Peshawar Museaum Organization

After its inception in 1907 the Peshawar Museum was run by the Peshawar Municipality. The superintendent of the Archaeological Survey of India, Frontier Circle was Curator of the Museum. In 1927, when the Frontier Circle office was shifted 10 Lahore, a full time Curator was appointed under the Provincial Govt. After independence the Museum remained under the direct control of the Director of Public Instructions, Government of NWFP, Peshawar In 1971, an autonomous. body, Board of Governors, was constituted to run the affairs of the Museum, headedfirst by the Governor and later by the Chief Secretary, Government of NWFP In 1992, the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa established its own Directorate of Archaeology and Museums to ensure the betler protection and preservation of the archaeological heritage of the Province and thus the Peshawar Museum became part of the Provincial Directorate

The Museum Collection

The main collecticn of Peshawar Museum, 14156 items in total lill date, includes Gandharan sculptures, Coins, Manuscripts and copies of the Ho~y Quran, Inscriptions, Weapons, Dresses, Jewellry, Kalash Effigies, Mughal era and later period Paintings, House hold objects, local and Persian handicrafts.

The collection is divided in five main sections:

1. Gandharan
2. Coins
3. Islamic
4. Ethnological
5. Iranian

Gandhara Region

For Hiuen Tsang. the celebrated Chinese pilgrim, who visited Gandhara in the early 7th century AD, "the Kingdom of Gandhara formed the tract of country on the west bank of the Indus which included the Peshawar Valley and the modern Swat. Buner and Bajaur" . Gandhara was the cradle of Buddhist Civilization and gave birth to the famous Gandhara Art. It is first mentioned in the Rigveda, remaining one of the provinces of the Achaemenian Empire as per Darius inscription of6'h century Be Pushkalavati (Balahisar-Charsadda), it'sfirst capitalfrom 6'h century BC to 1" century AD was invaded in 327 BC by Alexander the Greal. Later, Gandhara was ruled from Pushkalavati by Indo-Greeks, Scythians and Parthians. The Kushanas,established their capital at Pushapura, or Peshawar, in the r century AD and King Kanishka built a Stupa and monastery at Shah-Ji-Ki¬Dheri, near Gan) Gate, Peshawar. The relic casket
discovered from this Stupa with Kharoshthi inscription, mentioning the name of the city as Kanishkapura, is now exhibited in the main hall of the Peshawar Museum. In the 7th century AD, the Shahi Dynasty of Kabul and Gandhara established their capital at Hund, which remained their capital until the invasions of the Gaznavids in 998 AD, thus ending the rule of Gandhara after about 1600 years.

Gandhara Art

The Cosmopolitan art of Gandhara, with influence from Indian, Greek, Roman and Persian artists appeared in this region in the 1st century AD flourished till 5th century and lingered on till 8th century. The purpose of this art was the propagation of Buddhism through the images carved and made in stone,stucco,terracotta and bronze, mostly enshrined the stupas and monasteries throughout Gandhara region. Thousands of such stupas were mentioned by the Chinese pilgrim. Hiuen Tsang, who visited gandhara in 7th century AD, only few of which have been excavated so far. The main focus of the art was Buddhas life stories and individual images, his previous birth stories (Jalakas) and future Buddhas. The most important among these are the historic Buddha, his miracles and all episodes from his birth to death, beautifully and liheml1y carved. The local devoted artists, stimulated by the personality of Buddha, took advantage of contacts, motifs and technology from 1 he Greeks, Romans and Persians to give Buddha an eternal life in their art.

The life stories of Buddha, depicted in Gandhara Art are on authentic document of the Mahayana text composed during the time of Kanishka. In fact, the sculptueres of Gandhara translated the Bhuddist Mahayana religious text into details in stone,stucco,terracotta and bronze,thus making them more romantic and providing a base for the expansion of Bhuddism towards the far east via the sillk route and china through pilgrims and traders. The current Bhuddist religion in Korea and Japan is a wonderful example of the extension of Gandhara Bhuddism.The sculptures were fixed to the bases , drums and stairs of the stupas, around which the worshipers circumambulated . Individual figures filled the niches around the stupas and monasteries.Also the harmika i.e, the solid box in square above the dome of the stupa was carved on all sides with Bhidda life stories.These stories were chiseled on stone tablets and fixed to the stupas,inside which, relics of bhudda were kept in a casket for the purpose of worship.The Art,mainly a product of the land of Gandhara under the kushana rulers, is more dynamic than the contemporary Mathura Art of India.

Gandaran Section

The Peshawar Museum has the most important and largest collection of Gandhara Art in the world. Consisting of-l2-17 pieces (936 on display and 3311 ill stores). Including antiquities of Buddhist stone sculptures and panels, architectural elements, stucco, sculptures terracotta figurines. relic caskets, toiletry objects The selected collection is exhibited in the main hall, eastern and western galleries on the first floor of the museum.

The subject matter of Gandham Art in the main hull includes Buddha's pre-birth and Life stories, miracles. worship of symbols, relic caskets and individual standing Buddha sculptures. The most represented of the pre-birth stories or Jatakas inside the Peshawar museum are Dipankara. Maitryakanyaka, Amara. Syama and Visvantum .Jatakas.
The Buddha life story in stone is beautifully caverd with all details and the most represented scenes include Queen Maya's dream, interpretation of the dream, birth of Siddhartha, bath scene, seven steps, going to school, writing lessons, wrestling matches. palace life, marriage scene, renunciation, great departure, ascetic life, fasting, first meditation, demon attacks. attaining enlightenment, first sermon at Sarnath, conversion of Ksyapa, monks, death scene, cremation of Buddha, distribution and guarding of relics and the construction of stupas on the relics. The mirac1e of Sravasti and taming of a wild elephant are the two commonly represented miracles in Gandhara Art exhibited in the Peshawar museum.Differnt types of the relic caskes,stupa,models of schist and bronze,along with life size Bhudda statues,skillfully carved and beautifully balanced masterpieces of gandharan Art,decorate the main hall of the museum on the groun floor.

Magnificentlv decorated and superbly executed images of Boddhisattayas (flture Buddhas), Panchika and Hariti (god and goddess of fertility), atlantes, ichthyocel1laurs. cupids, garland bearers. Corinthian, Persipoliton. and indo-Persipoliton pilasters, and decorative architectured fragments to fill the eastern gallery of the museum. Boddhisattva Siddharatha, Maithriya,

Avalokethisvara. Vajrapani, Padapani. and Monjusri are the most represented Boddhisattvas in the Peshawar museum collection. Also. the influence of Greek, Roman and Persian Art on Gandhara, attracts the attention of the visitors.

Images of Buddha in stone, stucco Buddha and Boddhisattva heads, terracota figurines, grotesque figures, seals, stamps. relic caskets, toiletry objects, carved animal figures. water flasks and Buddhist Bronze tools are exhibited in the western gallery. while inscriptions, mainly in Kharoshthi and Sarada scripts, are on display in the corridor of the western gallery .

In the eastern aisle of the main hall, hair dress styles in Gandharan Art, foreign influences, images of the Hindu gods and Devanagri inscriptions are exhibited. In the western aisle Gandharan ceramics and terracotta figurines are displayed.

Major Poses Of Buddha Sculptures In The Peshawar Museum

1. Dhayana Mudra or Meditation Pose

2. Abhaya Mudra or Reassurance Pose

3. Dharma Chakra Mudra or Turning of the Wheel of Law Pose

4. Bhomisparsa Mudhra or Earth Touching Pose

Main Sources of the Peshawar Museum's Gandharan Collection

The main Gandharan collection of the Peshawar Museum recovered from the excavations of the Archaeological Survey of India, Frontier Circle during 1902 to 1941 and donations from the public as well as purchases. These sculptures mainly come from the sites of Sahri Bahlol (1906-26), Takht-i-Bahi (1907-13), Jamal Garhi (1921-24) in District Mardan, Shah-ji-ki-Dheri (1908-10) in District Peshawar and Palatu Dheri (1902-03), Ghaz Dheri (1902-03), Mamane Dheri, Akhun Dheri, Ibrahimzai, Utmanzai, Hamid Garhi Turangzai, Bala Hisar and Sheikhan Dheri (1941) in District Charsadda.

Coins Section

The coins collection of Peshawar Museum, 8625 items in all (stores and display excluding the newly excavated), includes Punch marked coins, and coins from the Indus Greeks, Scytho-Parthians, Kushans, White Huns, and Hindu Shahis. Also included are Islamic coins of the Ghaznavids, Ghaurids, Slave Dynasties, Tughlaqs, Lodhis, Mughals, Durranis, Sikh and British periods. The coins are in Gold, Silver, Copper and Billon. These coins are found in round, square and rectangular shapes.

Specimens of all the major dynasties are displayed in the Coins Gallery on the firs floor Also displayed are 132 seals and their imitations, belonging mostly to the Kushan era

Islamic Section

The 1slamic collection of the Peshawar Museum is one of the richest in Pakistan and has been displayed in the Islamic and Quran & 1vfanuscripts Gallery on the first floor. The gallery exhibits wooden facades of mosques, Arabic and Persian inscriptions, Multani tiles and ceramics, and the dress and weapons of Sayed Ahmad Shaheed Brailvi, a freedom fighter, who fought against Sikh rule. There are paintings of the Mughal and later periods, Islamic metal work in bronze, silver and calligraphic specimens. The most important of the displayed objects. are ten scrolls, dated to 1224 AD, with Holy Quran calligraphed in Khatt-e-Ghubar. Each scroll contains three Paras of the Holy Quran. Another important scroll, 915 cm long and 45.75 cm wide, of Sultan al Arifin Khwaja Bayazid Bastami, contains the genealogy of one thousand Muslim saints.

In 2003, a new section, the Quranic and Manuscripts Gallery was established to house the extensive and priceless collection of Holy Qurans and manuscripts. This collection includes 29 hand-written copies of the Quran 65 manuscripts and books, The most splendid of the manuscripts is the 11th century illustrated Shah Nama of firdusi Tausi, containing 46 illustrations, depicting various episodes after rulers of Persia.

Ethnological Section

The Ethnological collection exhibited in the Eastern Gallery of the museum on the first floor represents the culture and mode of life of the major tribes of the Northwest Frontier Province and the Kalashas of Chitral. The exhibits, 348 in all, include twelve commemorative effigies of world famous Kalasha male and female figures, The Kalashas, a pagan tribe of Chitral, immediately after a fellow tribesmen death, carved a wooden, commemorative effigy, to celebrate the departing person as perhaps a great warrior or hunter. The effigy is then placed in the cemetery near the exposed body of the dead. The other objects on display include jewelry, agricultural tools, and household objects of Bronze wood and leather. There are wooden stools, baskets, models dressed in traditional and tribal costumes of the frontier province. Weapons exhibited include swords, daggers, spears, bows, arrows, shields, muzzle loaded guns, revolvers, pistols and gun powder boxes. Each object in the gallery sheds light on the culture and traditions of the NWFP, during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Iranian Section

The Iranian Consulate in Peshawar donated 97 pieces to Peshawar Museum in 2003. These include modern calligraphic specimens, paintings, photographs, ornamental objects in silver bronze, ivory and glass, toiletry objects and pen holders. There are 24 models displayll1g the various tribal and regional dress1es of Iran. These objects are separately displayed in the eastern aisle on the first floor.

Other Provincial Museums

I. Chakdara Museum, District Lower Dir
2.Mardan Museum, Mardan
3.Chitral Museum, Chitral
4. City Museum, Gor Khattree

Museums In Progress

1. Hund Museum, District Sawabi
2. Pushkalavati Museum, Ghani Dheri, Charsadda
3. Bamborate Museum, Kalash Valley, chitral
4. Bannu Museum, Dislrict Bannu