Indo-Greek or Indo-Bactrian Kingdom (180 BC - 10 AD)

By Bharat Choudhary -
Indo-Greeks has been described in Indian literature as 'Yavanas'. Indian subcontinent said to be ruled by more than 30 Hellenistic kings. The knowledge about these has been attained from their coinage. The areas under these Hellenistic Kings were the following -
  1. Taxila;
  2. Punjab (Pakistan);
  3. Pushkalavati (Peshawar); and 
  4. Sagala.


Prominent Rulers of Indo-Greek Kingdom


1. Antiochus II  (c. 261-246 BCE):

  • Antiochus II was the king of the Hellenistic Seleucid kingdom, who marched towards India and defeated the India king Subhagsena of Kabul in around 206 BC.
  • Antiochus is mentioned in the Edicts of Ashoka, as one of the recipients of the Indian Emperor Ashoka's Dhamma.
    • Rock Edict 13: "............to the Yona (Greek) king, Antiyoka (Antiochus II of Syria, 261 to 246 BC), Turamaya (Ptolomaios II Philadelphos, 285–247), Antikini (Antigonos Gonatas of Macedonia, 276–239), Maka (Magas of Cyrene, c.300–250), Alikasudara (probably Alexander of Epirus, 272–255)."
2. Demetrius I (c. 200-185 BCE):
  • He made inroads into conquering parts of India, south of the Hindu Kush. His basic Herakles coin type, wearing an elephant scalp, symbolizes this as the elephant represented India to the Greeks.
  • His coins also bear legends in Greek and Prakrit written in Greek and Kharosti scripts.
  • His coins have been found in several parts of modern Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
  • His capital was Sakala (modern Sialkot, Pakistan) which he named after Euthydemia, his father.
3. Apollodotus I (c. 174-165 BCE)
  • His kingdom covered the area from Taxila in Punjab to Sindh. 
  • Apollodotus I is known as first “Real Indo-Greek” - the real founder of the indo-Greek kingdom in the Indian subcontinent.
  • We know about Apollodotus I through his bilingual Indian standard square coins with animals, such as elephant and bull, depicted on the coins.
4. Menander II (c. 90-85 BCE)
  • Menander II reigned in Gandhara, north of modern Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan.
  • Meander has been mentioned as the mighty Yavana King of Sakala (capital of kingdom).
  • ”Milindapanho” is the record of dialogues between the Meander II and the Buddhist monk Nagasena.
  • The coins of Menander II have been engraved with “Dhammachakka” of Buddhism.
  • He also issued Gold Coins, one type of these is known as “Athena Promachos”.
    • The Athena Promachos ("Athena who fights in the front line") was a colossal bronze statue of Athena, goddess of wisdom and warriors and the protectress of Athens.

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