Yona
Sign in to savethumb|200px|The "Yona" Greek king of India Menander I|Menander (160–135 BCE). Inscription in Greek: , lit. "of Saviour King Menander". thumb|right|350px|Yavana kingdom alongside other locations of kingdoms and republics mentioned in the Indian epics or Bharata Khanda.
~18 min read
Article
18 sectionsContents
- Comparable terms in the ancient world
- History
- Role in Buddhism
- Edicts of Ashoka (250 BC)
- In Buddhist Texts
- Mahavamsa
- Milindapanha
- Invasion of India
- Other references
- Sanchi
- Buddhist caves of Western India
- The Yonas and other northwestern invaders in Indian literature
- Later meanings
- Contemporary usage
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
thumb|200px|The "Yona" Greek king of India Menander I|Menander (160–135 BCE). Inscription in Greek: , lit. "of Saviour King Menander". thumb|right|350px|Yavana kingdom alongside other locations of kingdoms and republics mentioned in the Indian epics or Bharata Khanda.
The word Yona in Pali and the Prakrits, and the analogue Yavana in Sanskrit, were used in Ancient India to designate Greek speakers. "Yona" and "Yavana" are transliterations of the Greek word for "Ionians" (), who were probably the first Greeks to be known in India.