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CompetitiveExams:HistoryandImpactofIndoGreeksExamrace

AfterAlexandertheGreat,thegreedseleukidandynastyofPersiaheldontothetransIndusregion.AfterseleukosNikatorwasdefeated
byChanraguptaMauryain303B.C.ThetransIndusregionwastransferredtotheMauryas.InmidthirdcenturyB.C.Theseleukidan
rulewasendedbytwopeoples.InIrantheparthiarbecameindependentandtheirsassaniansin226A.D.Inlikemannerthegreeksof
BactriaroseinrevoltundertheleadershipofDiodotus.TheseGreekswerelaterknownasIndoGreekswhentheygainedafootholdin
theIndiansubcontinent.
BactriasituatedbetweentheHinduKushandtheoxus,wasafertileregionanditcontrolledthetraderoutesfromGandharatothe
West.ThegreeksettlementinBactriabeganinthe5thcenturyB.C.WhenPersianemperorssettledtheGreekexilesinthatarea.
BactriafiguredinhistorywiththerevoltofdiodotusagainstAntiochustheseleukidanking.ThisbreakawayofBactriawasrecnisedby
theseleukidanswhenthegrandsonofDiodotus,Enthymemes.Wasgivenaseleukidanbrideinabout200B.C.
AboutthesametimetheseleukidankingdefeatedkingsubhagasenaaftercrossingtheHinduKushin206B.C.Thisdefeatrevealsthe
unguardednatureofnorthwesternIndia.
ThusbeginsthehistoryofIndoGreeks.ThehistoryoftheIndoGreeksismainlygatheredfromtheircoins.Thisevidenceisveryoften
confusionbecausemanykingshadidenticalnames.
ThesonofEuthydemos,Demetrios,ConqueredmodernsouthernafghanistionandtheMakranareahealsooccupiedsomepartsof
Punjab.Thenaround175B.C.ThehomelandofBactrianscametoberuledbyEukratides,anotherbranchoftheBactrians.Hisson
DemetriosIIpenetrateddeepintothePunjabproceedingalongtheIndus,hepenetratedtillkutch.
ThemostknownIndoGreekwasMenander,whoseclaimrestsontheBuddhisttreatisetheQuestionsofkingMilindadiscussion
betweenmenanderandtheBuddhistphilosopher,NagasenaandheruledthePunjabfromC.160to140B.C.
Menandernotonlystabilizedhispowerbutextendedhisfrontiers.HiscoinsaretobefoundintheregionextendingfromKabulto
MathuranearDelhi.HeattemptedtoconquertheGangesvalleybutinvain.ProbableyhewasdefeatedbytheSungas.
AftermenanderoneStratoruled.AtthattimeBactariawasrulebyadifferentgroupofBactrians.ProbablyMitrhadatesIofPersia
annexedtheregionofTaxiladuringthethirdquarterofthesecondcenturyB.C.
Alittlelater,AntialkidasruledfromTaxilaasknownfromtheinscriptionfrombesnagarnearBhilsa.Thisinscriptionwasincisedonthe
orderofHeliodoros,whowastheenvoyofantialkidasinthecourtofBesnagar.Heliodorosgotamonolithiccolumnbuiltinhonourof
vasudeva.ThusbegantheBhakticultofVasudeva.
ThelastknowngreekkingswerehippostratosandHermaeus,theformerdefeatedbymogaandthelatterbykhadphisus.
IndoGreekinfluencedeclinedfromthetimeBactriaitselfwasattackedbythenomadictribesfromcentralAsia,thescythians.
ThepenetrationofIndoGreeks,aswellasofsakaspahlavasandKushanainfluencedthegovernment,society,religionliteratureandart
ofancientIndia.TheveryfactthatIndiaabsorbedinfluencesoftheseforeignersspeaksforthethenyouthfulnatureofIndian
civilization.
TheextentofGreekinfluenceofIndianCivilisationisamostpoint.WhatevertheGreekinfluencethatwasfeltbyIndiacameinthe
wakeofAlexander'sinvasionofthecastandthesettlementofGreeksintheBactrianregion.Alexanderhimselfcannotberegardedas
thestandardbeareroftheheritageofancientGreece.BythetimeAlexanderandhissoldiersmarchedtowardstheeastthecultureof
GreecewasonthedeclinehenceatthemostAlexanderandhismencouldhavespreadadebasedversionofthegreatGeekcivilization
representedbySocrates,Plato,Phidia,Aristotle,Sophocles,Pythagorasandothers.DespitethefactthatAlexanderandhismencould
notbethetruetorchbearersofGreekculturetotheeast,thetracesofGreekinfluencecouldbedefinitelyfoundonIndiacivilization.
Talkingofsociallife,anumberofGreeksfigureasdonorsintheinscriptionoftheKarlecaves.TheGreekmodeofwearinghairandthe
habitofeatinginalyingposturecameintovogue.AlsowhensomeoftheIndoGreekssettledinIndia,theytooktotradeandthey
becameaffluentmerchants.EvenTamilliteraturereferstoGreekshipsbringingcargoes,andtheGreeksectionofKaveripatnamwas
veryprosperous.AndsomeoftheTamilkingskeptGreekbodyguards.
Regardingscience,contemporarywritersadmitthegreatnessoftheGreekscientists.TheGargiSamhitaadmitsthattheGreekswere
likegodsinscienceandtheypenetratedintoIndiaasfarasPataliputra.Varahmihira,duringtheGuptaagewasintheknowofGreek
scienceandusedanumberofGreektechnicaltermsinhisworks,ItisalsoarguedthatCharakawasinfluencedbytheworksof
Hippocrates,thefatherofMedicine,butthereisnotevidencetoconfirmthisview.Thusitisdifficulttoconjecturetheextenttowhich
ancientscientistsofIndiawereinfluencedbythescientificknowledgeofGreeks.
Inthefieldofart,firsttheIndoGreeksdidcontributetodiecutters'art.Theyshowedaremarkableskillinmakingtheportraitsof
rulers.AlsotheGreekkingsadoptsomeoftheindigenousmethodsofmintingthecoins.AlthoughIndiansdidnotfullylearnthefine
artofdiecutting,thecoinsofIndianrulerswereinfluencedbytheGreeks.Indianadoptedtheartofstrikingcoinswithtwodies,the
obverseandthereverse.Secondly,thecuriousopenairtheatrethatcameintobeinginthisperiodwasdirectlyaGreeklegacy.The
termYavanikaforcurtainshowsthatIndiandrama,atleastononepoint,wasinfluencedbytheGreekmodel,Thridly,theGreekform
ofsculptureinfluencedtheGandharaartoftheKushanperiod.TheschoolbeganintheKabulvalleywheretheGreekinfluencewasthe
maximum.Accordinglytoneauthor,theterracottasoftoysandplaqueswereallinfluencedbytheGreeks.
Inthereligiousfieldtoo,theGreekinfluencewasfelt,asborneoutbyMillindaPanhoandtheBesnagarinscription.LegionsofGreeks
wereconvertedintoIndianreligionsoftheday.OneGreekofficer,Theodorus,gottherelicsoftheBuddhaenshrinedintheSwatvalley.
Besides,HinduiconographywasgreatlychangedbecauseoftheIndoGreekinfluences.ItisdifficulttosayhowmanyBabylonianand
IranianGodswereincorporatedinHindureligions.AfewdeitiesweretakenoverbytheParthiansandtheywereadoptedbythe
Kushans.ButitisdoubtfultosayastowhichoftheGreekdieitieswereincorporatedinthePantheonofIndiangods.
Alltold,theGreekinfluencewasmostlyfeltinart(theGangdharasculptures,whichprobablyinfluencedthelaterdayMathura
sculptures)andinreligion(gaveafilliptoMahayanaBuddhismandpopularizedtheBhaktiaspectofreligionaspioneeredbythe
vasudevacult).

Sungas
TheSungarule,extendingalittleoveracentury,isininterludeinthehistoryofIndia.Thereisnothingextraordinaryaboutthepolitical
eventsassociatedwiththeSungas.Thesignificanceoftheirhistory,ontheotherhand,primarilyconsistsintheplacetheyoccupyin
thesocialandculturalhistoryofIndia.
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Thefounderofthedynasty,PushyamitraSunga,overthrewtheMauryaseitherin187B.C.Or184B.C.Afterhimtherewerenine
otherrulers.Amongthem,Agnimitra,Vasumitra,BhagvataandDevabhumiweretheprominentones.Thenamesofthefirsttwowere
associatedwithsomeeventsinpoliticalhistory,whereasthelattertwowereknownfortheirlongrule,theybeing32and10years
respectively.
ThereissomecontroversyabouttheidentityofPushyamitraSunga.ItwasstatedinaSutrathathebelongedtoafamilyofteachers.
PatanjaliclaimsthathewasabrahminortheBhardwajagotra.IvyavadanastatedthattheSungaswererelatedtotheMauryas.A
MalavikagnimitramreferstothemasbrahminsbelongingtoKashyapgotra.
AftertheoverthrowofBrihadrata,PushyamitraSungawagedafewwarstoconsolidatehisposition.EvidenceshowsthatPushyamitra
SungadefeatedtheYavanas.ThisisconfirmedbyPatanjali'sMahabashva.AndtheclaimmadeintheHathigumphainscriptionthat
KharavelaofKalingadefeatedPushyamitraSungacannotbesustainedbecauseKharavelaruledinthesecondhalfofthefirstcenturyB.
C.Later,Vasumitra,thegrandsonofPushyamitraSunga,defeatedtheYavanas.ThisisconfirmedbytheMalavikaganimtiramandgargi
Samhita.BothAgnimmitraandVeerasenafoughtagainstVidarbharuleoftheSungasendedC.75B.C.
SomescholarsregardthattheestablishmentofSungadynastywssymbolicofthebrahminicalreactiontotheMauryanbiastowards
Buddhism.PushyamitraSungaperformedthevedicsacrificesofasvamedha,andtheotherslikeaginstoma,Rajasuyaandvajpeiya.But
somefactsofhisregionclearlyshowthathedidnotpersecuteBuddhists.TheclaimofDivyavandana,thatPushyamitraSunga
destroyed84,000Buddhiststupasandslaughteredsrameans,hasnocorroborativeevidence.Interestingly,thesculpturedstone
gatewayandthemassivestonerailingarousedSanchistupawereexecutedduringthetimeofPushyamitraSunga.AlsotheBharhut
stupaandthesculpturerelatingtoJatakastoriesarounditcameintoexistenceduringthesameperiod.OneofthedonorsofBharhut
stupawasChampadeviwifeoftheIdishaKing,whowasaworshipperofVishnu.Thisfactbearstestimonytothehighdegreeof
toleranceprevailingduringtheperiod(AndsomeminorworksofSungaartaretobefoundatMathura,KausambiandSarnath).
ItatalltherewasanytinglikepersecutionofBuddhistsduringthedaysofPushyamitraSunga,itcouldbeinthecontextofMenander's
invasion.Maybe,theBuddhistsofIndiawelcomedtheinvasionofMenandeR'andthismighthaveresultedinPushyamitraSungawrath
fallingontheBuddhists.Or,maybewithdrawalofroyalpatronagewiththecomingoftheSungasapparentlyenragedtheBuddhists
andthustheBuddhistswriterspresentanexaggeratedaccountoftheirtroubles.
TheimportanceoftheSungas,therefore,wasprimarilyinthecontextofculturalandsocialdevelopment.Inthesocialfield,the
emergenceofHinduismhadawideimpact.TheSungasattemptedtorevivethecastesystemwiththesocialsupremacyofthe
brahmins.ThisismorethanevidentintheworkofManu(Manusmriti)whereinhereassuresthepositionofthebrahminsinthefourfold
society.Eventhen,themostsignificantdevelopmentoftheSungaerawasmarkedbyvariousadjustmentandadaptationsleadingto
theemergenceofmixedcastesandtheassimilationoftheforeignersinIndiasociety.ThuswenoticethatBrahminismgradually
transformeditselfinadirectiontowardsHinduism.
InthefieldofliteratureSanskritgraduallygainedascendancyandbecamethelanguageofthecourt.Patanjaliwaspatronizedby
PushyamitraSungaandhewasthesecondgreatgrammarianofSanskrit.PatanjalireferstoaSanskritpoet,Varauchi,whowroteinthe
KavyastyleandwhichwaslaterperfectedbyKalidasa.SomeBuddhistworksofthisagewerewritteninSanskrit.
Inthefieldofart,therewasimmediatereactionagainsttheBuddhisteraoftheMauryas.Nevertheless,therewerecertaindifferences.
TheSungaartreflectsmoreofthemind,culture,traditionandideologythanwhattheMauryanartdid.DuringtheSungaperiod,stone
replacedwoodintherailingsandthegatewaysoftheBuddhiststupasasnoticedatBharhutandSanchi.Bharhutstupaisrepletewith
sculpturesapartfromfloraldesigns,animal,figures,Yakshasandhumanfigures.EventhestonerailingaroundtheSanchiStupaisin
richbeliefwork.Thisagedefinitelywitnessedtheincreasinguseofsymbolsandhumanfiguresinarchitecture.Besides,theSungasart
isamanifestationofpopularartisticgenioustheartisticactivitywasbecauseoftheinitiativeofindividuals,corporationorvillages.A
partofthegatewayofSanchiwasconstructedbytheartisansofVidisha.Eventemplebuildingbeganinthisperiod.AVishnutemple
wasbuildnearVidisha.TherewasanincreaseintheconstructionofrockcuttempleasnoticedintheChaityaHall.Inthetemplesand
householdworshipwefindtheidolsofShivaandVishnu.
AlltoldtheimportanceofthesungadynastyliesintherestorationofRealpolitikwhileabandoningtheasokanapproach.Inthecultural
fieldthebeginningsaswellasaccomplishmentsinsculptureandarchitectureareoftremendoussignificance.Inthefieldofreligiontoo
theynotonlyrevivedtheearliertraditionbutalsogaveanimpetustonewapproachescombativetowardstheheterodoxsectsthecult
ofkatakanathegodofwartheresurgenceofBhagvatacultandthesupremacyofVasudevaintheHindupantheon.

Kushans
InthepostMauryanera,centralAsiaandnorthwesternIndiawitnessedhecticandshiftingpoliticalscenes.TheGreatYuehichidriven
outoffertilelendinWesternchinamigratedtowardstheAralSea.TheretheyencounteredtheSakasnearSyrDaryariverandevicted
them.TheGreatYuehiChitribessettledinthevalleyofOxusandwiththeoccupationoftheBactrianlandsthegreathordeswere
dividedintofiveprincipalities.AcenturylatertheKushansectionorsectofYuehiChiattainedpredominanceovertheotheres.Their
leaderwasKadphises.ThusbeganthehistoryofKushans.
TheuniquegeographicalpositionoftheKushansempiremadeitacolossusastrideonthespineofAsiaunitingtheGrecoRoman
civilizationinthewesttheChinesecivilizationintheeastandIndiancivilisationinthesoutheast.
TheleaderoftheKushanswaskadphisesandhisruleprobablybeganin40A.D.HeattackedtheregionssouthofHinduKush,
conqueredKabulandannexedGandharaincludingthekingdomofTaxila.Kadphisesdiedin77A.D.Or78A.D.BythentheKushans
hadsupplantedtheprincesbelongingtotheIndoGreeksakaandIndoParthiancommunitiesalongthefrontiersofIndia.Thesuccessor
ofkadphiseswasVimaKadphses.HeconqueredlargepartsofnortherIndia.Hiscoinsshowthathisauthorityextendedasfaras
BanarasandaswellastheIndusbasin.InalllikelihoodhispowerextendedasfarasNarbadaandtheSakasatrapsinMalwaand
WesternIndiaacknowledgedhissovereignty.
BythattimetheChinesereassertedtheirauthorityinthenorthandthisledtoacollusionwiththeKushans.TheChinesegeneralpan
chaoconqueredChineseTurkistanandestablishedtheChineseauthorityinparthiathatisontheterritorysouthoftheCaspiansea.
TheseadvancesfrightenedtheKushans.In87ADKadphisesII,claimedthehandofaChieseprinces,anacknowledgementofhis
equalitywiththesonofHeaven.TheproposalwasrejectedandKadphises,dispatchedalargearmy,Butthearmywasdecimated
becauseofthedifficultterrain.AnditwaseasilydefeatedbytheChinese.TheKushanrulerwascompelledtopaytributetheChinaand
theChineserecordssothattheKushanscontinuedtosendmissionstoCninatillthecloseofthecentury.Rossiblythereignof
KadphisesIIendedC.110A.D.
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Thenextruler,KanishkaprobablybelongedtothelittleYuehichisectionofthehorde.HiscapitalwasPurushapuraandhereheerected
alargenumberofBuddhistbuildings.InhisearlyyearsheannexedKashmirandconsolidatedhisruleintheIndusandtheGangetic
basin.HisarmycrossedthePamirsandinflictedadefeatontheChinese.ThechiefofKhotan,YarkandandtheKsshgarweremadeto
paytribute.TraditionstatesthatwhileKanishkawasonhisreturnfromtheChineseTurkistan,hewassotheredtodeathbyhisofficers
whohadgotwearyofhiscampaigns.Mostofhistimewasspentonwagingwars.
AlargenumberofinscriptionswereincisedduringthetimesofKanishkaandhissuccessor.Accordingtoevidence,Kanishkabecamean
activepartronoftheBuddhistChurchduringthelaterpartofhisreign.AlthouththeBuddhistrecordsgloatoverthisfactandregard
himasthesecondAsoka,hiscoinsprovethathehonouredamedleyofgodszoroastrain,Greek,Mitraic,andIndian.Theprominent
IndiandutyonthecoinswasShiva.ThepeculiarassemblyofdeitiesbytheKushansoffersagreatdealofspeculation.MaybeKansihka
follwedaloosefromofZorostrianismandfreelyveneratedthedeitiesofothergreeds.
Also,KanishkacovenedacouncilofBuddhisttheologianstosettledisputesrelatingtoBuddhistfaithandpractices.Theconclusionsof
thiscouncilwereengravedoncoppersheetsandpreservedinthestupaofthecapital.Thedelgatestothecouncilprimarilybelongedto
theHinayanasect.
TheBuddhismofthisperiodwasdefinitelyalaxone.TheMahayanasectwaspopular.ButearlyBuddhismwasanIndiaproductand
wasbasedontheIndianideasofrebirth,transmigrationofsoulsandtheblessednessofescapefromthepainsofbeing.ThisBuddhism
wassupportedbyapracticalsystemofethicsinculcatingastoicdevotiontodutyforitsownsake.Suchateachingneededfundamental
changestoattractthesturdymountaineer,thenomadhorsemanandtheHelloerizedAlexandrian.Thevenerationforadeadteacher
passedintoaworshipoflivingseviour.
SoontheKushanpowerdeclined.WithintheKingdom,harmwasdonetotheKushanEmpirebytheNagasandYaudheyas.ANagaruler
probablyperformedtenashvamedhasacrifices.Apartfromthesetwocommunities,afewothertribesalso,liketheMalavasandthe
Kunindas,probablyregainedtheirimportanceattheexpenseoftheKushanempire.
ApartfromtheweaknessestothesuccessorsofKanishka,developmentsinthePersiainfluencedthehistoryofNorthwesternIndia.The
ParthianswereoverthrownbyArdashirin226A.D.WhoestablishedtheSassaniandynasty.HissuccessorsannxedPeshawarandTaxila
duringthemiddleofthe3rdcentury.AndKushankingsinthenorthwestbecamethevassalsoftheSasssanians.Thesuccessorsof
Kanishka,asestablishedtoday,arethefollowing:Vashiska(102106),Hyvishka(106138),andVasudeva(c.152176).The
historyafterthisperiodisextremelyvague.Overtheruinsoftheempire,inCentralAsiaandthewest,rosetheSassanianempireof
PersiaandinIndia.TheGuptaempire.
SpeakingingeneralabouttheachievementoftheKushans,thefirstistheeconomicprosperity.AstheKushanempirewassituatedina
crucialgeographicalregion.Therewasbrisktrade.Moreover,theveryareacoveredbytheKushanempirehelpedtheflowoftrade
betweentheeastandthewest.Sometraderouteswhichcameintoexistenceinthisperiodcontinuedtoservethefuturealso.Gold
coinsofgreatcomplexitywereissuedbytheKushans.
Thesecoinsspeakoftheprosperityofthepeople.ThecoinsofKanishkausuallyshowthefigureofKanishkastandingandsacrificingat
altar,andontheobverse,deitiesbelongingtovariousreligions.ThecoinsoftheKushansalsoshowthattheKushanswereincontact
withtheRomanstheweightoftheKushancoinshascertainsimilaritieswiththeRomancoins.AccordingtotheauthorofthePeriplus
godandsilverspecieswereimportedatBarygaza(Broach).
Asregardsartandliterature,wehavetostatethattheirgreatestcontributionwastheGandharaart.Itwasinthisperiodthatthestone
imagesoftheBuddhaandtheBodhisattavaswerecravedout.ThechiefofqualityofthisartistheblendingofBuddhistsubjectswith
Greekforms.ImagesoftheBuddhaappearinthelikenessofApollo,andtheYakshakuberaisposedinthefasinoofZeus.Theimprintof
thisschoolofartisstilltobefoundinMathuraandAmarvati.Indeed,thecarvingofimagesandthebuildingoftempleswasnot
neglectedinearlierdays,butundertheKushanstheyattainedarefinement.TheChaityabuiltatPeshawarwasashighasfourstoreys.
FaHien,passingthroughGandhara,duringthefifthcentury,praisedtheimagesoftheBuddha,Bodhisattavasandnumerousother
deities.TheearlyrulersfosteredtheHellenisticartofGandharaandalsotheBhikshuBela,andfromthisplaceartisticproductswere
senttoSarasvatiandSarnath.KanishkawasagreatbuildertoweratPeshawar,anewcityinTaxila,atowninKashmirandfine
buildingsandsculpturesatMathura.ItwasatthelastplaceaportraitstatureofKanishkahasbeenfoundbutitsheadisnotthere.
Further,thedieengraversemployedbytheKushanswerefarfromnegligible.Aspecialnoteistobetakenofcoinage.TheKushancoins
becametheprototypesformanyvarieitiesofcoinsofYadheyas,theimperialGuptas,somekingsofNepaandseveralKingsofChedi.
EminentBuddhistwritersNagajuna,AsvaghoshaandVasumitrawerethenamesassociatedwithKanishka.Thefirstwasapoet,
musician,scholarandazealousBuddhistmonk.CharakawasthecourtphysicianofKanishka.

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