Bandakar is a country that is located in the Old World near the Pillars of Creation. The country is the home of the pristinely ungifted descendants of the Lord Rahls who were banished from the New World thousands of years ago to prevent the spread of the pristinely ungifted. The name Bandakar was originally thought to mean "The Enlightened" but Richard found the true meaning, "The Banished". The people were again banished in the Old World to the land of Bandakar by the wizard Kaja-Rang. This was not due to them being pristinely ungifted but due to the fact that they "could not see evil." They believed one could not trust their own senses, violence even in self-defense was wrong, and a person should not be judged, but understood. This combined to make their philosophy a threat in Kaja-Rang's view, since they would not resist any oppressor. By the time of their banishment, the original pristinely ungifted were joined by others they had converted to their views.
Bandakar was surrounded by a boundary except for one route out that led to the Pillars of Creation and almost certain death. This was the route that those banished from the Bandakar had to follow. The boundary was placed atop a chain of mountains that encircled the country. However with the release of the Chimes the boundary failed and the Imperial Order invaded. Richard Rahl was able to liberate the country two years later with the aid of the people. In the process they killed the leader of the Imperial forces, Nicholas the Slide.
After the liberation of the country Ann and Nathan discover a library of books of prophecies buried beneath a graveyard with a marker with Nathan's name above the entrance. They discover the gaps in the prophecies that have been caused by the Chainfire spell that has been carried out on Kahlan. They immediately leave to find Richard, leaving Jennsen Rahl to keep inspiring the Bandakar people to not revert to their old beliefs about evil.