A CURSORY LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF PERSIAN AND GREEK INVASIONS

 

A CURSORY LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF PERSIAN AND GREEK INVASIONS

Since it is not significantly germane to our main theme , we catalogue here the names of some of the Persian and Greek rulers starting from the 6^th century B.C. for which our source is the writings of Greek historians such as Herodotus, Strabo and Arrian. 

Though there had been some trade link between India and Persia in ancient times, the political contact is believed to have commenced with the Persian emperor Cyrus (588-530 B.C.) and it was carried on by the succeeding rulers like Cyrus’s son Cambyses (530-522 B.C.), Darius –I (522-486 B.C.), followed by King Darius-III, also called Darius the Great (381 BC-330 BC) who brought North Punjab under his rule. It is also claimed by some historians that North-Western India inclusive of North Punjab became a part of the Persian empire and remained so till 330 B.C. around the time when Alexander the Great invaded India in 326 BCE.

What is historically important is that the presence of the Persian rulers introduced the Arabic script which later on took the form of Kharoshthi script.

The Persians also influenced Indian Art, Architecture, currency and festivals.  Persian influence on Architecture is event in the rock-inscriptions of Asoka and the palaces of Mauryan emperors.

It is however most significantly noteworthy that the study of Persian language and literature became indispensable during the Mughal Times who made Persian their official language.  This language became a component of the curriculum in schools and colleges and a number of renowned poets and writers of India used this language for social communication and creative writing. Indian poet Mirza Ghalib (1797-1869) is a prominent example of this historical fact. Another very great poet Sir Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) also wrote his philosophical long poems like The Secrets of the Self  in the Persian language.   

As regards Greek rulers beginning with Demetrius I (200-190),  the number is very large,  important among them being  Antimachus I (185-170 BCE), Demetrius II (175-170 BCE), Antimachus II (160-155 BCE), Demetrius III (100 BCE), Apollodotus II (75-70 CE). Strato II, Strato III (25 BCE-10 CE), etc. Around 100 B.C. they had under their rule Taxila, Chiniot, Sialkot, etc. The languages spoken during their reign were Greek, Pali, Sanskrit and Prakrit.  However, unlike Persian, the study of Greek language and literature (except mainly in English translation)  did not continue to interest  the  people at  large, the  intelligentsia and the ruling class. 

The Greek rulers were monarchs and were succeeded by their own sons or any other eligible person of their family hierarchy.

  The influence of the Greek rule was seen in religion and philosophy, languages, symbols, currency and architecture.

  There is also some evidence which shows that the members of the Greek ruling family married  women of the  Indian royal families.

  Lastly, we find that the Indian invasion of Alexander the Great put almost a complete end to the invasions of the Greek rulers.