptions and coins indicate that much of northern and central India consisted of small kingdoms and city-states that were independent of any Shunga hegemony . The dynasty
1829-460: The Shungas, as no archaeological evidence of a Shunga presence has ever been found in Mathura. On the contrary, according to the Yavanarajya inscription , Mathura was probably under the control of Indo-Greeks from some time between 180 BCE and 100 BCE, and remained so as late as 70 BCE. Some ancient sources however claim a greater extent for the Shunga empire: the Asokavadana account of
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1888-614: The attack of the Indo-Greeks on the Shunga capital Pataliputra , a magnificent fortified city with 570 towers and 64 gates according to Megasthenes , and describes the impending war for city: Then, after having approached Saketa together with the Panchalas and the Mathuras , the Yavanas, valiant in battle, will reach Kusumadhvaja "the town of the flower-standard", Pataliputra . Then, once Puspapura (another name of Pataliputra) has been reached and its celebrated mud-walls cast down, all
1947-407: The building of the stupa at Bharhut . During his reign the Buddhist monuments of Bharhut and Sanchi were renovated and further improved. There is enough evidence to show that Pushyamitra patronised buddhist art. However, given the rather decentralised and fragmentary nature of the Shunga state, with many cities actually issuing their own coinage, as well as the relative dislike of the Shungas for
2006-495: The capital of Dera Ismail Khan. Beaconhouse School System The district is represented in the National Assembly by two elected MNAs who represent the following constituencies: Sobat is a traditional dish predominantly prepared in the capital of Dera Ismail Khan. It consists of chicken , onions , garlic , tomatoes , khusk dhania, garam masala , turmeric , and other spices. It is usually eaten as dinner. Sobat
2065-467: The construction of the stupas, as attested by the numerous donative inscriptions, was not royal but collective, and the Sungas were known for their opposition to Buddhism. During the later rule of the Shunga, the stupa was expanded with stone slabs to almost twice its original size. The dome was flattened near the top and crowned by three superimposed parasols within a square railing. With its many tiers it
2124-666: The dynasty of kings starting with Pushyamitra c. 185 BCE , and ending with Devabhuti circa 75 BCE. According to the Vishnu Purana : Ten Maurya kings will reign for one hundred and thirty-seven years. After them the Śuṅgas will rule the earth. The general Puṣpamitra will kill his sovereign and usurp the kingdom. His son will be Agnimitra. His son will be Sujyeṣṭha. His son will be Vasumitra. His son will be Ārdraka. His son will be Pulindaka. His son will be Ghoṣavasu. His son will be Vajramitra. His son will be Bhāgavata. His son will be Devabhūti. These ten Śuṅgas will rule
2183-554: The earth for one hundred and twelve years. Shungas were originally from Vidisha . According to historical reconstructions, the Shunga dynasty was established in 184 BCE, about 50 years after Ashoka 's death, when the emperor Brihadratha Maurya , the last ruler of the Maurya empire , was assassinated by his Senānī or commander-in-chief , Pushyamitra , while he was reviewing the Guard of Honour of his forces. Pushyamitra then ascended
2242-409: The expression "the royal palace, the caitya", suggesting that "the mention of the raja-pasada would seem to connect the donor with the king's family." Luders doubtfully suggests "to the king's temple" as a rendering of "raja-pasada-cetikasa." On the basis of Ashokavadana , it is presumed that the stupa may have been vandalised at one point sometime in the 2nd century BCE, an event some have related to
2301-595: The first nine of which read " rajapasada-cetika sa ". Bloch reads these nine letters as " raja-pasada-cetikasa " and translates this expression in relation to the preceding words: "(the gift of Kurangi, the wife of Indragnimitra and the mother of living sons), "to the caitya (cetika) of the noble temple", taking the word raja before pasada as an epithet on ornans, distinguishing the temple as a particularly large and stately building similar to such expressions as rajahastin 'a noble elephant', rajahamsa 'a goose' (as distinguished from hamsa 'a duck'), etc." Cunningham has translated
2360-403: The gateway carvings, slightly after the reliefs of Bharhut , with some reworks down to the 1st century CE. The style of the Shunga period decorations at Sanchi bear a close similarity to those of Bharhut , as well as the peripheral balustrades at Bodh Gaya , which are thought to be the oldest of the three. War and conflict characterised the Shunga period. They are known to have warred with
2419-577: The historical period known as the "Shunga period", which follows the fall of the Maurya empire . The term appears in a single epigraphic inscription in Bharhut , in which a dedication to the Buddhist Bharhut stupa is said to have been made "at the time of the Suga kings" ( Suganam raje ), with no indication as to whom these "Suga kings" might be. Other broadly contemporary inscriptions, such as
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2478-453: The medieval India, who were invited to settle in the region by Shah Husseyn of the Langah Sultanate of Multan . These Baloch settlers were displaced by or assimilated into later waves of the Pashtun settlement. Dera Ismail Khan was created as an administrative unit of the British India , part of the Derajat Division of the North-West Frontier Province (Now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ). It was formerly divided into almost two equal portions by
2537-782: The newly independent State of Pakistan . In 2016, 191,000 acres in the district were brought under cultivation with completion of the Gomal Zam dam , and a series of irrigation canals partially funded by the United States Government . Languages Saraiki are main ethnic groups in Dera Ismail Khan District in simple majority. Total population of DI Khan District is 1,822,916 consists of Males 956,098 & females 866,667 as of 2023 Pakistani census . Languages of Dera Ismail Khan District ( 2023 Pakistani census ) There are 1,198,862 Saraiki , 582,703 Pashto , 31,152 Urdu , 4,765 Punjabi , 863 Sindhi , 791 Balochi , 490 Kashmiri , 2,738 Hindko , 5 Brahui , 18 Shina , 2 Balti , 3 Kalasha & 524 others of total 1,822,916 As of
2596-436: The period of Sunga rule. A Brahmamitra is known otherwise as a local ruler of Mathura , but Indragnimitra is unknown, and according to some authors, Indragnimitra is in fact not even mentioned as a king in the actual inscription. Cunningham has regretted the loss of the latter part of these important records. As regards the first coping inscription, he has found traces of eleven Brahmi letters after " Kuramgiye danam ",
2655-402: The realm will be in disorder However, the Yuga Purana indicates that the Yavanas (Indo-Greeks) did not remain for long in Pataliputra, as they were faced with a civil war in Bactria . Western sources also suggest that this new offensive of the Greeks into India led them as far as the capital Pataliputra : Those who came after Alexander went to the Ganges and Pataliputra An account of
2714-510: The region came under the complete control of the Mauryan empire . Afterward, the region was briefly and nominally controlled by the Shunga empire . However, with the decline of the Shungas, the region passed to local Hindu and Buddhist rulers and was interrupted by foreign rulers. Many of these foreign rulers, like the Indo-Parthians , Sakas, and Kushans converted to Hinduism and Buddhism and promoted these Indian religions throughout central and south Asia. The region reached its height under
2773-446: The reign of the Sugas ( Sughanas , or Shungas ) the gateway was caused to be made and the stone-work presented by Dhanabhūti, the son of Vāchhī, son of Agaraju , the son of a Goti and grandson of king Visadeva, the son of Gāgī. Dhanabhuti was making a major dedication to a Buddhist monument, Bharhut , whereas the historical "Shungas" are known to have been Hindu monarchs, which would suggest that Dhanabhuti himself may not have been
2832-457: The renowned Great Stupa at Sanchi . The Shunga rulers helped to establish the tradition of royal sponsorship of learning and art. The script used by the empire was a variant of Brahmi script and was used to write Sanskrit . The Shungas were important patrons of culture at a time when some of the most important developments in Hindu thought were taking place. Patanjali 's Mahābhāṣya was composed in this period. Artistry also progressed with
2891-406: The rise of the Mathura art style. The last of the Shunga emperors was Devabhuti (83–73 BCE). He was assassinated by his minister Vasudeva Kanva and was said to have been overfond of the company of women. The Kanva dynasty succeeded the Shungas around 73 BCE. The name "Shunga" has only been used for convenience to designate the historical polity now generally described as "Shunga empire", or
2950-411: The rise of the Shunga emperor Pushyamitra who overtook the Mauryan empire as an army general. It has been suggested that Pushyamitra may have destroyed the original stupa, and his son Agnimitra rebuilt it. The original brick stupa was covered with stone during the Shunga period. According to historian Julia Shaw, the post-Mauryan constructions at Sanchi cannot be described as "Sunga" as sponsorship for
3009-415: The rule of the Shungas are the Second and Third stupas (but not the highly decorated gateways, which are from the following Satavahana period, as known from inscriptions), and the ground balustrade and stone casing of the Great Stupa (Stupa No 1). The Relics of Sariputra and Mahamoggallana are said to have been placed in Stupa No 3. These are dated to c. 115 BCE for the medallions, 80 BCE for
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#17327809456963068-447: The rule of the Sugas [Shungas]", although not without ambiguity as it could also be "during the rule of the Sughanas ", a northern Buddhist kingdom. There is no other instance of the name "Shunga" in the epigraphical record of India. The unique inscription reads: 1. Suganam raje raño Gāgīputasa Visadevasa 2. pautena, Gotiputasa Āgarajusa putena 3. Vāchhīputena Dhanabhūtina kāritam toranām 4. silākammamto cha upamno. During
3127-409: The teams from different geographical regions of Pakistan competed. Season two was held in 2018. DPL became Pakistan's biggest tape ball cricket tournament. Dera Ismail Khan has a cricket team as well: Dera Ismail Khan cricket team . Some cultural games ( kabaddi , mailay and kodi , which is played by three sportsmen called pehlwaan where one runs while two other have to catch him in
3186-410: The throne. Pushyamitra became the ruler of Magadha and neighbouring territories. His realm essentially covered the central parts of the old Mauryan empire . The Shunga definitely had control of the central city of Ayodhya in northern central India, as is proved by the Dhanadeva-Ayodhya inscription . However, the city of Mathura further west never seems to have been under the direct control of
3245-429: The trans-Indus tract was allotted to the newly formed North-West Frontier Province , the cis-Indus tract remaining in the Punjab jurisdiction. The cis-Indus portions of the Dera Ismail Khan and the Bannu districts now comprise the new Punjab district of Mianwali . Wheat and wool were exported. In 1901, it contained an area of 8,814 km (3,403 sq mi) and a population of 252,379. In 1947, it became part of
3304-472: Was a symbol of the dharma , the Wheel of the Law. The dome was set on a high circular drum meant for circumambulation , which could be accessed via a double staircase. A second stone pathway at ground level was enclosed by a stone balustrade. The railing around Stupa 1 do not have artistic reliefs. These are only slabs, with some dedicatory inscriptions. These elements are dated to c. 150 BCE . The buildings which seem to have been commissioned during
3363-450: Was created. The district of Dera Ismail Khan is bounded on the North east by the Bhakkar and Dera Ghazi Khan districts of Punjab . Eastern portions of the district along the Indus river are characterized by fertile alluvial plains, while lands farther from the river consist of clay soil cut by ravines from rainfall. The district is bounded on the southwest by a thin strip of the South Waziristan district, which separates D.I Khan from
3422-399: Was succeeded by son Agnimitra . This prince is the hero of a famous drama by one of India's greatest playwrights, Kālidāsa . Agnimitra was viceroy of Vidisha when the story takes place. The power of the Shungas gradually weakened. It is said that there were ten Shunga emperors. The Shungas were succeeded by the Kanva dynasty around 73 BCE. Following the Mauryans, the first Sunga emperor,
3481-456: Was the fifth ruling dynasty of Magadha and controlled most of the northern Indian subcontinent from around 187 to 75 BCE. The dynasty was established by Pushyamitra , after taking the throne of Magadha from the Mauryas . The Shunga empire's capital was Pataliputra , but later emperors such as Bhagabhadra also held court at Besnagar (modern Vidisha ) in eastern Malwa . This dynasty is also responsible for successfully fighting and resisting
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