Taxila is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is an important archaeological site.
Taxila is situated about 32 km (20 mi) northwest of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi in Punjab; just off the Grand Trunk Road. Taxila lies 549 metres (1,801 ft) above sea level.
Taxila Museum:
Construction of Taxila museum started in 1918, its foundation stone laid by Lord Chemsford, vicery of India in 1918. Construction was concluded in 1928 and the museum was opened for public by Sir Habibullah then the ministry for Education. Sir John Marshall who was going to be retired from the post of Director General of Archaeological survey of India in 1928, could not complete its original plan. The government of Pakistan constructed the northern gallery in 1998. There are 4000 objects displayed, including stone, stucco, terracotta, silver, gold, iron and semiprecious stones. Mainly the display consists of objects from the period 600 B.C to 500 AD. Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cults are well represented through these objects discovered from three ancient cities and more than two dozen buddhist stupas and monasteries and Greek temples. Taxila Museum is located 35 km from Islamabad on the Grand Trunk Road to Peshawar. It is famous for remains of Gandhara art. Most of the sites at Texila, dating back 600 BCE to 500 CE, are located around the Taxila Museum.
The City of Stones:
Moving northwards from Harappa and Moenjodaro, come remains of another city that thrived between 518 BC to 600 AD. Around the present day Taxila and a little over 20 miles north of Islamabad, lie the remains of the an ancient city whose actual name varies from scripture to scripture and from one language to another. "Tashasila" as it was called in Sanskrit gives some idea of the meaning of this name. Sila in Sanskrit means rock or stone . The legend says that the Buddha gave his head in charity to a man at this place . The Chinese called it "Chu-cha-shi-lo". The difficulty of Chinese phonetics with the sila and sira has led to this day to have names around Taxila such as Sirkap, Sirsukh and Margalla. Whatever its actual name. it was the most flourishing of all the cities between the Indus and Jhelum Rivers. Darius I formed it part of Achaemenid Empire of Persia. In 326 BC Alexander the Great and his armies encountered the charging elephants at battle against Hindu king Porus.
Taxila is said to be a teaching place or a modern day university, where students could study any subject, "religious or secular, from the Vedas to mathematics and medicine, even to astrology and archery". The prominence of Taxila as a seat of academic and practical teaching was a result of the city’s geographical location and its reputation as an institute that promoted exchange and discussion of both western and eastern ideas. The city abounds in Gandhara architecture and a semblance of Greek imprints. It is just a coincidence that Islamabad was designed by a Greek Architect /Town Planner called "Doxiades " who also used a lot of the Gandhara architectural style in constructing the new Institution at Islamabad notably the Islamabad University.
University of Engineering and Technology (UET) - Taxila:
The antique name 'Takshasila' means the city of cut stones. Taxila has gained worldwide eminence for its archaeological sites. Once a province of the powerful Achaemenian empire, Taxila was conquered by Alexander in 327 BC. It later came under the Mauryan dynasty and attained a remarkably mature level of development under the great Ashoka. Then appeared the Indo-Greek descendants of Alexander's warriors and finally came the most creative period of Gandhara. The great Kushan dynasty was established some where near 50 AD. During the next 200 years Taxila became a renowned centre of learning, philosophy, art and religion, Jaulian being a centre of excellence or a university of that age. Pilgrims and travelers were attracted to it from as far away as China and Greece.
History took a new turn around 1950 when Ordnance Factories were founded at Wah, adjacent to Taxila. The country's largest Mechanical Complex and Foundry were established at Taxila in mid sixties. In early seventies, the industrial progress attained a new dimension when Taxila was chosen to have Heavy Industries Taxila near its world famous museum. At the same time Pakistan's largest Aeronautical Complex was established at Kamra which is about 45 km from Taxila. In mid seventies, government of the Punjab found the city ideally suitable for establishing the constituent college of University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore.
Industrial progress in and around Taxila is gaining a newer pace. The neighboring industrial organizations are in the process of rapid expansion. A new industrial zone has emerged in Hattar area, which is about 20 km away from Taxila. Taxila is emerging as a leading industrial region at the national level. The strategic location is paving way for the city to act as a gateway to historical “Silk Route”.
The University
With phenomenal increase in students' enrollment in 1970's, a plan to establish additional campuses of the University of Engineering and Technology Lahore was conceived. As a result of that, the University College of Engineering Taxila was established in 1975. For three years it functioned at Sahiwal. In 1978 it was shifted to its permanent location at Taxila. The College continued its working under the administrative control of the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore till October 1993. During this month it received its charter as an independent university under the University of Engineering and Technology Taxila Ordinance 1993. At present total enrollment of undergraduate and postgraduate students is above 2000.
Arya Chanakya, the name is sufficient. No further need to describe as to who this person is, and what are his deeds. Unless you live on Mars, you won’t need the explanation.
But still, I am giving a short but sweet introduction of this great, epic personality. Chanakya was the Great Economist. His KUTILA Niti was well known to everybody. As you go on reading the quotes you will understand the depth of his thinking. And his source is nature. Everywhere he justifies his statement by giving some proofs from the Nature.
Here are some quotes by the person himself:
1) A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and honest people are screwed first.”
2) “Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous.”
3) “The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you.”
4) “There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.”
5) “Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions – Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.”
6) “As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.”
7) “The world’s biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman.”
“Once you start a working on something, don’t be afraid of failure and don’t abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.”
9) “The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction.”
10) “Whores don’t live in company of poor men, citizens never support a weak company and birds don’t build nests on a tree that doesn’t bear fruits.”
11) “God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple.”
12) “A man is great by deeds, not by birth.”
13) “Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness.”
14) “Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends.”
15) “Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person.”
16) “Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.”
Taxila is situated about 32 km (20 mi) northwest of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi in Punjab; just off the Grand Trunk Road. Taxila lies 549 metres (1,801 ft) above sea level.
Construction of Taxila museum started in 1918, its foundation stone laid by Lord Chemsford, vicery of India in 1918. Construction was concluded in 1928 and the museum was opened for public by Sir Habibullah then the ministry for Education. Sir John Marshall who was going to be retired from the post of Director General of Archaeological survey of India in 1928, could not complete its original plan. The government of Pakistan constructed the northern gallery in 1998. There are 4000 objects displayed, including stone, stucco, terracotta, silver, gold, iron and semiprecious stones. Mainly the display consists of objects from the period 600 B.C to 500 AD. Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cults are well represented through these objects discovered from three ancient cities and more than two dozen buddhist stupas and monasteries and Greek temples. Taxila Museum is located 35 km from Islamabad on the Grand Trunk Road to Peshawar. It is famous for remains of Gandhara art. Most of the sites at Texila, dating back 600 BCE to 500 CE, are located around the Taxila Museum.
The City of Stones:
Moving northwards from Harappa and Moenjodaro, come remains of another city that thrived between 518 BC to 600 AD. Around the present day Taxila and a little over 20 miles north of Islamabad, lie the remains of the an ancient city whose actual name varies from scripture to scripture and from one language to another. "Tashasila" as it was called in Sanskrit gives some idea of the meaning of this name. Sila in Sanskrit means rock or stone . The legend says that the Buddha gave his head in charity to a man at this place . The Chinese called it "Chu-cha-shi-lo". The difficulty of Chinese phonetics with the sila and sira has led to this day to have names around Taxila such as Sirkap, Sirsukh and Margalla. Whatever its actual name. it was the most flourishing of all the cities between the Indus and Jhelum Rivers. Darius I formed it part of Achaemenid Empire of Persia. In 326 BC Alexander the Great and his armies encountered the charging elephants at battle against Hindu king Porus.
University of Engineering and Technology (UET) - Taxila:
History took a new turn around 1950 when Ordnance Factories were founded at Wah, adjacent to Taxila. The country's largest Mechanical Complex and Foundry were established at Taxila in mid sixties. In early seventies, the industrial progress attained a new dimension when Taxila was chosen to have Heavy Industries Taxila near its world famous museum. At the same time Pakistan's largest Aeronautical Complex was established at Kamra which is about 45 km from Taxila. In mid seventies, government of the Punjab found the city ideally suitable for establishing the constituent college of University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore.
Industrial progress in and around Taxila is gaining a newer pace. The neighboring industrial organizations are in the process of rapid expansion. A new industrial zone has emerged in Hattar area, which is about 20 km away from Taxila. Taxila is emerging as a leading industrial region at the national level. The strategic location is paving way for the city to act as a gateway to historical “Silk Route”.
The University
With phenomenal increase in students' enrollment in 1970's, a plan to establish additional campuses of the University of Engineering and Technology Lahore was conceived. As a result of that, the University College of Engineering Taxila was established in 1975. For three years it functioned at Sahiwal. In 1978 it was shifted to its permanent location at Taxila. The College continued its working under the administrative control of the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore till October 1993. During this month it received its charter as an independent university under the University of Engineering and Technology Taxila Ordinance 1993. At present total enrollment of undergraduate and postgraduate students is above 2000.
Chanakya:
Chānakya (c. 350–283 BCE) was an adviser of the first Maurya Emperor Chandragupta (c. 340–293 BCE), and was the chief architect of his rise to power. Kautilya and Vishnugupta, the names by which the ancient Indian political treatise called the Arthasastra identifies its author, are traditionally identified with Chanakya.It is important to identify Chanakya as a great Indian because his cultural significance has reached far and wide, and his words are just as internalised in other parts of South Asia. Chanakya has been considered as the pioneer of the field of economics and political science.In the Western world, he has been referred to as The Indian Machiavelli, although Chanakya's works predate Machiavelli's by about 1,800 years. Chanakya was a teacher in Taksasila, an ancient centre of learning, and was responsible for the creation of Mauryn Empire the first of its kind on the Indian subcontinent. His works were lost near the end of the Gupta Dynasty and not rediscovered until 1915.
But still, I am giving a short but sweet introduction of this great, epic personality. Chanakya was the Great Economist. His KUTILA Niti was well known to everybody. As you go on reading the quotes you will understand the depth of his thinking. And his source is nature. Everywhere he justifies his statement by giving some proofs from the Nature.
1) A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and honest people are screwed first.”
2) “Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous.”
3) “The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you.”
4) “There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.”
5) “Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions – Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.”
6) “As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.”
7) “The world’s biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman.”
“Once you start a working on something, don’t be afraid of failure and don’t abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.”9) “The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction.”
10) “Whores don’t live in company of poor men, citizens never support a weak company and birds don’t build nests on a tree that doesn’t bear fruits.”
11) “God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple.”
12) “A man is great by deeds, not by birth.”
13) “Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness.”
14) “Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends.”
15) “Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person.”
16) “Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.”
