184
ing in lotuses.” Prakrit, Pukkalaoti , whence the Peucelaotis of Arrian. ) This was the western capital of Gandhara (cf. Strabo, XV, 26-8; Arrian, Anabasis, IV, xxii ; lndica, IV; Lassen, II, 858 j, the modern Charsadda, 17 miles N. E. of Peshawar, on the Suwat River.
47. Bucephalus Alexandria. — This is identified by Vincent Smith (op. at., 62) with the modern town of Jhelum. (See under § 41. ) Its position is marked by an extensive mound west of the present settlement. The mound is known as Pindi , “the town, ” and yields large ancient bricks and numerous Graeco-Bactrian coins- Its position at a ferry on the high-road from the west to the Indian inte- rior gave it great commercial importance.
47. Warlike nation of the Bactrians. — This passage, with its reference to Graeco-Bactrian coins current in Barygaza, presents a view of Indian history which does not appear in any other contempo- rary work. The sequence of events in Bactria during the four cen- turies between Alexander and the Periplus, which is fully set forth by Vincent Smith (op. cit., IX, X) is summarized as follows:
The Empire of Alexander was broken up at his death and the whole Eastern section from Syria to India fell to Seleucus, one of his generals. The Indian conquests were lost immediately, but the inter- vening country remained under Greek control for nearly 100 years under Antiochus Theos. The two northeastern provinces of Parthia and Bactria revolted. The Parthians, an Asiatic race akin to the Turks, setup for themselves, and built up a military power which later absorbed the country beyond the Euphrates. The Bactrian country, which was then populous and productive, remained under the govern- ment of Greek princes, and its independence was finally recognized in 208 B. C. The Greek monarchs in Bactria immediately set about enlarging their domains by striving to gain an outlet to the sea through the Indus Valley. In 190 B. C. Demetrius conquered the whole Indus Valley and that part of Afghanistan lying around the modern Cabul.
During his absence in India a relative, Eucratides, revolted and Demetrius returned hbme but his name does not reappear. From 160 to 156 there seems to have been anarchy in Bactria which ended in the assassination of Eucratides by his son Apollodotus, whose reign seems to have been very short.
In the years 155-153 a Greek King Menandei, apparently a brother of Apollodotus, whose capital was Cabul, annexed the entire Indus Valley, the peninsula of Suras'ntra (Syrastrene) and other terri- tories on the western coast; occupied Mathura; besieged Madhya- mika (now Nagari near Chitor), and threatened the capital, Patali-
