Peshawar
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![]() Clockwise from top: Islamia College University, Cunningham Clock Tower, Sunehri Mosque, Bala Hissar, Bab-e-Khyber, Mahabat Khan Mosque | |
Nickname: City of Flowers[1] | |
Coordinates: 34°00′52″N 71°34′03″E / 34.01444°N 71.56750°E | |
Country | ![]() |
Province | ![]() |
District | Peshawar District |
Union councils | 92 |
Government | |
• Type | Mayor–council |
• Body | District government |
• Mayor | Zubair Ali[2] (JUI-F) |
• Commissioner | Muhammad Zubair[3] |
• Deputy Commissioner | Aafaq Wazir[4] |
Area | |
• City | 215 km2 (83 sq mi) |
• Metro | 1,257 km2 (485 sq mi) |
Elevation | 331 m (1,086 ft) |
Highest elevation | 450 m (1,480 ft) |
Population | |
• City | 4,758,762 |
• Rank | 6th, Pakistan |
• Density | 22,000/km2 (57,000/sq mi) |
Demonym | Peshawari |
Time zone | UTC+5:00 (PKT) |
Postal code | 25000 |
Area code | 091 (+92) |
Languages | Pashto, Hindko, Urdu |
Website | cmgp |
Peshawar (/pəˈʃɑːwər/;[8] Pashto: پېښور [peˈχəwər] ; Hindko: پشور; [pɪˈʃɔːɾ] ; Urdu: پشاور [pɪˈʃɑːʋər] ) is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district population of over 4.7 million in the 2023 census.[9] It is the capital of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where it is the largest city.[10] It is situated in the north-west of the country, lying in the Valley of Peshawar. Peshawar is primarily populated by Pashtuns, who comprise the second-largest ethnic group in the country.[11][12]
Situated in the Valley of Peshawar, a broad area situated east of the historic Khyber Pass, Peshawar's recorded history dates back to at least 539 BCE, making it one of the oldest cities in South Asia.[13][14] The area encompassing modern-day Peshawar is mentioned in the Vedic scriptures; it was one of the principal cities of the ancient Gāndhāra. Peshawar served as the capital of the Kushan Empire during the rule of Kanishka[15][16][17] and was home to the Kanishka Stupa, which was among the tallest buildings in the ancient world.[18]
Peshawar was then ruled by the Hephthalites, followed by the Hindu Shahis, before the arrival of a variety of Muslim empires. The city was an important trading centre of the Mughal Empire before becoming part of the Durrani Empire in 1747, after which it served as the Durrani winter capital from 1776 until the capture of the city by the Sikh Empire in 1823. In 1849, the city was captured by the East India Company and subsequently became part of British Raj, under whose rule it remained until the Partition of British India and subsequent independence of Pakistan in 1947.
Within the next decade, emerged the great kingdom of Gandhra under the great Kushan king Kaniskha (125-160 AD). The seat of his central government was Purushpura which is today known as Peshawar.
Kanishka's coins have been found as far as Ghaznipur and Gorakhpur. These point to the wide extent of his Indian dominion which stretched from Gandhara to Banaras. The eastern portion of this empire was governed by Mahakshatrapa and a Kshatrapa while the northern portion by military governors. He fixed his capital at Purushpura or Peshawar which he adorned with many noble buildings.
Of course the Kushan capital established by Kanishka in India was at Purushpura — Peshawar — not Mathura, where the Saka satraps had held sway and probably continued under the overlordship of the Kushans.