Persian and Greek Invasions of Ancient India

Introduction

The Persian and Greek Invasion was one of the key historical places in ancient India. The former group took the charge to invade India, and later by the latter.

Image 1 − India under Maurya rule c. 250 BCE

India had a huge diversity in terms of culture since the ancient age and most of the cultures were adapted from the external parts of India. Macedonian Greek and Persian citizens were attracted by the culture of the country and they wanted to become a part of the diversity. People like Persian and Greeks were also attracted by the wealth of India, especially in the Ancient age.

The Persian Invasion

Cyrus first attacked in the northwest part of India and he was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. He was the ruler of ancient Iran and he attacked during a time of political misbalance in the northwest part of India. India was divided into various small kingdoms like, Madra, Gandhara, Kamboja and many more. The small kingdoms constantly fought with each other.

Bimbisara was the ruler of Magadha and he was from the Haryanka dynasty. Cyrus was successful to take the control of the Indian tribes in the western part. He won the western part of India as well as he took over the control of Gandhara.

Cyrus’s grandson Darius I also attacked India and took control over Sindh and Punjab. Son of Darius I, Xerxes, failed at invading India because of the Greek attack.

Persian Invasion: Effects

The Persian Invasion was very impactful for commerce and trade between the two nations. The Indo-Iranian contacts and trade lasted for more than two hundred years. The Iranian coins were founded in the northwest part of India and it was the proof of the trade between the two nations.

The Kharosti script that was adapted from Persian culture also found in the northern part of India. Asoka the great ruler of India also wrote some inscriptions in the Kharosti script. The Kharosti script developed from another script that was called the Aramaic script. The different types of scripts that were adapted from Persian culture were written from the right to the left side.

Inscriptions on the rock were very famous in the third century and the ruler the great Ashoka was greatly influenced by the inscriptions. The Persian ruler Darius invented the inscriptions on the rocks and Asoka admired them.

The Persian influence was impactful on the monuments at the time of the Asoka. Especially the capitals made in bell-shaped, the preamble and many more architectural works made with Persian influences.

Overview of the Greek Invasion

Alexander was the first among the Greeks to attack the northern part of India. The son of Philip of Macedonia, Alexandar headed the throne in 336 BCE. The Mauryas dynasty ruled over the northern part of India during the invasion time. Greeks and Iranians are scuffling for supremacy in the 4th Century BCE.

The divisions and quarrels between kingdoms made weaker the Mauryas dynasty and it made a good opportunity for attack. The invasions were impactful because they made a direct opportunity for trade between Greece and India. The various types of opportunities and contacts were open because of the invasions.

The invasions helped to open up four new routes one was by land and the other two were by the sea. Craftsman and merchants utilized the new route for business and commercial purposes. The historians kept a record of every invasion detail of Alexander as well as his campaign. The historians were also able to give the information about economic and social conditions of the two nations.

The sale system of poor girls in the marketplace in ancient times and the Sati system were the culture of the northwest part of India. Alexander made a huge profit in India and 200,000 oxen send to his country. Various types of crafts were in huge demand in India and carpentry was one of them.

The boats, Chariots, and ships were in high demand in India, mostly built by Greek carpenters at that time. The ruler became Indo-Greek in the northwest part of India after the invasion of Alexander.

The ruler of India like Chandragupta Maurya and Asoka made some settlements with the Greek rulers. Alexandria in Sindh and Bonkephala were the few areas where ruled by the Greeks after invasions.

Alexander’s Invasion

Image 2 − Journey of Alexander

Alexander was born in the year of 356 BCE and his father was the Philip of Macedonia. He died in the year of 323 BCE and 336 BCE he became a king. The Greeks and Persians fight to prove themselves as a supreme power in the world in the fourth century.

The great warrior control over most parts of Asia along with Iraq and Iran. He also wanted to conquer the whole of India and for that reason; he attacked the northwest parts of India. The Persian king's name was the great warrior defeated Darius III and he captured Babylon. The warrior hugely admired the rich culture of India as well as he was curious about the natural history of the country.

Conclusion

The Greek and Persian invitations were very impactful economically and commercially. Cyrus from Iran first attacked one part of India and their culture gave a deep impact on Indian Culture. The invasions of Persian and Greek were the most significant among all invasions. Cyrus was the first among Persian who attacked the country in 550 BCE. Alexander was famous among the Greeks who attacked the country in 327 BCE. He was first attacked in the northwest part of India in ancient times.

FAQs

Q1.Who was the ruler before the invasions of Alexander?

Ans.The northwest part of India was divided into various small parts because of their internal wars. Taxila was a small kingdom and Ambhi was the ruler of that kingdom.

Q2.Which king did not surrender him during the time of invasions?

Ans.The small kingdom’s rulers were weaker in front of Alexander and Ambhi surrendered himself. Porus the ruler of Jhelum or Hydaspes did not surrender himself and was unsuccessful in war with the great warrior.

Q3.Which place Alexander died?

Ans.The great warrior Alexander died in Babylon during the time of return from the war. The great warrior died in the year of 323 BCE when he was thirty-two years old.