Date of Award
Spring 4-28-2020
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
History and American Studies
Department Chair or Program Director
Ferrell, Claudine
First Advisor
Al-Tikriti, Nabil
Major or Concentration
History
Abstract
Ever since western scholars became aware of the Buddhist text the Milindapanha, where a Greek king conversed with a Buddhist monk, a debate has raged over whether Menander, the IndoGreek king identified with the king in the work, did what his counterpart was said to have done and converted to Buddhism. While numismatic and textual evidence has allowed for the placement of Menander to within the middle of the second century BCE, where the elements for such a conversion would have existed, those same sources do not allow for any clear picture on the matter. The lack of verifiable information on Menander has meant that much of the literature on him has been clouded by speculation and conjecture. While there are some hints in the textual as well as numismatic sources that he had at the very least a positive relationship with his Buddhist subjects, to speculate any further would be to go beyond what can be known with certainty.
Recommended Citation
Kolodny, Jacob, "Menander: A Greco-Buddhist King?" (2020). Student Research Submissions. 348.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/348