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:''This article is about the kingdom of Yavana in Indian epic literature. For the historical kingdoms, see Greco-Bactrian Kingdom and Indo-Greek Kingdom.'' Yavana or Yona is a community in Hindu history. They are grouped under western countries along with Sindhu, Madra, Kekeya, Gandhara and Kamboja as per the descriptions in the epic Mahabharata. This word is also used in Indian history to indicate Greeks and later Arabs from 7th century AD. == Location in Ancient India == Yavanas were described to be beyond Gandhara. There was another country mentioned in the epic as Parama Yona, in the far west of Yavana. This could be the Ionia of Greece, somehow related to Indian Ionians or Yavanas. The name Yavana could be the Sanskritized form of the name Ionia. Yavanas, Sakas, Pahlavas and Hunas were sometimes described as Mlechhas. Sometimes along with them, the Madras, Kambojas, Kekeyas, Sindhus and Gandharas were included. This name was used to indicate their cultural differences with the Vedic culture, prevailed in the Kuru-Panchala Kingdoms. "... in the ports of southern India, where the early Tamil poems of uncertain date speak of a settlement of the Yavanas."(1) The same author (2) does not follow the assumption that Yavanas were Roman traders, although she points out that between the first-second cent BC up to and included the third-fourth cent AD, rightly or wrongly "the term yavana denoted an Ionian Greek".(3) On pages 83–5 she makes mention of early Indian literature where foreigners were dubbed "yavana", and points to an Asokan inscription where a border-people is given this appellation. In central and western India, she says, Yavana "figure prominently as donors to the Buddhist Sangha".(4) (1) H.P.Ray, The Winds of Change, Delhi, 1994:49, 84; (2) ibid p. 52; (3) ibid p. 54; (4) ibid p. 84 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Yavana Kingdom」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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