Taxila or Takshashila (IAST: Takṣaśilā meaning "City of Cut Stone" or "Takṣa Rock") is a town and an important archaeological site in Rawalpindi District of Punjab, Pakistan. Taxila is situated about 32 km (20 mi) north-west of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, just off the famous Grand Trunk Road. The town lies 549 metres (1,801 ft) above sea level. It is the headquarters of the Taxila Tehsil in Rawalpindi district.

Ancient Taxila was situated at the pivotal junction of South Asia and Central Asia. Some of the earliest ruins in this area date to the time of the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BCE.

Owing to its strategic location, Taxila has changed hands many times over the centuries, with many empires vying for its control. When the great ancient trade routes connecting these regions ceased to be important, the city sank into insignificance and was finally destroyed by the nomadic Huns in the 5th century. The renowned archaeologist Sir Alexander Cunningham rediscovered the ruins of Takṣaśilā in the mid-19th century. In 1980, Taxila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[2] In 2006 it was ranked as the top tourist destination in Pakistan by The Guardian newspaper.[3]

By some accounts, Taxila was considered to be amongst the earliest universities in the world.[4][5][6][7][8] Others do not consider it a university in the modern sense, in that the teachers living there may not have had official membership of particular colleges, and there did not seem to have existed purpose-built lecture halls and residential quarters in Takshashila,[9][10][11] in contrast to the later Nalanda university in eastern India.[11][12][13]

In a 2010 report, Global Heritage Fund identified Taxila as one of 12 worldwide sites most "On the Verge" of irreparable loss and damage, citing insufficient management, development pressure, looting, and war and conflict as primary threats.[14]

Contents  [hide] 
1	References in ancient texts
2	Political history
3	Ancient centre of learning
3.1	Notable students and teachers
3.2	Nature of education
4	Ruins
4.1	Sarai Kala
4.2	Other sites
5	Culture
6	Industry
7	See also
8	References
9	External links
References in ancient texts[edit]
See also: Achaemenid invasion of the Indus Valley
Scattered references in later works indicated that Taxila may have dated back to at least the 8th century BCE.[15][16][17] Archaeological excavations later showed that the city may have grown significantly during the Achaemenid Empire of the 6th century BCE. Owing to its strategic location, Taxila has changed hands many times over the centuries from Iranian, to Indo-Greek and lastly Indian rule, with many empires vying for its control. It had an Indo-Iranian society encompassing different religions.

Historically, Takṣaśilā lay at the crossroads of three major ancient trade routes. In 516 BC, Darius embarked on a campaign to Central Asia, Ariana and Bactria and then marched into Afghanistan to Hindush in modern Pakistan. Darius I spent the winter of 516-515 BCE in Gandhara, preparing to conquer the Indus Valley. Darius conquered the Indus in 515 BCE.[18] He controlled the Indus Valley from Gandhara to modern Karachi and appointed the Greek Scylax of Caryanda to explore the Indian Ocean from the mouth of the Indus to the Suez. Darius then marched through the Bolan Pass and returned through Arachosia and Drangiana back to Persia.