Musanagar brick inscription

. Musanagar Brick Inscription of Devemitra” Provenance? Musanagar, Kanpur district, Uttar pradesh, now in

Bhárat Kal& Bhawan Mugeum, Banaras Hindu University.

UM A king named Devamitya is known from a rare coin preserved in the Indian Museum, Calcutta Ind. Museum cat : Museum Cats, I, Pl. XIX, 18). He flourished among the rulers of — Ayodhya, who issued the Bull and Goose (or Cock) type of coins. pelaeographically assignable to the end of the second Century. २००६ But tbe palaeography of our _ brick inscription is at leash a couple of centuries |earlier: Of the 30 inscribed coins, out of 394 found by Cunningham at Kausambi (See 2५857. ५ X» p4); Sixteen bore the name of Bahasatimitra, two of Devamitra, one of Asyaghosha and three of Jysshthamitra.: Unfortunately Cunningham neither described nor illustrated any of Devamitra’s coins« And these coins are no longer traceable among the collection, which was acquired . by the British Museums , The kings known from Cunningham’s coins flourished from 150 n.C« to 50 Bice, “The palaeogxraphy of the present record places our pevamitra also about the same period. Even rulers of small empires are known to have performed the agvaredha, a. sacrafice in ancient India, eg” Ikshvaku Santamula I, ..Slànkayana PDevavarman. and Kadamba iced ridic I, ail of South India, and the obscure. ruler Silavarman, whose ASvamedha bricks were discovered three kilometers from KAlsi, the site of: A$Sokan rock insoriptions, in Dehradun district, U.P., and seems to have flourished in the second half of the 3rd century A.D« A number of names ending in mitra, ‘and generally referred to as Panohala Mitras, seem to have some affinity with the SüngasS, whom they succeeded in the western Uttar Pradesh.

There was another Greco-Bactrian king Euthydemus from (260 BC – 200 BC) who was founder of the Euthydemid dynasty. Earlier he was a governor of Sogdia. He seized the throne from Diodotus II in 224 BC. Euthydemus expanded the Bactrian territory into Sogdia, & constructed several fortresses, including the Wall of Darbent.

Euthydemus was a Greek from & was the father of Demetrius I. He was the son of a Greek general called Antimachus or Apollodotus, born c. 295 BC. He married the sister of the Greco-Bactrian king Diodotus.

During 208 BC, he was attacked by Antiochus III, whom he tried in vain to resist on the shores of the river Arius (Battle of the Arius), the modern Herirud.

Although he commanded 10,000 horsemen, Euthydemus initially lost a battle on the Arius and had to retreat. He then successfully resisted a three-year siege in the fortified city of Bactra, before Antiochus finally decided to recognize the new ruler. He offered one of his daughters to Euthydemus’s son, Demetrius around 206 BC.

As part of the peace treaty, Antiochus was given Indian war elephants by Euthydemus.

Euthydemus himself, was a native of Magnesia, and he now considered himself to be a defender of Teleas.

He thought that he had never revolted against the king, but after others had revolted he had possessed himself rightfully of the throne of Bactria by destroying their descendants.

Euthydemus sent off his son Demetrius to ratify his agreement with Antiochus.

He considered Antiochus worthy of a royal rank, in the first place, promised to give him one of his daughters in marriage and next gave permission to his father to style himself king

Euthydemus had infact negotiated peace with Antiochus III by suggesting that he deserved credit for overthrowing the descendants of the original rebel Diodotus, and that he was protecting Central Asia from nomadic invasions.

The war lasted altogether three years and after the Seleucid army left, the kingdom seems to have recovered quickly from the assault. The death of Euthydemus has been roughly estimated to 200 BC or perhaps 195 BC. He was succeeded by Demetrius, who went on to invade northwestern regions of South Asia.

Archaeological evidence from coin finds shows that Euthydemus’ reign saw extensive activity at fortresses in northwestern Bactria (the modern Surkhan Darya region of Uzbekistan)

Reference

References? Indo-Greek Coins by Dr M.V D Mohan

The stealite casket inscription of the time of Menander (358-138 BC) is a budhist reliquary from Bajaur tribal territory in Shinkot Bajoutribal territory in south eastern Afghanistan, about 32 kms west of Panjkora.
This casket is probably one of the oldest known inscribed Buddhist relic casket from the area of Gandhara.
This is shinkot Steatite Casket Inscriptions of the time of Menander ( 358 to 138 B.C) and of Vijayamitra, Regnal year 5. Province: Shinkot, Bajaur Tribal Territory in south-eastern Afghanistan, about 32 km west of the Panjkora- Swat confluence. Soript on this inscription is Kharosnthi & Language is Prakrit

On the basis of palaeography, Majumdar has assigned the Group I records in the Second half of the 2nd century B.C. and Gre TI 50 years later in lst century BeCe Vijayamitca of Group II was probably the son or grandson of Viyakamitra, a feudatory of Menander, and was probably identical with the prince named on certain Indo-Scythic coins. His son. Apracharaja Indravarman issued certain coins. The latter’s son, . ASpavarman, was a Strategos, first under the Saka King, and later under the Parthian king Gondophares cf’, his coin legends, Greek rule seems to have weakened at the tima of Vijayamitra, who omits the mention of his overlord. Menander is therefore known from his coins, which are generally bilingual in Greek and Kharoshthi, where his name is given as Menadra.
On his coinage, the full title of king Menander appears as Menadrasa Maharajasa Trataresa “Saviour Great King Menander”.In the Buddhavamea bowl relic (gükra) of the Buddha, is supposed to have been deposited at Vajira, which may have been sent to Bajaur, Vajravati.

. mentioned in the plga pevadvedsna-hel palatal Azkalpalata( B.C. Law Geogr: Essays, 19 TEMPS may Have been its capita.

From the platés in Ep:Ind., XXIV between pp. 6 & 7; : and ep-ind, The third figures is inscribed below tha line. In Brahmi inscriptions this number would be indicated as 10 and 4s. Menander had himself installed this relic, and got sections A,’ A2 and A3 recorded. And about à century later Viyakamitra (Vijayamitra) restored the relic. It implies the Buddhist belief that the Buddha’s. relics were endowed with life, and could perform miracles.

Identified with the father of Apracharaja Indraverman, whose coin legends are available.

This relic, its place having been damaged, is caused to be repaired. Its periodical offering is discontinued not does anybody let the Pitaras get Sraddha, not Pindodka.

31 Majumdar 3

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