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THE SUNGAS

THE SUNGAS

The Sungas ruled Magadha from c. 185 BCE to c. 73 BCE

The Sunga Empire was established upon the fall of the Mauryas

The capital of the Sungas were Pataliputra and Vidisha (Besnagar)

The founder of the Sunga dynasty was PushyamitraSunga

His son, AgnimitraSunga, was the hero of Kalidasas drama Malavikaagnimitra

Patanjalis Yoga Sutras and Mahabhasya were composed during this period

The Sungas were succeeded by the Kanvas in about 73 BCE

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THE SATAVAHANAS
The Satavahanas were a dynasty that ruled central India from c. 230 BCE to c. 220

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CE

The Satavahanas are also known as Andhras. They were among the earliest

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adopters of Telugu

The capital cities of the Satavahanas were Kotilingala (Karimnagar), Pune, Paithan

The founder of the Satavahana dynasty was Simuka (c. 230 207 BCE)

Other important rulers of the Satavahana dynasty include Satakarni (c. 180 124

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The Satavahana king Hala (c 20 24 CE) is famous for compiling the collection of

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BCE) and GautamiputraSatakarni (78 106 CE)


Maharashtri poems called GahaSattasai
The Buddhist stupa at Amaravati was built by the Satavahanas c. 200 CE

THE INDO-GREEKS

About Indo-Greeks

The Indo-Greeks were descendants of Greek armies that had invaded India during
and after the reign Alexander the Great

The Indo-Greek kingdom was established by the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius c.


180 BCE

The kingdom roughly covered the region between eastern Afghanistan in the west
to Punjab in the east an northern Afghanistan in the north to Sind in the south

The Indo-Greeks combined elements of Greek and Indian languages and religions,
producing a fusion of Greek, Hindu and Buddhist practices
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THE SUNGAS

The Indo-Greeks were known as Yavanas in Indian literature

The Indo-Greek kingdoms dissolved in about 10 CE following conquests by IndoScythians

Indo-Greeks were the first to issue gold coins in India

Heliodorus was the Ambassador of the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas to the court of
BhaghabadraSunga. Heliodorus is famous for erecting the Heliodorus Pillar at
Sanchi, in honour of god Vasudeva in about 110 BCE

Indo-Greek rule
Alexander the Great invaded Indian in 326 BCE, while retreating left Greek

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satrapies in the northwest

Alexander also established Greek colonies in Bactria (central Asia)

In about c. 180 BCE, following the collapse of the Mauryan Empire, the Greco-

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The Indo-Greek king Menander I (c. 155 130 BCE) embraced Buddhism under the

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Bactrian king Demetrius I invaded northwest India and established Indo-Greek rule
sage Nagasena

Menander I, also known as Milinda, was the most successful Indo-Greek king

The MilindaPanha is a Buddhist text that records a conversation between Menander

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and his sage Nagasena

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Most coins in Greek India were bilingual Greek and Pali

In addition to traditional Greek religion, the Indo-Greeks practiced Buddhism,


Hinduism and Zoroastrianism

Their rule introduced features of Hellenistic art in India, which later developed into

Gandhara art

THE SUNGAS
THE INDO-SCYTHIANS
About Indo-Scythians

The Indo-Scythians were a branch of Scythians that migrated from southern Siberia
into Bactria, Afghanistan and northwest India

Indo-Scythian rule in India was established around c. 200 BCE and ended around
400 CE

The first ruler was Maues (Moga) while the last was Rudrasimha III (who belonged
to the Western Satraps)

Indo-Scythians migrated and invaded India following their nomadic flight from

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Central Asia due to conflict with Chinese tribes


Scythian invasions from Central Asia had profound effect not only on India, but also

The Sakas were a particular tribe of Indo-Scythians. However, in Indian literature

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all Indo-Scythians came to be known as Sakas

The Junagarh inscription written in 150 CE is the first major inscription to be written

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on Bactria, Parthia and Rome

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in Sanskrit. It was written by the Saka ruler Rudra Daman I

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Indo-Scythian rule

Indo-Scythians were Buddhists and followed Indo-Greek practices to a large extent

Indo-Scythian holdings in India were divided mainly into four regions:

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Sind

Gandhara and Punjab

Northern Satraps (around Mathura)

Western Satraps (around Gujarat)

The Bimaran Casket, one of the earliest representations of the Buddha, is attributed
to Indo-Scythian king Azes II (around 15 BCE)

The Mathura Lion Capital (1st century CE) is also attributed to the Indo-Scythians

THE SUNGAS

THE INDO-PARTHIANS

The Indo-Parthians were a branch of Parthians that ruled northwestern India in the
first century CE

They ruled present day Afghanistan, Pakistan and Haryana, Punjab and Kashmir
from about 12 BCE to about 100 CE
The Indo-Parthian kingdom was established by Gondophares I

The empire began to fragment following his death

Their main religion was Zoroastrianism

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THE KUSHANAS

The Kushan Empire ruled Bactria, western China and much of northern India in the

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About the Kushana

1st to 3rd centuries CE

The Kushans were an Indo-European people based in Bactria and western China.

They belonged to the Yuezhi tribal confederation, which was forced out from

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western China, and moved into Scythian realms in Bactria. Consequently, the

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towards Parthia and Rome

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Scythians were forced out and migrated southwards to India and westwards
The Kushan Empire was founded by KujulaKadphises in about c 60 CE

The rule of Kanishka

Kanishka was the most important Kushana ruler (127 CE 151 CE)

The Kushana Empire reached its maximum extent under Kanishka it extended
from north of the Oxus (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan) to Mathura, including northwest
India and Kashmir

His main capital was at Peshawar, with supplementary capitals at Taxila, Bagram
(Afghanistan) and Mathura

Kanishka convened the Fourth Buddhist Council in about 100 CE in Kashmir

The advisor of Kanishka was a Buddhist monk called Asvaghosha

THE SUNGAS

The Rabatak inscription at Rabatak in Afghanistan is attributed to Kanishka. The


inscription, written in Bactrian and Greek, gives remarkable clues regarding the
lineage of the Kushan dynasty
The KanishkaStupa at Peshawar was established by Kanishka. The base of the
stupa contained the Kanishka Casket, which contained three bone fragments of the
Buddha. The relics of the Buddha are now in display in Mandalay, while the casket

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itself is housed at the Peshawar Museum

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