A GUIDE TO TAXILA
Book Details + Condition: Superintendent Government Printing (Calcutta, India). First Edition, 1918. Octavo hardcover with dark red boards, gilt titling and decoration to front and spine. 120 pages with Bibliography and Glossary. Illustrated with plates, maps and foldouts. Sir John Marshall’s work is the definitive archaeological account of the Gandharan metropolis, an ancient Indo-Aryan civilization located in present-day northwestern Pakistan and northeastern Afghanistan. The book details the city's evolution through three distinct urban settlements: Bhir Mound, Sirkap, and Sirsukh, while highlighting its historical status as a major cosmopolitan center of trade, Hellenistic-Buddhist philosophy, and ancient learning. Taxila’s geography placed it at the crossroads of major trade routes connecting Central Asia, India, and the West (the Silk Road). Marshall’s research underscored how it became a prominent crucible for cultural blending, in which Greek, Zoroastrian, Hindu, and Buddhist philosophies flourished together. It also served as a major ancient seat of higher education, known for training famous philosophers and scholars.
Firm binding; rubbed corners and edges; normal light aging and wear to boards; slight lean to book; chafed spine ends, with a small notch to upper spine; inked owner info to ffep; toning to pages; interior is clean and free of markings. All books are carefully packed, and shipped in boxes.
