The cultural history of Uddiyana 4th to 8th cent. CE

The aim of the proposed project is to shed light on an obscure phase of the cultural history of the ancient Uddiyana (modern-day Swat, North-West Pakistan), namely the period stretching from the late 4th to the 8th century CE. This will be done through an integrated analysis of different sources, mainly related to newly available evidence taken from the fields of archaeological, art historical, numismatic and geo-informational research. Despite its uncertain physiognomy, this period is of great importance with regard to crucial phases and events that involved not only Uddiyana, but also a big part of the territories lying across the three great mountain systems of the Hindukush, Karakoram and Himalaya. Economical, political and cultural exchanges in this territory - certainly supported by a complex network of trade and pilgrimage routes - must have been extremely active and mutually influential. To unearth the most vital of these issues, this project focuses on three key-aspects in the history of Uddiyana that are being debated until this day: 1) The entrance of Swat in the orbit of the Huna dominion (4 th to 6th century CE) 2) The entrance of Swat in the orbit of the Afghan Shahi`s dominion in the 7th (?) century CE 3) Features and geographic range of religious beliefs (Buddhist and non-Buddhist) in the "post-Gandharan" period, relevant issues not only in terms of religious culture but also in terms of political geography The expected results of the research are a collection, digitisation and critical evaluation of all the relevant pieces of material evidence, partly still unpublished, in order to render a historically truthful mapping of the late antique Uddiyana in its physical and cultural actuality. This, in turn, shall provide well grounded inferences for the processes of exchange between Uddiyana and the surrounding areas, from Afghanistan to the Upper Indus to the Western Himalaya, before the advent of Islam and the emergence of new geo-political panoramas.

Uddiyana a historical region corresponding to modern-day Swat (north-western Pakistan) and, probably, part of the adjoining areas is well known from ancient Indian, Chinese and Tibetan sources for its beauty and prosperity, its favourable geographical position with relation to ancient communication routes between India and Central Asia, and its being one of the most sacred lands of Buddhism. Archaeology and the very few literary sources unanimously attest to the cultural and economic wealth of the region during the first half of the 1st millennium CE, but also to a noticeable regression in the subsequent period, which affected both urban centres and Buddhist settlements. However, in the second half of the 1st millennium Uddiyana was still a very active and famous doctrinal centre, which greatly contributed to the emergence and diffusion of a new esoteric form of Buddhism (the Vajrayana). The project aimed to shed light on this blurred and contradictory phase of the history, trying to find in primary archaeological, visual and literary sources possible neglected keys to understanding the issue. Three points in particular were put under focus: 1) changes and continuity during the rule of foreign dynasties of nomadic origin (the Hunas, 4th to 6th century CE, and the Turki Shahis, 7th to 8th century CE), often described (especially the Hunas) as adverse to Buddhism; 2) the features and rank of Uddiyana Buddhism in this period; 3) the real cultural weight of aboriginal beliefs and non-written traditions, and their interaction with a dominant literate system such as Buddhism. The results highlighted tangible clues against cultural stagnation even within the apparently decayed framework. Particularly relevant to this aspect were the connections established between outstanding art historical evidence and the Huna patronage (Filigenzi 2010a); the completion of the systematic analysis of nearly two hundred Buddhist rock sculptures dating back to the 7th-8th century CE (Filigenzi in press), which attest to the robustness of Buddhist doctrinal and visual culture in spite of unfavourable conditions; a delineation of the distinctive features of the local cultural substratum, and the recognition of a factual interaction between the latter and Buddhism (Filigenzi forthcoming a). The association of the project with the numismatic studies based in Vienna also promoted reciprocal advancements, by opening a double discourse on cultural and economic value of coins in a specific context. In a broader perspective, the research started providing more and clearer clues about cultural exchange between U??iy?na and the surrounding areas, from Afghanistan to the Upper Indus to the Western Himalaya, before the advent of Islam and the emergence of new geo-political panoramas. The research contributed to raising awareness about endangered cultural heritage and promoting sustainable tourism. See for instance:http://tribune.com.pk/story/603979/gandhara-art-an-eroding-heritage/