1922.] Madra. 261 
accepted in the Kuru family, which, whatever might be said 
against it, was never famous for heterodoxy. Had the Madra 
country been so black as Karna paints it, such matrimonial 
alliances would not have been possible. Moreover we have 
already seen that Madra at least in the period represented by 
Panini was used as a synonym for bhadra and mangala ; how 
shall we then explain Karna’s attitude ?-—We know that the 
Great Epic grew gradually and it might be that by the time 
this Parting of the Karnaparva was being composed there were 
some foreign invasions and settlements in the Punjab by caste- 
less barbarians such as the Greeks, Sakas or Pahlavas who 
often make their appearances in the Mahabharata, and served 
to lower the position of the once hallowed ‘ Sapta sindhava’ in 
the = es bog the orthodox communities which lay further east. ! 
have we any sure data to prove that the region 
round Sakala was a centre of barbarian invasions? In the 
Milindapatho we read:— 
‘Athi Yonakanam nanapuiabhedanam Sagalan-nama naga- 
ram*... Jambudipe Sagalanagare Milinda nama raja ahosi.’ * 
The identification of Milinda with Menander the Greek 
king is no longer doubted and this helps to corroborate our 
proposition. 
Bat the question is how did the Greeks come to occupy 
Madra? The invasion of Alexander must neve effected 
edicts of Asoka recognised the existence of Greek principalities 
on the northwestern fringe of his empire and we have reason 
to believe that soon after the ‘Sun of the Maurya Rawirs 
had set,’ these principalities gradually advanced their domi- 
nions and some of them at least occupied the Madra country. 
Towards the close of the 3rd century B.C. the Bactrian 
throne was occupied by Euthydémos a native of Magnesia. 
His son esnese succeeded him about the beginning of the 


! Of course it can be contended that the peculiarities in the traits of 
fluences. But then they e due to the survival of the traits of th 
peop mp early vedic community in the Punjab, while 
a different standard of morality and orthodoxy grew up urther —_ 
thus creating a gu tween the two sections of the Indian commun! 
be 
by Trenckner, p. 
Ae of Classical writers _ however a identical with Sakala ; 
Sangala was situated to the east of the Rav , while Sakala was -" Loe 
west. Ind. And, Vol. I, p. 22-23 V. Ataith, Barly History of India, p.7 nee 
5 The Madrakas under the Mauryas appear to hav e been an 
nomous rajasabdopajibi Sarngha. A autilya, p. 378. 
