South Asia, and more precisely the modern state of India, has experienced several invasions throughout its history. Many famous military generals left their mark in the territories of South Asia. Alexander the Great also attacked north western India, in 326 BCE. He established several Greek colonies, and left some of his generals and soldiers to settle and rule his Indian and Central Asian conquests. These Greek generals and their successors are known as Indo-Greeks. They ruled roughly during the period between mid-3rd century BCE, when Diodotus I established an independent kingdom, to early 1st century BCE when they were overwhelmed by the Parthians and the Shakas.
Their rule extended over a vast part of central Asia and north western South Asia. It included the modern areas of Afghanistan, north western part of Pakistan, the Indian provinces of Kashmir and Punjab. There were several dynasties and over 40 rulers of the Indo-Greek lineage who ruled during that era. Surprisingly, the main source of information about the reign of these numerous Kings is the numismatic evidence.
The Indo-Greek coins initiated a new phase in the history of South Asian coinage. These coins had elaborate details about their issuing authority. The name, the issuing year of the coin and a portrait of the reigning King were die-struck on the metal pieces with precision.
The coins which circulated in the north of the Hindu Kush Mountains were mainly made of gold, silver, copper and nickel. They were struck according to Attic weight standard. The obverse of the coins carried the portrait of the issuing monarch, and the reverse hosted images of Greek Gods and Goddesses. The name of the monarch and his royal titles were also mentioned in the reverse in Greek.
The coins which circulated in the south of the Hindu Kush bear a more Indian touch. They were mostly made of silver and copper. Most of these coins are round, while some of them are square. These coins were struck according to Indian weight standard. They bear the royal portrait on the obverse, but their reverse was marked with Indian religious symbols rather than Greek ones. This type of coins also carried bilingual and bi-script inscriptions using the Greek and Prakrit languages; and Greek and Kharosthi or Brahmi scripts.
The Indo-Greek coins have been found in large numbers in modern-day Afghanistan. The largest number of coins was discovered from Gardez. This hoard is known as the Mir Zakah hoard. It yielded 13,083 coins, among which 2,757 were Indo-Greek. Other major finds are the hoard found at Khisht Tepe near Qunduz and the coins found during excavations in the city of Ai-Khanoum.
The Indo-Greek coins are an essential source of ancient Indian history. Out of the 42 Indo-Greek Kings who ruled, 34 are known only through their coins. Coins of such kings as Menander depicted them slowly progressing from adolescence to old age- an indication of their long reigns. The high standard of coinage set by the Indo-Greeks worked as a model for several other Indian dynasties for a very long period of time. The representation of Indian religious figures and symbols in the Indo-Greek coins has a greater significance for the cultural history of South Asia. This illustrated the syncretism of the Indo-Greek rulers. A sort of cultural and religious fusion between India and Greece can be traced from these coins.
EDITED FROM: coin-competition.eu
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