Lund Khwar

Lund Khwar, also Lundkhwar | Urdu: لوندخوڑ) and pronounced "/Lu:/+/nd/, /Kh/+/va'/+/r:/" is a historical village and union council of Takht Bhai Tehsil in Mardan District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is located at 34°23'22 N 71°58'51 E, with an altitude of 371 metres . The name "Lund Khwar" literally means "the ever-flowing stream or brook". Origins of the founding of Lund Khwar are shrouded in mystery. Archaeological and historical evidence clue towards the Gandharan era. Earliest written accounts of the village trace it back to the 8th century, with the arrival of the Uthman Khel branch of the Yousafzai, and in the 15th century, by the Khattak tribesmen of the Afghans. Currently it is a major town near the entrance to the Malakand mountains. Alternatively, there is also a Lund Khwar in the Paktika Province of Afghanistan.HistoryAncient historyLund Khwar has historically been an important town due to its geography. During the Gandharan era (2nd century BCE) it had been a visiting sanctuary for Buddhist Monks from their nearby strongholds at Takht Bhai. Many archaeological sites have thus been discovered. Even before the Buddhist times it was a major cattle and herd breeding area. Archeological and Historical clues point towards these conclusions. The armies of Alexander the Great reached the Indus Valley by two separate routes, one through the Khyber Pass and the other led by Alexander himself through Kunar, Bajaur, Swat, and Buner in 326 BCE. After Alexander's death, the valley came under the rule of Chandragupta, who ruled the valley from 297 to 321 BCE. During the reign of the Buddhist emperor Ashoka (the grandson of Chandragupta) Buddhism became the religion of the Peshawar Valley. The valley saw the revival of Brahmanism after the Greeks took over in the time of King Mehanda. The Scythians and Indians followed and retained control of the valley till the 7th century CE.