Editing Pakistan (section)

===Classical period===
[[File:Gandhara Buddha (tnm).jpeg|thumb|''[[Standing Buddha]]'' from [[Gandhara]] (1st–2nd century CE){{sfn|Stonard|2017}}|upright=0.8]]
The western regions of Pakistan [[Achaemenid conquest of the Indus Valley|became part]] of [[Achaemenid Empire]] around 517&nbsp;BCE.{{sfn|Dandamaev|2023}} In 326&nbsp;BCE, [[Alexander the Great]] conquered the region by defeating various local rulers, most notably, the King [[Porus]], at [[Battle of Hydaspes|Jhelum]].{{sfn|Sadasivan|2011}} It was followed by the [[Maurya Empire]], founded by [[Chandragupta Maurya]] and extended by [[Ashoka the Great]], until 185&nbsp;BCE.{{sfn|James|1980}}{{sfn|Khan|2022|page=114}}{{sfn|Cooke|2017}} The [[Indo-Greek Kingdom]] founded by [[Demetrius I of Bactria|Demetrius of Bactria]] (180–165&nbsp;BCE) included [[Gandhara]] and Punjab and reached its greatest extent under [[Menander I|Menander]] (165–150&nbsp;BCE), prospering the [[Greco-Buddhism|Greco-Buddhist]] culture in the region.{{sfn|Pollitt|1986}}{{sfn|Quintanilla|2007}}{{sfn|Kubica|2023}} [[Taxila]] had one of the earliest universities and centres of higher education in the world, which was established during the late Vedic period in the 6th century BCE.{{sfn|Westmoreland|2019}} The ancient university was documented by the invading forces of Alexander the Great and was also recorded by Chinese pilgrims in the 4th or 5th century CE.{{refn|name="Needham-1994"}}{{refn|name="Kulke-Rothermund-2016"}}{{sfn|Mookerji|1989}} At its zenith, the [[Rai dynasty]] (489–632&nbsp;CE) ruled [[Sindh]] and the surrounding territories.{{sfn|Banerjee|2022}}