In the Iron Age, Gandhara became a major power around 550 BCE under King Pushkarasarin. It was later conquered by Cyrus I and Alexander the Great. Gandhara went through different rulers, including the Maurya Empire and the Indo-Greek Kingdom. It thrived as a center for Greco-Buddhism which later formed Gandharan Buddhism, influencing regions like Central Asia and East Asia.[7][8]
↑National History & Literary Heritage Division (2016). "Pakistan's Heritage: Glorious Gandhara"(PDF). Life Story of Buddha Etched in Stone – via National History and Literary Heritage Division, Government of Pakistan.