Location in Ancient India
Yavanas were described to be beyond Gandhara. There was another country mentioned in the epic as Parama Yona, in the far west of Yavana. This could be the Ionia of Greece, somehow related to Indian Ionians or Yavanas. The name Yavana could be the Sanskritized form of the name Ionia. Yavanas, Sakas, Pahlavas and Hunas were sometimes described as Mlechhas. Sometimes along with them, the Madras, Kambojas, Kekeyas, Sindhus and Gandharas were included. This name was used to indicate their cultural differences with the Vedic culture, prevailed in the Kuru-Panchala Kingdoms.
"... in the ports of southern India, where the early Tamil poems of uncertain date speak of a settlement of the Yavanas."(1) The same author (2) does not follow the assumption that Yavanas were Roman traders, although she points out that between the first-second cent BC up to and included the third-fourth cent AD, rightly or wrongly "the term yavana denoted an Ionian Greek".(3) On pages 83–5 she makes mention of early Indian literature where foreigners were dubbed "yavana", and points to an Asokan inscription where a border-people is given this appellation. In central and western India, she says, Yavana "figure prominently as donors to the Buddhist Sangha".(4)
(1) H.P.Ray, The Winds of Change, Delhi, 1994:49, 84; (2) ibid p. 52; (3) ibid p. 54; (4) ibid p. 84
Read more about this topic: Yavana Kingdom
Famous quotes containing the words ancient and/or india:
“Do not remove the ancient landmark that your ancestors set up.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Proverbs 22:28.
“India has 2,000,000 gods, and worships them all. In religion other countries are paupers; India is the only millionaire.”
—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (18351910)