Indo-Greeks, Sakas and Kushans FAQs

1. Who was the most famous Indo-Greek ruler, also known as Milinda?

2. At which city did Menander have his capital?

3. Who converted Menander to Buddhism?

4. The questions and answers exchanged between Menander and Nagasena were recorded in which text?

5. Consider the following statements regarding the Indo-Greeks: (I) They were the first rulers in India to issue coins that can be definitely attributed to specific kings. (II) They were the first to issue gold coins in India. (III) Their rule led to the introduction of Hellenistic art features on the north-west frontier. Which of the above is/are correct?

6. Who defeated the Sakas in 58 B.C. and started an era named after himself?

7. Who was the most famous Saka ruler in India, known for repairing the Sudarsana lake?

8. Consider the following pairs: (I) Rudradaman I – First long inscription in chaste Sanskrit (II) Vikramaditya – Era starting from victory over the Sakas (III) Kanishka – Buddhist council held in Kashmir Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

9. Which Parthian king is said to have received St. Thomas for the propagation of Christianity in India?

10. The Kushans are also known by which other name?

11. Who founded the first dynasty of the Kushans?

12. Which Kushan king issued a large number of gold coins and spread his kingdom east of the Indus?

13. The house of Kadphises was succeeded by the house of which ruler?

14. Consider the following statements about Kanishka: (I) He started an era in A.D. 78, known as the Saka era. (II) He held a Buddhist council in Kashmir. (III) He extended patronage to the Hinayana form of Buddhism. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

15. Which Kushan ruler's name is a synonym for Krishna, indicating worship of Vishnu?

16. What was the first capital of the Kushans in India, where Kanishka built a monastery and a huge stupa?

17. The Kushan title "king of kings" indicated their supremacy over numerous small princes; from whom did the Kushans adopt the title "sons of god"?

18. The lawgiver Manu classified the Sakas and the Parthians as which social category?

19. The Greek ambassador Heliodorus set up a pillar in honour of which deity near Vidisa?

20. Consider the following statements: (I) Buddhism in its original form was too puritanical and abstract for foreigners. (II) Mahayana Buddhism opened its doors to all sections of the people. (III) Followers of the older sect came to be known as followers of the Hinayana or Small Wheel. Which of the above is/are correct?

21. The new kind of art that arose from contact between Indian craftsmen and the Greeks/Romans in the north-west frontier is known as:

22. Which school of art, though influenced by Gandhara art, was primarily a centre of indigenous art and produced the headless erect statue of Kanishka?

23. Which term, derived from "yavana," came to denote the curtain introduced into Indian theatre by foreigners?

24. The Sanskrit term "horasastra," used for astrology, was derived from which Greek term?

25. Which subjects did the Indians NOT owe anything striking to the Greeks for, despite Greek influence on astronomy and astrology?

26. Consider the following statements regarding trade contacts during this period: (I) India received gold from the Altai mountains in Central Asia. (II) The Kushans controlled the Silk Route passing through their empire to Iran and Western Asia. (III) Embassies were sent from India to the Roman emperor Augustus in A.D. 27-28. Which of the above is/are correct?

27. Roman gold coins were imitated in India by which rulers to produce their own gold coins?

28. Embassies were sent from India to which Roman emperor's court in A.D. 110-20?

29. Which distinctive pottery type, marked by sprinklers and spouted channels, characterized the Saka-Kushan phase?

30. Consider the following statements about administration under the Central Asian rulers: (I) The empire was divided into numerous satrapies, each under a satrap. (II) Hereditary dual rule, with two kings ruling jointly, was introduced. (III) Military governors called strategos were appointed by the Greeks. Which of the above is/are correct?

31. Which Hindu lawgiver stated that the king should be respected even if he is a child, because he is a great god ruling in the form of a human being?

32. Who wrote the Buddhacharita, a biography of the Buddha?

33. Consider the following statements regarding avadana literature: (I) Most avadana texts were composed in Buddhist-Hybrid Sanskrit. (II) Their objective was to preach Mahayana Buddhism to the people. (III) The Mahavastu and the Divyavadana belong to this genre. Which of the above is/are correct?

34. What term did the Kushan kings use to describe themselves, stressing the divine origin of kingship?

35. The Kushan empire in Afghanistan and areas west of the Indus was supplanted in the mid-third century A.D. by which power?

36. At which site in Khorezm has a huge Kushan palace of the third-fourth centuries, housing an administrative archive in Aramaic script and Khorezmian language, been unearthed?

8. Indo-Greeks, Sakas and Kushans