[2] The province was also referred to as Para-uparisaina (Ancient Greek: Παροπαμισάδαι, Paropamisádai; Latin: Paropamisadae) in the Babylonian and Elamite versions of the Behistun inscription.[3] During the 6th century BCE, Gandhāra was an important imperial power in north-west Iron Age South Asia, with the other states of the Punjab region, such as the Kekayas, Madrakas, Uśīnaras, and Shivis being under Gāndhārī suzerainty.[4] However, the presence of Gandhāra, referred to as Gandāra in Old Persian, among the list of Achaemenid provinces in Darius's Behistun Inscription confirms that his empire had inherited this region from conquests carried out earlier by Cyrus,[11] with the annexation under Cyrus being limited to Gandhāra proper, after which the peoples of the Punjab region previously under Gāndhārī authority took advantage of the new power vacuum to form their own small states.Ambhi, then ruler of Taxila in the former Hindush satrapy complied, but the remaining tribes and clans in the former satraps of Gandhara, Arachosia, Sattagydia and Gedrosia rejected Alexander's offer.With the conquest of Gandhara complete, Alexander switched to strengthening his military supply line, which by now stretched dangerously vulnerable over the Hindu Kush back to Balkh in Bactria.[citation needed] After conquering Gandhara and solidifying his supply line back to Bactria, Alexander combined his forces with the King Ambhi of Taxila and crossed the River Indus in July 326 BC to begin the Archosia (Punjab) campaign.
"Victory coin" of Alexander the Great, minted in
Babylon
c.
322 BC
, following his campaigns in
Bactria
and the
Indus Valley
.
Obverse
: Alexander being crowned by
Nike
.
Reverse
: Alexander attacking king
Porus
on his elephant. Silver.
British Museum
.
Coin of Early Gandhara Janapada: AR Shatamana and one-eighth Shatamana (round), Taxila-Gandhara region,
c.
600–300 BC
A monetary silver coin of the satrapy of Gandhara about 500–400 BC.
Obv:
Gandhara symbol representing 6 weapons with one point between two weapons; At the bottom of the point, a hollow moon.
Rev:
Empty.
Dimensions:
14 mm
Weight:
1.4 g.