Foreign Influence on Ancient IndiaThis is the first book dealing with the foreign influence on ancient India. Discusses the foreign invasions of India by the Achaemenians, Greeks, Sakas, Kushans, Sassanians, Pahlavas and the Hunas, and also the peaceful impact of the Romans on India. The book advances a theory that ancient India never provided any casus belli to the foreigners to attack her. It was India's weakness and an implied confidence in future victories that kept the invaders coming to India one after another. But these foreigners have also influenced India in the field of administration, religion, philosophy, astronomy, language, script, trade and commerce, and above all the way of life of the people of India, which is the main subject of the book. This book suggests that after the partition of this sub-continent, the name `India' which continued to be used for this country is a misnomer when the river INDUS after which the country was so named, went to Pakistan. This book also finds is real nature the matrimonial alliance between Seleucus and Chandra Gupta Maurya and gives possible solutions to some riddles of Indian history. The origin of the name of KIDAR has also been discovered for the first time. The book tells us in a poetic language how ‘the golden age of the Guptas was converted into a molten age of destruction and confusion’ by the Hunas. What remained of our culture after so much turmoil and changes is before us. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The Persian Invasion and its Cultural Influence | 17 |
Alexanders Invasion and its Cultural Impact | 55 |
Greco Bactrain Influence | 81 |
Parthian Influences | 105 |
The Sakas and their Cultural Impact | 118 |
The Kushanas Cultural Contribution | 161 |
The Sassanian Interlude | 192 |
Foreign Influence | 255 |
GENERAL NOTES Alexanders Interview with the Indian Sages | 305 |
Bower Manuscript | 306 |
Hathigumpha InscriptionReference to Demetrius | 307 |
Herodotus 484431 B C | 308 |
Ptolemys Geography | 309 |
Sushruta 2nd century A D | 310 |
311 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Abhiras According Achaemenian Afghanistan Alexander Alexander's ancient India Antiochus appears Asoka Bactria Brahmans Buddha Buddhist capital Central Asia century A.D. Chandragupta Chastana Chinese Christian coinage conquered conquest copper culture Cyrus Darius Demetrius dynasty east emperor empire Eucratides evidence foreign Gandhara gold coins Greek Gujarat Gupta Gurjaras Hindu Hunas impact Indo-Greek Indus influence inscription invaders invasion Iran Iranian Jain Kabul Kabul valley Kadphises Kanishka Kashmir Kharoshthi khshayathiya Kidars kingdom known Kushana Kushana king large number later legend literature Mahabharata Mathura Maues Mauryan Menander mentioned Mihirkula Nahapana North India Parthian Pataliputra period Periplus Persian political probably prove provinces Punjab Purana reference region reign religion religious river Roman Rudradaman ruled rulers Saka era Sakas Sanskrit Sassanian satrap Saurashtra says scholars Scythian Seleucus silver Sindhu Siva Skandagupta South successor suggest Taxila territories Toramana trade tradition tribes Ujjain upto Vasudeva Vedic West Western India Yavana Yue-Chi