Foreign Successors : Alexander, Indo Greeks, Sakas & Kushans

Foreign Successors of India

Alexander was born in 356BC.
He was the son of Philip, who was the ruler of Macedonia (Greece).
Philip was killed in 329BC.
Alexander was the student of Aristotle.
He invaded India in 326BC.
Except king Porous who fought the famous Battle of Hydaspas (on the bank of Jhelum) with Alexander, all other kings submitted meekly.
When Alexander reached on the bank of Beas, his soldiers refused to go further so he was forced to return.
He remained in India for 19 months.
He died in 323BC at Babylon.

Indo-Greeks were mainly the rulers of North-Western India in the post Mauryan period.
Firstly the Bactrian ruler Demetrious attacked India.
His capital was Shekel.
The most important Indo-Greek ruler was Menander.
His Capital was also Shekel (Modern Sialkot).
He adopted Buddhism from Nagasena.
Milindapanho or Milindprashno is a Pali Text. It contains questions of Menander and Answers of Nagasena.
Indo-Greek ruler issued a large number of coins.
They first issued the gold coins. They first used the art of writing on coins.

After Indo-Greek Shakas came.
In 58BC, a local king defeated Shakas and adopted the title of Vikramaditya. For this success from 57BC Vikram Samvat started.
The most famous Shaka ruler in India was Rudradaman.
He mainly ruled in Gujarat.
He was the lover of Sanskrit. He was the first ruler who wrote the script in Sanskrit. That is Girnar Avilekh (Inscription) or Junagarh Avilekh.
Shakas called themselves as ‘Chhatrap’.

Kushans are called Yuchi or Tokhri.
Founder of Kushans dynasty was Kujula Kadphises.
His capital was Peshawar or Purushpura.
Their 2nd capital was Mathura.
Kanishka was the important king of Kushans.
Kanishka started Saka Samvat in 78AD.
Kanishka is known as second Ashoka.
Kanishka was follower of Mahayan Buddhism.
4th Buddhist council held in his reign in Kundalvan, Kashmir. Vasumitra was the Chairman of this council.
Kanishk’s Court Physician (Rajbaidh) Charaka was a very knowledgeable person. He wrote ‘Charak Sanhita’.
Mahabivash Sutra was written by Vasumitra. It is called Viswakosha.
Ashwaghosh the poet of Kanishka’s court wrote Buddhacharitam. It is called Ramayana of Buddhism.
Nagarjuna is called Einstein of India. He wrote Madhyamika Sutra.
Kanishka died in 102AD.
The last ruler of Kushan Dynasty was Vasudev.
Gandhar art and Mathura art was developed in Kushan dynasty.
The Kushans adopted the technique of silk making.
This technique first started in China.
This famous silk making technique spread in Iran and Western Asia through the Kushan Empire.
The Kushans controlled famous silk route which starts from China and reaches India & Western Asia passing through their empire.