After two years spent (since 2011) in Peshawar, Nasha Rodziadi Khaw has become part of the community there, particularly at the University of Peshawar (UoP), Pakistan. Having adapted to the way the local residents dressed, the way of greeting by means of hugging, and casual conversation, it is difficult to believe that he is a ‘stranger on a foreign shore’.

“I used to hang out with them (members of the university community) whom I met at the Peshawar market when buying vegetables and fruits that are very cheap here,” said the UoP doctoral candidate, Nasha, who hails from Butterworth, Penang,

The 28-year-old Nasha has the ambition and determination to acquire the ability to translate and read Sanskrit inscription which is a sub-field of archaeology.

Although some newspapers claimed that he is the only Malaysian who is studying Archaeology at UoP and that he is often hoping to soon return home, the young man was quick to deny.

“I’m comfortable here with helpful people around and being able to spend much time in the museum that keeps many of the archaeological treasures here,” he said.

Nasha is rather popular in Peshawar, particularly among the academicians and is well treated as a community member.

“I was fortunate to have post graduate student candidates who are committed and have a keen interest in research work,” said his supervisor, a world renowned archaeologist, Prof. Dr. M. Nasim Khan.

Nasim is currently the Commissioner of Archaeology of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Districts in Pakistan besides being the director of the Institute of Archaeology and Social Anthropology and is still an academic at UoP.

According to Nasha, he has the passion for archaeology since childhood and his interest in contemporary history developed during his school days.

He earned his undergraduate and master's degrees from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) before proceeding to do research at UoP at the persuasion of USM Centre for Global Archaeological Research director, Professor Dr. Mokhtar Saidin.

“I was brought to a number of museums around Pakistan to see a variety of materials and inscriptions that are available and are allowed to choose whatever material I want to study here,” said Nasha, the son of a retired pharmacist assistant and his mother, a full-time homemaker.

Nasha was the only student who specialised in the study of Sanskrit inscriptions and Brahmi and Sarada writing systems in the region, being capable of translating old stone inscriptions around Pakistan that have not been fully explored.

According to him, the present study is related to the Gandhara civilization, an ancient kingdom that flourished in North-Western Pakistan and Eastern Afghanistan.

Based on the writings of the RigVeda (1800 BC), Gandhara refers to people who lived in the North-Western region of the Indian subcontinent.

“The long political history of Gandhara led to the discovery of numerous archaeological findings that can dated from the second century BC to 11th century AD involving significant sculptures, monuments and coins, all of which tells of Gandhara’s political history, economics, religion and art,” Nasha said. “History is then verified and authenticated from the discovery of the inscriptions done in different scripts found on the artefacts.”

According to him, until now, studies of the inscriptions found using the Brahmi and Sarada scripts in Gandhara are very limited and much of inscriptions have not yet been translated which, when completed, ​​will have an impact on the existing history.

Mokhtar added that Nasha, upon graduation, will be the only archaeologist in this region who is able to use scientific methods to analyse and understand Sanskrit inscriptions.

“There are many treasures from antiquity that has yet to be fully explored and if is achieved then mankind will benefit for many years to come from the understanding of the history of religions. This includes Muslims in getting to understand their own civilization which, till now, is not clear and there is a gap between the developments of various existing religions,” he added.

Although pleased with the opportunities available to pursue his ambition to emulate academics such as Mokhtar and Nasim, Nasha has never forgotten Malaysia, particularly its food. He went home a few months ago to visit his mother who was then unwell.

He was happy as a clam when he received various items that Mokhtar had brought from Malaysia recently although food items such as soya sauce, instant noodles, and anchovy can also be found in Peshawar.

“My mother often sent me food items that I need for my cooking although I do not have any problem with the local food,” he said, adding that he cooked because he missed the Malaysian gastronomic delights. - Translation: Yong Check Yoon/Text & Photo: Mohamad Abdullah