Mansehra

Mansehra is a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan and the headquarters of Mansehra District. It is the 71st largest city of Pakistan by population and 7th largest city in the province. The name of the city is derived from name of its founder, Sardar Maha Singh Mirpuri, who was a Sikh administrator and general in the Sikh Khalsa Army during the rule of the Khalsa Empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The city hosts the Mansehra Shiva Temple, which is famous for its annual Shivarathri festival. Mansehra Rock EdictsWith the rise of Chandragupta Maurya, the region came under the complete control of the Mauryan Empire. Ashoka governed this area as a prince, imperial throne 272 BCE. he made it one of the major seats of his government. The Edicts of Ashoka inscribed on three large boulders near Mansehra record fourteen of Ashoka's edicts, presenting aspects of the emperor's dharma or righteous law. These represent some of the earliest evidence of deciphered writing in the subcontinent, dating to middle of the third century BCE, and are written from right to left in the Kharosthi script. The region was briefly and nominally controlled by many foreign rulers, including the Indo-Parthians, Indo-Scythians, and Kushans, who promoted Dharmic religions throughout Central and South Asia. The region reached its height under the Buddhist ruler Kanishka the Great. During the period,Buddhist art and architecture flourished in the area. With the decline of the imperial Guptas, the Hindu Shahis came to rule the area. The Hindu Shahis built two massive forts in the northern edges of the region. The forts were later renamed as "Kafirkots" (forts of the infidel). These Hindu Shahi forts were known for high towers and steep defensive walls. The Hindus also built many Hindu temples around the area, however, much of them are now in rubble. The Hindu Shahis remained in control of the area until their defeat by the Ghaznavids in the year 1001.