432 Notice of an ancient Hindu coin [Sept. 



That the Greeks did send as a subsidiary force to the assistance of 

 Chandragupta, son of Nanda, Raja of the Prachi, I believe no one 

 doubts : and contrasting all circumstances on the subject within our 

 knowledge, we may fairly presume, that the services of this subsidiary, 

 were paid by a grant of land (Jaedad) . 



In Conder's " Modern Traveller," speaking of these times, after re- 

 lating the death of the aged Nanda by poison (given by his minister 

 Sacatara), he proceeds, vol. vii. page 123. " The crime did not, how- 

 ever, go unpunished ; Sacatara and all his sons, except one, were put 

 to death ; and to secure himself against hostile claimants of the crown, 

 Upadhanwa gave orders for the massacre of all his half brothers, the 

 children of Nanda by different mothers. Chandragupta alone escap- 

 ed, and fled to the court of Parvateswara * Lord of the Mountains' or 

 King of Nepal ; to whom he offered one half of his kingdom if he 

 would assist him in taking the field against his enemy. 



" In conjunction with this powerful ally, aided by a body of Creek, 

 auxiliaries, Chandragupta defeated Upadhanwa with great slaughter 

 under the walls of his capital, the monarch himself being among the 

 slain, and took possession of the throne of his father. His promise to 

 Parvateswara was now disregarded. He retained a large body of 

 Yavans or Greeks in his pay, and fortifying his capital, set his enemies 

 at defiance." 



Concluding the Greek auxiliaries were paid by a grant of land, as 

 by agreement the Nepalis were to have been, and at the period Chan- 

 dragupta sought Greek assistance, he could have had no other means 

 of paying them. Considering also, that the high estimation they were 

 held in, caused them to be retained after the object, which brought 

 them to Pryag, was accomplished, we may naturally conclude that 

 the " Jaedad" granted to this subsidiary was very considerable. 



The value of the services of the Greeks had been shewn, 1st, in the 

 aid lent in placing Chandragupta on the throne of his ancestor; 2ndly, 

 in enabling the newly made king to retain that half of his territory, 

 which he had pledged in case of success as a recompense to the Lord 

 of the Hills. 



These were services already performed : and to people, who had 

 proved themselves so useful in his recently acquired kingdom, Chan- 

 dragupta, must for every reason, have given a substantial proof of his 

 consideration. The marriage of Chandragupta to the daughter of Seleu- 

 cus*, must have added strength to the position of the Greeks amongst 



* Todd in his Rajast'han, vol. i. p. 671, makes Seleucus marry the daugh- 

 ter of Chandragupta, instead of Chandragupta marrying a daughter of Se- 

 leucus. This is evidently an oversight. 



