Meander

Indo-Greek Rulers – Menander I (165 BCE- 145 BCE)

✔️Menander I Soter was also known as Minedra, Minadra, or Milinda (in Pali).

✔️He was initially a king of Bactria. His empire extended from Kabul river valley in the west to the Ravi River in the east, and from Swat valley in the north to Arachosia (Helmand in Afghanistan).

✔️According to some Indian sources, he went as far as Rajasthan and Pataliputra.

✔️He converted to Buddhism and patronised the faith.

✔️He died in 130 BC and was succeeded by his son Strato I.

✔️The Milinda Panha (composed around 100 BC) records a dialogue between Milinda and the Buddhist sage Nagasena. Originally written in Sanskrit, only the Pali version is available now. In the work, Milinda is described as a wise, learned, and able king. At the end of it, Milinda accepts Buddhism and converts.

Coins of Indo-Greeks

✔️The following points are important to remember for UPSC Prelims:↴↴

✔️Coins circulated to the north of Hindu Kush region during the rule of Indo-Greeks

✔️There were gold, silver, copper and nickel coins

✔️The coins had greek legends

✔️The Indo-Greek coins had royal portraits on the obverse and greek deities (Zeus, Apollo, and Athena) on the reverse.

Coins circulated to the south of Hindu Kush region during the rule of Indo-Greeks 🪙

✔️There were silver and copper coins (mostly in square shape)

✔️Indian weight standards were followed in the making of these coins.

✔️They had bilingual inscriptions – Greek and Kharoshthi

✔️On the obverse of the coin, royal portraits were present and on the reverse, religious symbols (mostly Indian in inspiration) were present