A le x a n d e r a n d tlie v o y ag e o f N e a rc h u s h a d m o re im p o rta
n t re s u lts . T h e M aced o n ian c o n q u e ro r n e v e r re a c h e d th e
S u tlej : th e a lta r e re c te d , a t th e lim it ofi'his p ro g re ss, “was
on th e Bey as, th e H y p h a sis, or. th e u n ite d c h a n n e l o f th e
Bey as a n d th e S u t l e j ; h u t h is su ccessors c a rrie d on w a rs
a n d m a d e tre a tie s w ith some o f th e In d ia n so v ereig n s, a n d
from o h e o f th e embassies ~sent to . th e c o u rt-o f S an d ra -
c o ttu s o r C h a n d ra g u p ta , k in g o f th e P ra s ii, we d e riv e m u c h
in fo rm a tio n re sp e c tin g "the c o u n try , w ith a d e sc rip tio n o f
th e p e o p le a n d o f th e su b d iv isio n s o f In d ia n society m u c h
m o re a c c u ra te th a n c o u ld h a v e b e en e x p e c ted .
I t is w e ll k n ow n th a t th e G re e k colony, fo u n d ed b y A le x a
n d e r in B a c tria , S u b sisted fo r some ag es, a n d re c e n t dis-
coveries"haVe p ro v ed th a h iits fate b e c am e in te rw o v e n w ith
v e ry im p o rta n t e v e n ts in th e h is to ry o f In d ia . T h e an c ie n ts
h a v e le f t u s im p e rfe c t a c co u n ts q f^ th e ev en ts which* b e-
f e l - t h i s co lo n y , co n sistin g a lm o st so lely som eT b r ie f
n o tic e s in th e w o rk s-o f B tra b b jtn d J u s t i n . I t seems-that th e
G re e k s o f B a c tria because in d e p e n d e n t o f th e -S e le u c idm
a b o u t th e tim e w h en th e P a r th ia n s e sta b lish e d th e irIp ow e r
in P e rs ia .* T h e o d o tu s was th e firs t in d e p e n d e n t king« o f
B a c tria , in th e y e a r tw o h u n d re d a n d fifty .b e fo re ^G h rist.
H e i s re p re se n te d b y J u s tin as re ig riin g o v er .one. th o u s a n d
c itie s. H is su ccessors e x te n d e d th e ir sway o v e r th e neigh*
b o u rin g co u n trie s. In th e c o u rse o f a few g e n e ra tio n s th e 1
G r e e k co lo n y , ow in g to th e n a tu r a l re so u rc e s o f th e counM
try , h a d become so p o p u lo u s a n d so p ow e rfu l, th a t its sov
e re ig n s w e re en ab le d , as we a re a ssu re d b y S tra b o o n th e
a u th o r ity o f A p o llo d o ru s o f A rtem ita , to re d u c e u n d e r
th e i r s c e p tre n o t o n ly A ria n a b u t m an y p a r ts o f In d ia .
T h ey a re said to h av e co n q u ered m o re n um e ro u s tribes~than
A le x a n d e r h im s e lf h a d overcome. T h e B a c tria n k in g
M e n a n d e r p assed th e H y p an is a n d a d v an c ed e a stw a rd as
far; a s th e Isamusf, w h ich some su p p o se to b e th e J um n a .
T h e G re e k s m u s t th e n h a v e c o n q u e re d a ll th e w e ste rn
* Bitter, Erdkunde, 5.—Plinii, Hist, Nat., lib. 6, e. 17.
tF o r Hypanis and Isamus Lassen proposes to substitute Hyphasis and
Jomanes, tlie Beyas and the Jumnai-^-See Lassen’s Griechisehe der Iado-
Skyth. Kon., p., 231.
p a r t o f H in d u s ta n . “ Th ese c o n q u e sts,” says S tra b o , “ w ere
ob tain ed p a rtly b y M e n a n d e r, a n d in p a r t b y , D em e triu s,
son o f t h e i B a c tria n k in g E u th y d em u s . T h ey n o t o n ly su b d
u e d P a tta le n e ,” th e D e lta o f th e In d u s below T a tta , “ b u t
th e c o a s t te rm e d T e ssa rio sto n , a n d th e k in g d om o f S e g e ste s.”
T h ey e x te n d e d th e ir p ow er as fa r as th e S y ri a n d th e P h a u n i.
Th ey h a d th e cities o f B a c tria s itu a te d on a riv e r o f th e
same name?.which flows in to th e O x u s, a n d m an y o th e rs,
am o n g .which w as E u c ra tid ia , n am e d a fte r its so v e re ig n .
T h e G re e k s divided:, th is ex ten siv e c o u n try in to sa tra p ie s,
tw o 'o f w h ich w ere c o n q u e re d from th em by th e P a r th ia n s .
T h ey also ^possessed? So g d ian a b e tw e e n th e O x u s w h ic h
div id es th e B a c tria n s from th e -So g d ian s, a n d th e riv e r
J a x a rte s w h ic h s e p a ra te s th e S o g d ian s from th e N om a d e s.”
T h e J a x a r te s h a d b e e n th e n o rth e rn b o u n d a ry o f th e P e rs ia n
em p ire , a n d o n i t w e re se v e ra l f cities. b u ilt b y C y ru s a n d
o th e r P-eTsi-dn k in g s .*
A ll th e in fo rm a tio n which.’th e an c ie n ts h av e le ft respect-*
in g id h e -B a e tr ia b G re e k s has* b een c a re fu lly c o lle c te d b y
P ro fe sso r. Lassefe, w h o h a s made, th e h is to ry o f th is k in g d om
a n d tCd d y n a sty which -su cceed ed to i t th e su b je c t o f a le a rn ed,
a n d •elafcuafee t r e a t i s e -A ccording to.- th e ;re s e a r c h e s o f
L a ssen th c c o n q u e s ts o f th e G re e k k in g s .o f B a c tria extended-
over. A ria n a , th a t is th e c o u n try o f th e Paropamisadae, A ra -
chosia, a n d G ed ro sia; w h ic h in c lu d e s , K a b d l a n d a g r e a t
p a r t o f B a lu c h ista n seco n d ly , o v e r,c o u n trie s ly in g to th e
n o rthw a rd o f S o g d ian a, w h e r e ’fin d e r th e n am e o f S e ric a
o r th e la n d ip f th e §efes-w<e a re tq u n d e rs ta n d , c e rta in ly n o t
C h in a , b u t th e Issed o n S e ric a o f P to lem y , e ith e r K a sh g a r
o f Y a rk ia n g ; th ird ly y J n th e ^direction o f In d ia , c o u n trie s
re a c h in g b ey o n d th e H y p h a sis,. th e la s t riv e r-se en b y A le x a
n d e r, tow a rd s th e J um n a and*down the, In d u s , th e D e lta o f
P a tta le n e a n d thejsea-jcoast o f S u ra s tra o r G u z e r a t.f
I t is m o re im p o rta n t to th e su b je c t o f th e s e re s e a rc h e s to
no tiee' th e 'b irfe um s ta n c e s -c o n n e c te d w ith th e fa ll o f th is
*'^trat)o, IT b .lii p.' 517.
t Lassep, Geschiehl^ der Griechischeii a ^ Indo-skytbischen Konige, in
Baktrien, K&btij, und indien.-^Bonn,48§8.—See also, the later and more,elaborate
*f Ariana Antiqna” .of Professor Wilson. .