Coin of the young King Sophytes (305-294 BC)

Coin of the elderly King Sophytes (305-294 BC)

Sophytes seems to have been a Greek prince that ruled a kingdom in northwestern India, extending over the Salt Range, around Saubhuta and Phegelas (in today's Punjab in Pakistan), from 305 to 294 BCE. Though the history of the region appears to agree with this 11 year reign, the apparent age difference of Sophytes himself as he is portrayed on his coins, has suggested a number of different possible regnal extents. Among the prevailing theories, are that the change in age is representative of Sophytes' actual aging process, or that the "young" issues were actually stylized. In the first case, his reign may have extended as a vassal, while in the second case it probably would have ended with the conquests of either the Seleucid King or the Mauryan King Chandragupta who the former had ceded many of his Eastern possessions to. General Alexander Cunningham and other classical numismatists have also confirmed that he probably copied his coin types from Seleucus I, suggesting that his reign would have extended at least beyond Seleucus' initial Eastern conquests. Coin from the COIN INDIA site [1], usage allowed for non-commercial purposes according to page [2]. The home page of the site is: [3] This work is copyrighted. ... Coin from the COIN INDIA site [1], usage allowed for non-commercial purposes according to page [2]. The home page of the site is: [3] This work is copyrighted. ... Image File history File links Elderlysophytes. ... Image File history File links Elderlysophytes. ... The Punjab or Panjab (Punjabi: Shahmukhi Script: پنجاب, Gurmukhi Script: ਪੰਜਾਬ; Urdu: پنجاب; Hindi: पंजाब) province of Pakistan is the countrys most populous region and is home to the Punjabis and various other groups. ... Events May 1 - Diocletian and Maximian, emperors of Rome, retire from office. ... Events Tuoba Lu Guan succeeds Tuoba Fu as chieftain of the Chinese Tuoba tribe. ... The Seleucid Empire was one of several political states founded after the death of Alexander the Great, whose generals squabbled over the division of Alexanders empire. ... The Mauryan empire (321 to 185 BCE), at its largest extent around 230 BCE. The Mauryan empire was Indias first great unified empire. ... This article deals with the fourth century BC founder of the Maurya dynasty. ... Sir Alexander Cunningham (23 January 1814–28 November 1893) was an English archaeologist and army engineer, known as the father of the Archaeological Survey of India. ... Seleucus I (surnamed for later generations Nicator, in Greek:Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ) (c. ...

The origin of Sophytes has been subject to a great deal of speculation, with Indian origin at one end of the spectrum and Greek at the other. Cunningham identifies him with the Indian King Fobnath of "Sangala," (a name some read as "Saka-town") while A.C.L. Carlleyle connects him with the same king's son Suveg, which is more likely in light of the indentification of Fobnath as a royal title rather then a name; potentially making him a Madra of Saka/Iranian origin. Cunningham believes the Sobii and Kathaei to have been his subjects, whom he asserts were Turanians, making them of the same stock as the Saka or Indo-Scythians. It is interesting to note that Sagala was the capital of the later Indo-Greek dynasty of Menander I for several generations, and that Menander himself struck several coins with a similar reverse, suggesting that his dynasty inherited the older king's mints when he took the city for himself. Madra or Madraka is the name of an ancient region and its inhabitants, located in the north-west division of ancient Indian sub-continent. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Early anepigraphic coinage of the Indo-Scythians (c. ... Maximum extent of Indo-Greek territory circa 175 BCE. The Indo-Greeks (or sometimes Greco-Indians) designate a series of Greek kings, who invaded and controlled parts of northwest and northern India from 180 BCE to around 10 BCE. They are the continuation of the Greco-Bactrian dynasty of Greek... Tetradrachm of Menander I in Greco-Bactrian style (Alexandria-Kapisa mint). ...

John D. Grainger however, and the majority of modern authors identify him as a Greek dynast; Frank L. Holt speculating that he was a mercenary captain who minted coins simply to meet the needs of his troops. In light of his coin type, he may have been a local official, installed (although he may have been an older official, reinstated or simply recognized) by Seleucus after he took the region. Frank Lee Holt is a professor of ancient history at the University of Houston, and is a world reknowned expert on ancient military and classical history, in particular on classical Greece and Rome. ...

The apparent similarity in nomenclature has also led some to engineer a more fanciful story, describing him as born from the union between Alexander the Great and Princess Dkhti, daughter of prince Subhuti (Sophytes is often read as the Greek form of Subhuti, Sambhuti, Saubhuti, etc), one of the ten major disciples of the Shakyamuni Buddha. Alexander the Great (in Greek , transliterated Megas Alexandros), (July 356 BC – June 11, 323 BC), King of Macedon (336–323 BC), is considered one of the most successful military commanders in world history, conquering most of the world known to the ancient Greeks before his death. ... Subhuti (Chn: 須菩提) was one of the Buddha Shakyamunis Ten Major Disciples, a contemporary of such famous arhats as Sariputra, Mahakasyapa, Maudgalyayana, and Vimalakirti. ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE. Gautama Buddha was a South Asian spiritual leader who lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE. Born Siddhartha Gautama in Sanskrit, a name meaning descendant of Gotama whose aims are achieved/who is efficacious in achieving aims, he...

Alexander the Great (in Greek , transliterated Megas Alexandros), (July 356 BC – June 11, 323 BC), King of Macedon (336–323 BC), is considered one of the most successful military commanders in world history, conquering most of the world known to the ancient Greeks before his death. ... Silver coin depicting the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius (r. ...

References

• "Hellenism in Ancient India", Gauranga Nath Banerjee, Munshiram Manoharlal.
• "Archaeological Survey of India - Report of Tours in the Central Doab and Gorakhpur in 1874-75 and 1875-76", A.C.L. Carrleyle and Maj. General Arthur Cunningham, Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing.
• "Symbols: Their Migration and Universality", Count Eugene Goblet D'Alviella, Dover Publications.
• "The Greeks in Bactria and India", Sir W. W. Tarn, Ares Publishers.
• "A Seleukid Prosopography and Gazetter", John D. Grainger, Brill.
• "Thundering Zeus: The Making of Hellenistic Bactria", Frank L. Holt, University of California Press.

External links

• Coins of King Sophytes