Interaction and Innovation, c. 200 BCE–300 CE
Chapter – 8
Table of Contents
- 1911 discovery of stone image in Mat village near Mathura, believed to be a life-size image of warrior king Kanishka, part of the Kushana dynasty.
- Period c. 200 BCE–300 CE marked by several invasions from the northwest, shifting political power from Magadha.
- Urbanization, trade, and the use of money as a medium of exchange expanded.
- Introduction of new cultural influences and the rise of devotional worship of images.
- Multiple diverse sources for history, including Jatakas, Jaina texts, Puranas, epics, and classical Graeco-Roman texts.
- Beginning of Sanskrit drama and existence of scientific treatises in subjects like astronomy, mathematics, and medicine.
- Sangam poetry in Tamil, offering insight into society in Tamilakam between 3rd century BCE and 3rd century CE.
- Archaeological evidence, including urban sites with fortifications, pottery, coins, seals, and terracottas.
- Inscriptions from different parts of the subcontinent, reflecting dynastic history and pious donations by diverse social backgrounds.
- Expansion of state polities and trade influenced developments in coinage, including Indo-Greek, Kushana, Satavahana, and Roman coins.
- Non-monarchical states, urban administrations, and merchant guilds issued various types of coins.
The Political History of North India
THE SHUNGAS
- Pushyamitra, commander-in-chief of the Maurya army, is said to have killed the Maurya king Brihadratha, ending Maurya rule in 187 BCE.
- The Puranas describe Pushyamitra as belonging to the Shunga family, who were Brahmanas.
- Pushyamitra’s empire included Pataliputra, Ayodhya, and Vidisha, along with parts of the Punjab.
- Viceroyalties were established in some regions, with Agnimitra serving as the viceroy in Vidisha.
- Conflicts arose between the Shungas and the Bactrian Greeks (Yavanas), particularly in areas like Saketa and Madhyamika.
- Stories of Pushyamitra’s cruelty and animosity towards Buddhism are found in the Divyavadana.
- The Shunga dynasty is believed to have had ten kings who ruled for a total of 112 years, with Devabhuti being the last ruler.
- Devabhuti was overthrown in a conspiracy led by his Brahmana minister Vasudeva, who founded the Kanva dynasty.
- The remnants of Shunga rule may have continued in central India until the rise of the Satavahanas.
- In Magadha, the Kanvas were succeeded by the Mitras around 30 BCE, who were later displaced by the Shakas.
The Besnagar pillar inscription of Heliodorus
- An inscription from the Shunga period is found on a pillar in Besnagar, ancient Vidisha.
- The inscription is in Prakrit and Brahmi script, containing six lines.
- It was erected by Heliodorus, a Greek ambassador from Taxila, in honor of Vasudeva, the god of gods.
- Heliodorus describes himself as a Bhagavata, a worshipper of Vasudeva Krishna.
- The pillar represents the continuation of the Maurya tradition of hosting Greek ambassadors by the Shungas.
- The Indo-Greek ruler Antialkidas is referred to as Amtalakita, and Kasiputra Bhagabhadra is the Shunga king.
- The pillar inscription suggests that a temple dedicated to Vasudeva Krishna once stood at the site.
THE INDO-GREEKS
- Bactria was an ancient region located to the south of the Oxus River and northwest of the Hindu Kush mountains, corresponding to the northern part of modern Afghanistan.
- The Greeks of Bactria were initially satraps of the Seleucid Empire, but they gained independence when Diodotus I revolted against the Seleucids in the mid-3rd century BCE.
- The Bactrian Greeks expanded their control into areas south of the Hindu Kush, moving into northwestern India by the early 2nd century BCE.
- By c. 145 BCE, the Bactrian Greeks lost control of Bactria but continued to rule in parts of northwest India.
- These Bactrian Greeks who ruled northwest India between the 2nd century BCE and the early 1st century CE are known as the Indo-Greeks or Indo-Bactrians.
- Sirkap at Taxila was occupied during the Indo-Greek period, while Aï-Khanoum in Afghanistan was founded by the Bactrian Greeks in c. 280 BCE but destroyed by nomadic invaders around 145 BCE.
- Indo-Greek rulers extended their rule to the south of the Hindu Kush, reaching northwestern India. The details of their reigns and chronology are unclear due to the large number of kings in a short period, some possibly ruling concurrently.
- Important Indo-Greek rulers included Demetrius I, Demetrius II, Appollodotus, Pantaleon, Agathocles, Amyntas, Antialkidas, Archebius, Hermaeus, Menander (Milinda), and others.
- Menander is known for his role in the Buddhist text, the Milindapanha.
- Greek rule in Bactria ended in the late 2nd century BCE with Parthian defeats, while Indo-Greek rule continued in northwestern India.
- Indo-Greek rule over the Gandhara region and areas to the east of the Jhelum came to an end in the late 1st century BCE or early 1st century CE.
- Indo-Greek rule had a significant cultural impact, leading to the development of the Gandhara school of art.