In the sixth century BC, the people of the region were getting increasingly dissatisfied with the Hindu explanation of the caste system. When Buddha, son of a kshatrya king preached equality in men, his teachings were quickly accepted throughout the northern part of the Sub-continent.

	Buddha in Dhyana Mudra - preserved in Julian monastery

	Buddhist remains showing double-headed eagle shrine at Sirkap (Taxila) near Islamabad

Around the same time, Gandhara being the easternmost province of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia, became a major power in the region. Its two cities Pushkalavati, or present day Charsadda near Peshawar, and the capital Taxila, were the center of civilization and culture.

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