• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Component-I (A) – Personal details: 1 Component-I (B) – Description of module: Subject Name Indian Culture Paper Name Outlines of Indian History Module Name/Title Indo-Greeks, sakas and kushanas Module Id I C/ OIH/ 11 Pre requisites Political History of India after the decline of Mauryan Empire and succeeding dynasties. Objectives To study the invasions of the Indo-Greeks, Sakas, and Kushanas and their role in Indian History. Keywords Indo-Greeks / Sakas / Kushanas / Kanishka E-text (Quadrant-I) 1. Introduction The post-Mauryan period saw the emergence of small indigenous and foreign kingdoms. Hence this period has been designated as the ‘Age of small kingdoms’. In eastern India, central India and the Deccan, the Mauryas were succeeded by number of Native rulers such as the Sungas, the Kanvas, and the Satavahanas. In north-western India, the Mauryas were succeeded by a number of ruling dynasties from Central Asia. The Greeks were the first to extend power over North-Western India. This period is notable for intimate and widespread contacts between Central Asia and India. 2. Indo-Greeks The Greeks were known as Yavanas in the Indian literature. They were the rulers of Bactria, lying south of the Oxus in the area covered by north of Afghanistan. The Greeks of Bactria were originally Satraps (subordinate rulers) of the Seleucid empire of West Asia. In about the middle of 3rd century BCE, Diodotus I revolted against the Seleucids and established an independent kingdom. The Bactrian’s extended their control into other areas as well. By the early 2nd century BCE, they had moved into the area south of the Hindu Kush. On account of growing pressure from the Scythian tribes, the later Greek rulers were unable to hold their power. In the middle of 2nd century they lost their hold over Bactria, but continued to rule in the north-western part of the sub-continent for a few decades. The Bactrian Greeks who ruled over parts of North-west India are known as Indo-Greeks or Indo-Bactrians. Demetrius I (180-165BCE) son of Euthydemus I was the person who was responsible, after Alexander the Great, to carry Greek arms into the interior of India. His Indian expedition became the first of the series of the consequent Bactrian Greek invasions of India. Demetrius crossed the Hindu Kush Mountain with large army and conquered the regions of Punjab and Sindh. His coins bear legends in Greek and Prakrit written in Greek and Kharoshthi. He made Sakala (Sialkot in Punjab) his capital. The names of many Indo-Greek rulers are known from their coins. However, the details of their reigns, their sequence and chronology and the extent of their political control remain rather nebulous. Demetrius I, Demetrius II, Appolodotus, Pataleon and Agathocles were responsible for extending Bactrian rule to the south of the Hindu Kush into north-western India. But the Greeks failed to establish united rule in India. Two Greek dynasties ruled north-western India on parallel lines at one and the same time. They are Euthydemus (Demetrius) and Eukratides. 2 Menander was the most famous of the Indo-Greeks (165 to 145 BCE). He was known as Milinda in Indian tradition. He ruled for a long time from his capital Sakala and his coins represent him in all stages of his life, from youth to old age. His kingdom, at its peak, covered an area extending from Kabul to Mathura. He was converted to Buddhism by Nagasena. Menander asked Nagasena many questions relating to Buddhism. These questions and Nagasena’s answers were recorded in a book known as Milindapanho or the Questions of Milinda. Menander was succeeded by impotent kings. Apollodotus, one of his successors, conquered Indus valley and Gujarat and at its widest, his territory extended from Barygaza to Kapisa and Gandhara. But Apollodotus was defeated by Eucratides who in turn was assassinated by his own son Heliocles. The Greek influence in India lasted for more than a century after the death of Menander. Rulers of this space included queen Agathokleia and her son Strato whose joint coin issues have been found. Eucratides advanced towards India and made Taxila as capital after conquering some part of the north-western region. A protracted feud between the ruling houses of Euthydemus and Eukratides began after the reign of Demetrius I. Kings Amyntus, Antialcidas, Archebius and Hermaeus belong to the house of Eukratides. Antialcidas belonged to the house of Eucratides, is found referred in an inscription at Besnagar near Bhilsa. The Besnagar Garuda pillar inscription suggests that the rule of Antialcidas extended upto Taxila. Heliodorus is described as a native of the city. Heliodorus was deputed by the king to the court of Kasiputra Bhagabhadra as ambassador. It is stated in the inscription that the pillar was erected in honour of Vasudeva. It is the earliest reference to the existence of Vaishnavism in ancient India. Heliodorus was the first foreigner to embrace Vaishnavism. It also indicates one of the stages in the evolution of Bhakti movement in India. The Parthian defeat of Hermaeus signaled the end of Greek rule in Bactria and south of the Hindu Kush. 3. Parthians The Parthians or Pahlavas were an Iranian people, who for sometimes lived with the Scythians. Therefore, many characteristics were common to both. In many ancient Indian Sanskrit texts the two peoples are together mentioned as Saka-Pahlavas. In fact they ruled over this country on parallel lines for some time. In comparison with the Greeks and the Sakas they occupied only a small portion of north-western India in the first century CE. The first member of this line was Vonones, who attained power in Arachosia and Seistan. Gondophernes was the greatest Indo-Parthian ruler ruled from 19 to 45 CE On all his coins, Gondophernes appears as a bearded, middle aged man. It was during his reign, St. Thomas, the Apostle is said to have come to India for the propagation of Christianity. This appears for the first time in the Syrian text of the Acts of Judas Thomas, the Apostle. This contains the story of the conversion of Gondophernes into Christianity and the subsequent martyrdom of St. Thomas. After the death of Gondophernes, the Parthian empire was split into petty principalities. The successors of Gondophernes were ultimately ousted from north- western India by the Kushanas. 4. Scythians or Sakas The Greeks were followed by the Sakas. They were a nomadic tribe originally lived in central Asia. In about 165 BCE they were turned out of their original home by the Yueh-Chi tribe. Then they migrated to the north-west of Central Asia and fought against the Greek kingdom of Bactria. Most of the Sakas settled down in the Valley of river Hilmand and established small states. With the passage of time, more Sakas came from Central Asia and consequently those who had settled in the north-west crossed the Hindu Kush and Sulaiman ranges and settled in northern India. The Sakas then came into conflict with the Parthians who had already settled there. 3 The earliest Saka ruler of India appears to have been Maues or Moga. He established Saka power in Gandhara. His rule extended on both sides of the Indus, from Pushkalavati on the west to Taxila on the east. Maues issued a large number of coins mostly in copper and few in silver. On the obverse of his coins appear many Greek deities, Siva and Buddha. Numismatic evidence suggest that Maues was succeeded by Azes I. Azes I annexed the territory of the last of the Indo-Greek kings in northern India, Hippostratos. Azes I issued some coins jointly with another king named Azilises and later he jointly issued coins with Azes II. Thus they seem to have been co-rulers at a time. Under the pressure from the Parthians and later from Kushanas, the Sakas got divided into five branches with their seats of power in different parts of India and Afghanistan. The rulers belonging to all these branches were now known as Kshatrapas or Mahakshatrapas. 5. The Saka-Kshatrapas of Western India An early Kshatrapa line of western India was represented by Mambarus, who is mentioned in the Periplus. There were two important line of Kshatrapa rulers – the Kshaharatas and Kardamakas. The earliest known Kshatrapa of Maharashtra was Bhumaka, who belonged to Kshaharata family. Bhumaka and his son Nahapana were responsible for the extension of Saka Power. They occupied Western Deccan, Northern Parts of Maharastra, Konkan, Malwa, Kathiawar and Southern Rajasthan from 100 BCE. Bhumaka’s successor and most illustrious king of the Kshaharata family was Nahapana. Nahapana’s coins have been found in the Ajmer area of Rajasthan and Nasik in Maharashtra. Apart from his coins, there are several inscriptions dated in Saka era 78 CE. His capital was Minnagara located between Ujjain and Broach. Nahapana’s son in law Ushavadatta was viceroy of the southern part of the kingdom. The Saka-Kshatrapas were involved in prolonged conflict with the Satavahana dynasty. It appears from the Nasik inscription and the Jogalthembi hoard of coins, that the power of Nahapana was crushed by the Satavahana ruler, Gautamiputra Satakarni who annexed the Southern provinces of the Kshaharata dominions. After the death of Nahapana, the Kshaharatas were succeeded by the Kardamakas. Another line of Saka-Kshatrapas known as Kardamakas came into a force in western India. The founder of this dynasty was Chastana. The Andau inscription of 130 CE shows that Chastana had been ruling conjointly with his grandson Rudradaman. Both of these rulers were successful in winning back some of the territories conquered by Gautamiputra Satakarni from Nahapana.

Load more

  9

Copy Link