The Bactrian Greeks

Bactria lay in the north eastern part of present day Afghanistan. It bordered the north west of India. After Alexander’s invasion, many Greeks had settled in India. They were known as the indo-Greeks. Meander is the best known indo-Greek king and he is referred to in Buddhist texts. His discussions with nagasena, the Buddhist sage on matters of Buddhism and philosophy are compiling in a book called milinda pantho. The Greek influence in India can be seen in the remains of the art and architecture of the time. Statues have long elegant lines and the architecture is simple and neat without too much ornamentation.