Yona

The word Yona in Pali and the Prakrits, and the analogue Yavana in Sanskrit, were used in Ancient India to designate Greek speakers.

After Alexander the Great's invasion, the Greek settlements had existed in eastern parts of Achaemenid Empire, northwest of India, as neighbours to the Kambojas.

In the Gandhari original of Rock XIII, the Greek kings to the West are associated unambiguously with the term "Yona": Antiochus is referred as "Amtiyoko nama Yonaraja" (lit.

[10] Another example is that of the Milinda Panha (Chapter I), where "Yonaka" is used to refer to the great Indo-Greek king Menander (160–135 BC), and to the guard of "five hundred Greeks" that constantly accompanies him.

[11] This reference apparently alludes to chaotic political scenario following the collapse of the Maurya and Shunga Empires in northern India and its subsequent occupation by foreign hordes such as of the Yonas, Kambojas, Sakas and Pahlavas.

There are important references to the warring Mleccha hordes of the Shakas, Yavanas, Kambojas, the Pahlavas and others in the Bala Kanda of Valmiki's Ramayana.

Majjhimadesa here means the middle of Greater India which then included Afghanistan, Pakistan and large parts of Central Asia.

On the 110 BCE Heliodorus pillar in Vidisha in Central India, the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas, who had sent an ambassador to the court of the Shunga emperor Bhagabhadra, was also qualified as "Yona".

The Mahavamsa also attests Yona settlement in Anuradhapura in ancient Sri Lanka, probably contributing to trade between East and West.

The men are depicted with short curly hair, often held together with a headband of the type commonly seen on ancient Greek coinage.

The Yavanas or Yonas are frequently found listed with the Kambojas, Sakas, Pahlavas and other northwestern tribes in numerous ancient Indian texts.

and refers to them as the military allies of sage Vishistha against Vedic king Vishwamitra[32] The Kishkindha Kanda of Ramayana locates the Sakas, Kambojas, Yavanas and Paradas in the extreme north-west beyond the Himavat (i.e.

[33] The Buddhist drama Mudrarakshasa by Visakhadutta as well as the Jaina works Parishishtaparvan refer to Chandragupta's alliance with Himalayan king Parvataka.

This Himalayan alliance gave Chandragupta a powerful composite army made up of the frontier martial tribes of the Shakas, Kambojas, Yavanas, Parasikas, Bahlikas etc.

[34] which he may have utilised to aid defeat the Greek successors of Alexander the Great and the Nanda rulers of Magadha, and thus establishing his Mauryan Empire in northern India.

Numerous Puranic literature groups the Yavanas with the Sakas, Kambojas, Pahlavas and Paradas and refers to the peculiar hair styles of these people which were different from those of the Hindus.

Brihatkathamanjari of Kshmendra[39] informs us that king Vikramaditya had unburdened the sacred earth of the Barbarians like the Shakas, Kambojas, Yavanas, Tusharas, Parasikas, Hunas etc.

The terms "Yona", "Yonaka" or "Yavana" literally referred to the Greeks, however "mlechas" was also used probably due to their barbaric behaviour as invaders.

According to Kiernan, "the Pol Pot regime, following French orientalists, mythologized its conflict with Hanoi as part of a millennial ethnic epic"; therefore they altered the meaning of yuon that being misleading implied as savages, foreigners.

The "Yona" Greek king of India Menander (160–135 BCE). Inscription in Greek : Bασιλέως Σωτῆρος Μενάνδρου , lit. "of Saviour King Menander".
Yavana kingdom alongside other locations of kingdoms and republics mentioned in the Indian epics or Bharata Khanda .
The Achaemenid name for Ionian Greeks: Yauna ( Old Persian cuneiform : 𐎹𐎢𐎴 ) in the DNa inscription of Darius the Great , c. 490 BC
Territories "conquered by the Dharma" according to Major Rock Edict No.13 of Ashoka (260–218 BCE). [ 7 ]
The Khalsi rock edict of Ashoka, which mentions the Greek kings Antiochus , Ptolemy , Antigonus , Magas and Alexander by name (underlined in colour). Here the Greek rulers are described as "Yona" ( Brahmi : 𑀬𑁄𑀦, third and fourth letters after the first occurrence of Antigonus in red).
Dedication by a man of Greek descent on a wall of Cave 17 in the Nasik Caves (photograph and rubbing). Detail of the "Yo-ṇa-ka-sa" word (adjectival form of "Yoṇaka", Brahmi : 𑀬𑁄𑀡𑀓𑀲), with Nasik/ Karla -period Brahmi script for reference. Circa 120 CE.
Foreigners on the Northern Gateway of Stupa I.
Left pillar No.9 of the Great Chatya at Karla Caves . This pillar was donated by a Yavana c. 120 CE , like five other pillars. The inscription of this pillar reads: "Dhenukakata Yavanasa/ Yasavadhanana[m]/ thabo dana[m]" i.e. "(This) pillar (is) the gift of the Yavana Yasavadhana from Denukakata". [ 19 ] Below: detail of the word "Ya-va-na-sa" (adjectival form of "Yavana", Brahmi script 𑀬𑀯𑀦𑀲).
Vedika pillar with possible Greek warrior (headband of a king, tunic etc...) from Bharhut . [ 29 ] Bharhut, Madhya Pradesh, Shunga Period, c.100-80BC. Reddish brown sandstone. [ 30 ] Indian Museum , Calcutta .
The façade of the Chaitya Hall at Manmodi Caves was donated by a Yavana, according to the inscription on the central flat surface of the lotus. Detail of the "Ya-va-na-sa" circular inscription in Brahmi script : 𑀬𑀯𑀦𑀲, c. 120 CE . [ 42 ]