Menander I

E445467

Menander I was a prominent 2nd-century BCE Indo-Greek king, renowned for his military conquests in northwestern India and his later depiction as a wise, possibly Buddhist, ruler in classical and Buddhist literature.

All labels observed (3)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Bactrian king ⓘ
Hellenistic ruler ⓘ
Indo-Greek king ⓘ
alsoKnownAs Menander I Soter ⓘ
linked to: Menander I

Milinda ⓘ
associatedWith Sagala kingdom ⓘ
capital Sagala ⓘ
Sialkot region ⓘ
century 2nd century BCE ⓘ
coinageLanguage Greek ⓘ
Kharosthi ⓘ
coinageScript Greek alphabet ⓘ
Kharosthi script ⓘ
coinLegendTitle Basileos Soteros Menandrou ⓘ
coinLegendTitleLanguage Greek ⓘ
culturalContext Greco-Buddhist interaction ⓘ
deathApproximateDate c. 130 BCE ⓘ
deathPlaceHypothesis northwestern India ⓘ
dialogueWith Nagasena ⓘ
dynasty Indo-Greek dynasty ⓘ
linked to: Indo-Greek Kingdoms
epithet Soter ⓘ
epithetMeaning Savior ⓘ
historicalDebate extent of his conversion to Buddhism is uncertain ⓘ
historicalStatus well-attested Indo-Greek ruler ⓘ
knownFor expansion of Indo-Greek territories ⓘ
military conquests in northwestern India ⓘ
patronage or support of Buddhism (traditional view) ⓘ
legacy important figure in Greco-Buddhist tradition ⓘ
model of a just and questioning ruler in Buddhist texts ⓘ
mentionedIn Buddhist literature ⓘ
Milinda Panha ⓘ
classical Greek sources ⓘ
numismaticEvidence extensive coinage across northwestern India ⓘ
politicalRole expander of Hellenistic influence in India ⓘ
portrayedAs philosopher-king ⓘ
predecessor Apollodotus I ⓘ
reignEnd c. 130 BCE ⓘ
reignStart c. 165 BCE ⓘ
religiousAssociation Buddhism ⓘ
religiousDepiction wise Buddhist ruler ⓘ
ruledRegion Gandhara ⓘ
Punjab ⓘ
northwestern Indian subcontinent ⓘ
parts of Bactria ⓘ
successor Agathokleia ⓘ
Strato I ⓘ
title King of the Indo-Greeks ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Indo-Greek Kingdoms → notableRuler → Menander I ⓘ
Strato I → predecessor → Menander I (possible, numismatically inferred) ⓘ
linked to: Menander I
Menander I → alsoKnownAs → Menander I Soter ⓘ
linked to: Menander I
Apollodotus I → succeededBy → Menander I ⓘ