Question

Analyse any two impact of the Greek (Macedonian) invasion on Indian culture in ancient India

Answer 1

Alexander was the first Greek who invaded India. The impact of his invasion on Indian culture can be summed up as:

1. Commercial Impact:

With his invasion, as many as 5 different routes of communication between India and the West were discovered. Out of which 4 were land routes and one was through sea. His voyages and campaigns enlarged the geographical horizon of both the western and eastern peoples.

2. Cultural Impact

Culture knows no racial or geographical frontiers. When used peoples meet each other even in hostility, their contact brings about mutual understanding of cultural values. The Greek invasion of India provided scope for such an exchange.

India was rich in religion and philosophy at the time of the Greek invasion. The Greeks also were the pioneers of Western civilization with a rich philosophy of their own. The historians, scholars and writers who came with Alexander closely observed the Indian philosophical systems and noted them in their descriptions.

Answer 2

The Achaemenid invasion of the Indus Valley refers to the Achaemenid military conquest of territories of North-western regions of the Indian subcontinent. On the basis of the dating of the Bisotun (q.v.) inscription, this conquest can be dated to around 518 BC. Achaemenid penetration into the area of the Indian subcontinent occurred in stages, starting from northern parts of the River Indus and moving southward.