After the death of Emperor Ashoka, the Mauryan Empire was divided between many independent kingdoms. Shunga, Kanva, Satavahana and Cheti were the major Indian dynasties that emerged from Mauryan territories. Yavanas, Sakas, Pahlavas and Kushans were foreign dynasties, which occupied the territories of the Mauryan Empire and ruled Indian land for some years.

 

Yavanas or Indo-Greeks

Seleucus Nicator, the successor of Alexander invaded North Western India was defeated and pushed back to central Asia by the Mauryan emperor Chandra Gupta Maurya. Seleucus and his successors ruled Central Asia region and was called the Seleucid Empire. The empire was administered with the help of viceroys appointed by the ruler.

During the reign of Antiochus II, grandson of Seleucus, revolt broke out in Bactria and Parthia under their Viceroys. Both territories declared independence and Diodotus I and Arseculus established their kingdoms respectively. Diodotus I was succeeded by his son Dioditus II and he was defeated by commander Euthydemus, who established a new family of rulers. In 222BC, Antiochus III, great grandson of Seleucus became ruler of the Seleucid Empire and wanted to re-occupy the regions lost during his predecessor’s time and attacked Bactria and Parthia. Euthydemus fought many battles with Antiochus III, which were indecisive. The clash between the two dynasties ended by a matrimonial alliance formed between them. Demetrius I, son of Euthydemus, married Antiochus III’s daughter.

The successors of Euthydemus ruled the Greco Bactrian region with Taxila being the capital. After the occupation of Indian territories, they converted to Buddhism and accepted Indian culture and were called Yavanas in Sanskrit and British historians named them as Indo-Greeks because of their Hellenic origin.

 

Demetrius I (200BC-190BC)

He was the first Greco Bactrean ruler who invaded India, and was the founder of Greek ruling dynasty in India. Since his kingdom was regularly attacked by the Seleucid Empire from central Asia, he invaded India, taking the advantage of weak late Mauryan rulers.

He won the region of Sakal in 183BC and intended to proceed further but was stopped by

by Pushyamitra Shunga, of the Shunga empire.

 

Pantaleon (190BC-180BC) & Agathocles (190BC-180BC)

Both were younger brothers of Demetrius I and ruled jointly for a very short period. Pantalion was the first Greek King to issue coins in India.

 

Apollodotus (180BC-160BC)

He was Chief Commander of Agathocles and he occupied Punjab and ruled independently, revolting against the royal family. He ruled only Indian part of the Kingdom.

 

Demetrius II or Antimachus I(180BC-165BC)

He was son of Demetrius I, succeeded his uncles at Taxila by reoccupying the territories fighting Apollodotus. He was also called Antimachus I.

 

Antimachus II (165BC-160BC)

He was the son and successor of Demetrius II.

 

Menander I or Milinda (160BC-130BC)

He was the son of Antimachus II. He was initially a ruler of Bacrea as his predecessors. He conquered Punjab region defeating Apollodotus and unified Greco Bactrian Kingdom. His Kingdom extended from Kabul to Ravi river valley. He shifted the capital of the Kingdom from Taxila to Sakala, which was safer and far from the Seleucid empire.

He conquered Mathura and Mitra rulers accepted Menander’s Suzerainty. According to some records he proceeded till Pataliputra and was repulsed back by a combined army of Shungas and Kalingas.

 

Menander I issued Gold coins in circulation, by which he became the first King to introduce Gold coins in India. Later Greeks introduced Gold, Silver, Copper and Nickel coins which had Greek legends deities like Zeus, Apollo, Athena and others on them.

 

Menander met a Buddhist monk Nagasena of Kashmir, in his court. He questioned the

Monk about Buddhist religion, and was convinced by the monk and accepted Buddhism. He was called “Milinda” in Pali language. The conversation between the two is mentioned in a literary work named “Milinda Panha” , which was originally written in Sanskrit and only the Pali version is available now.

 

Milinda adopted the life of Buddhist monk and handed over the state affairs to his son. He died in 130 BC, was cremated according to Buddhist tradition and the ashes were kept in Stupas across the empire constructed over them.

 

Agathoclea (130BC-125BC)

She was the wife of Menander I and ruled as regent for her son Starto I. During this period Zoilos I, a viceroy declared independence and carved out a new kingdom for himself in the western part of the Empire.

 

Strato I (125BC-110BC)

He was the son and successor of Menander I. The decline of the dynasty started from his reign. There were many small kingdoms during his reign broken from the kingdom.

 

His Successors were:

Heliokles (110BC-100BC)

Demetrius III (100 BC)

 

Philoxenus (100BC-95BC):

The other branch of Indo-Greek parted by Zoilos I was united with the kingdom.

 

Epander (95 BC-90 BC)

Thraso (90BC)

 

Artemidoros (90BC-85BC) & Menander II (90BC-85BC):

Ruled different parts of the kingdom

 

Archebius (85BC-75BC)

Apollodotus II (75BC-65BC)

 

Dionysios Soter (65BC-55BC)  :

Mathura was annexed by ending the rule of Mitra dynasty, a vassal of Yavanas.

 

Zoilos II (55BC-35BC)

Apollophanes (35BC-25BC)

Strato II (25BC-20BC)

 

Strato III (20BC-10BC): The Saka ruler Rajuvula killed Strato III. The rule of Yavanas ended and their kingdom was annexed to Sakas.