854. j Coins of Indian Buddhist Satraps. 697 



2r/)aT>7yo9, shows that he commanded a body of troops amongst whom 

 some traces of Greek discipline still remained. Whether the victori- 

 ous Hindu general was a mere soldier of fortune, or a tributary chief 

 who furnished a stated quota of troops, and who had led his own 

 clan to victory, can only be conjectured. But the prominent fact 

 of his issue of coinage which in the east has always been one of 

 the most highly-cherished prerogatives of a king, speaks strongly 

 in favour of the royalty of Aswavarma. It is possible that he may 

 have considered the foreign title of Strategos as a higher distinction 

 than his native rank of Raja, or satrap ; or he may have waived the 

 publication of his royal title out of deference, or in obedience, to 

 his paramount sovereign Azas, the great king of kings. 



The title of Strategos proves also that the Bactrian Greeks had 

 introduced into India their own military grades, as well as their 

 discipline, in the same manner as the British have since done. The 

 extent of the Greek dominion and influence in the Punjab are only 

 now beginning to be understood. In my account of the temples 

 of Kashmir, I have stated my opinion that their pillars and ovolo 

 mouldings owed their origin to the influence of Grecian art. Since 

 then, Dr. Stevenson* has made known three different inscriptions 

 from the western caves, which record the name of a Greek architect, 

 The name is variously written as Dhanukakata, Thenuhahata, Dha- 

 nuhaTcadha which Dr. "Wilson supposed to represent the Greek 

 ®€oj/ikos. Dr. Stevenson prefers HevoKpa-n^ ; but I think that the 

 native transcript would be more fairly represented by AecvoKpar^s, 

 which was besides the name of the celebrated architect of Alexander 

 the Great. 



Figs. 21 and 22. — Round copper coins of middle size, generally 

 attributed to Azas. They are always of very rude style, and speci- 

 mens with even a few legible characters are extremely rare. See 



* Journal, Bombay Branch Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. V. p. 157. There are 

 numerous verbal emendatious which I think might be made in Dr. Stevenson's 

 translations ; — but I will only at present draw his attention to the opening of No. 

 5 inscription from Junir, which he reads Isi mala sdminobhaya. Now the first 

 letter, which he takes for a peculiar form of the Swastika, is undoubtedly Gri, and 

 the second, which he makes an initial i, is the figure 3, the opening being Gri: 3 

 or " three houses," to which I presume the inscription refers. 



4 y 2 



