The Indo-Greek Kingdom: Bactria, Demetrius and Menander

The Greco-Bactrians were Greek rulers of Bactria. Bactria was the region around Balkh, north of the Hindu Kush mountains. They ruled it from about 250 to 130 BCE.

How did they become independent?

After Alexander, one Greek dynasty called the Seleucids ruled Persia and Central Asia. The Seleucids were busy in the west. Around the middle of the third century BCE, their governor in Bactria, Diodotus, revolted and made himself king. A governor is an officer who rules a province for a king.

Who came next?

• Diodotus II, his son, followed him.
• Euthydemus then took over.
• The Seleucid king Antiochus III tried to win the province back. He later made peace with Euthydemus.

What is the memory hook?

Think “governor revolts, becomes king”.

The Indo-Greek kingdoms began when Greek kings from Bactria took lands in India. The best-known early invader was Demetrius, son of Euthydemus.

What did Demetrius do?

Demetrius led the push into north-west India around 200 to 185 BCE. The Greek writer Strabo credits him and Menander with spreading Greek rule furthest east. Cities named after Demetrius or his father stood in Afghanistan and in India.

Why are they called “Indo-Greek”?

Around 190 BCE several Greek kings ruled at the same time. Their lands in India were split between them. These kingdoms were almost always cut off from Bactria. So historians call them Indo-Greek, not Greco-Bactrian.

Who were the Yonas?

Yona (or Yavana) was the Indian word for a Greek. Greek settlers lived in these lands. Their rulers slowly took on Indian ways.

What is the memory hook?

Think “Demetrius crosses, kingdoms split”.

Menander I was the most famous Indo-Greek king. Indian texts call him Milinda. His capital was Sakala, modern Sialkot in Punjab.

How far did his rule reach?

His coins have turned up from Begram near Kabul in the west to Mathura in the east. A coin find shows where a king’s money was used. So it hints at how far his power ran.

Did he reach Pataliputra?

This is disputed. Some accounts say Menander pushed as far as Pataliputra, today’s Patna. Other scholars only call it a guess. Treat it as unproven.

What else did he do?

Around 155 BCE, Menander pushed the rival Greek king Eucratides back to Bactria. Greek rule in India then stayed safe for about 25 years.

When did he rule?

Dates differ by writer. One view gives about 165 to 130 BCE. Another gives about 155 to 130 BCE. Most agree he ruled until about 130 BCE.

What is the memory hook?

Think “Milinda, Sakala, coins from Kabul to Mathura”.

The Milinda Panha means “The Questions of Milinda”. It is a Buddhist text. It records a talk between King Milinda (Menander) and the Buddhist monk Nagasena.

Is it a record of real events?

It names a real king. But it is a Buddhist text, not a Greek one. So it shows how Buddhists remembered him. It does not prove everything it says.

What does a Greek writer say?

The Greek writer Plutarch says Menander was known for justice. He died in camp. Several cities then argued over the right to keep his ashes. That shows he was loved by his people.

What is the memory hook?

Think “Milinda asks, Nagasena answers”.

The kingdom broke up bit by bit. Outside attacks and fights between Greek kings both played a part.

What were the main blows?

• Around 130 BCE the Yuezhi, a nomad people, drove the Greeks out of Bactria. Many moved into India.
• From 130 to 80 BCE many small Indo-Greek kings fought each other.
• Around 80 BCE the Saka king Maues took Gandhara and western Punjab.
• The last Indo-Greek king, Strato II, ended his rule around 10 BCE. The Indo-Saka king Rajuvula defeated him.

Who were the Sakas?

The Sakas were Central Asian nomads. Greek kings fought them for land in the north-west.

What is the memory hook?

Think “Yuezhi push, Sakas press, Rajuvula ends”.

They left coins, art and a mix of cultures. Their rule is known mainly through those coins.

What do the coins show?

Menander’s silver coins are stamped in Greek letters. Small silver coins with his name were still used at the port of Barygaza (Broach) in the first century CE.

Where does art come in?

The Yonas appear in Ashoka’s edicts. Indian art from the period shows Greek influence. This points to long contact between Indian and Greek peoples.

What is the memory hook?

Think “coins in Greek, art in two styles”.

Exams use the Milinda Panha to test whether you know who wrote what. This UPSC question mixes it with other texts.

How do you answer it?

Pair 3 is wrong. The Milinda Panha is a talk between King Menander and the monk Nagasena. Nagarjuna did not write it. Pair 1 is also wrong, since Devichandragupta is a play by Vishakhadatta. Pairs 2 and 4 are right. So two pairs match, and the answer is (b).

What is the memory hook?

Think “Milinda: king and monk, not Nagarjuna”.