Impact of Central Asian Conquests

 The coming of the foreigners established intimate contacts between central Asia and India. The turn of the millennium had been a period of central Asian intervention in the history of Northern India that took the form of conquest, migrations and commerce.

  • · The second Greek conquest of India of Demetrius, Eucratides and Menander penetrated deep into the Indian Territory with the obvious purpose of setting up an empire.
  • India and China were brought closer through the interlinking Oases and through Kushana territory bordering both
  • The Sakas and the Kushanas strengthened the idea of the Divine origin of kingship. The Indo Greek kings and the Kushanas took exalted titles ‘Rajadhiraja’ (king of kings), ‘Daivaputra’ (son of heaven), Soter (Savior) and Kaisara (caesor). The Kushanas introduced the Satrap system of Government where as the Greeks followed the practice of military Governship.
  • The Sakas and Kushanas added new ingredients to Indian culture and enriched it immensely. They settled in India for good and completely identified themselves with its culture. Since most of them came as conquerors, they were absorbed in to Indian society as a warrior class i.e., Kshatriyas
  • Given the territorial span of the contact, and the intermingling of people, royal patronage had to extend to variety of religions-Buddhism, Jainism, Bhagavata and Saiva sects, Zoroastrianism and Hellenistic cults. The foreign princes also patronized and cultivated the Sanskrit literature
  • The Indo-Greek rule is important in the history of India because of the large number of coins which can be definitely attributed to the kings. It is significant that the Kushanas were the first rulers in India to issue Gold coins on a wider scale
  • The foreign princes became enthusiastic patrons of Indian Art and Architecture. The Greek rule is memorable on account of the introduction of Hellenistic art features in the north-western India. Indian craftsmen came into contact with the Greeks and the Romans, especially in the north-western frontier of India in Gandhara. The Kushanas brought together masons and other artisans trained in different schools and countries. This gave rise to several schools of Art: Central Asian Art, Gandhara Art and Mathura Art

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