For Hiuen Tsang, the celebrated Chinese pilgrim, who visited Gandhara in the early 7''' 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 of 6^th Century BC. Pushkalavati (Balahisar-Charsadda), it’s first capital from 6^th Century BC to 1^st Century AD was invaded in 327 BC by Alexander the Great. Later, Gandhara was ruled from Pushkalavati by Indus-Greeks, Scythians and Parthians. The Kushanas established their capital at Pushapura, or Peshawar, in the 1^st century AD and King Kanishka built a Stupa and Monastory at Shah-Ji-Ki-Dheri, near Ganj 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 7^h Century AD, the Shahi Dynasty of Kabul and Ganghara 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.