INDIAN EMBASSIES ABROAD
(From the earliest time to 500 A.D)
Dr. V.V GANGAL
There was much ambassadorial
activity to and from India. This paper traces Indian Embassies that had
been sent to other countries.
To start with we shall, take
up the Aryan influence on the Hittite-Mittani declaration of this (Boghazkui)
for, though the influence itself was not ambassadorial (in its restricted
sense ) the occassion was - viz.; treaty after a war. Aryan Gods Mitra,
Varuna Indra and Nasatya are invoked in the treaty as witnesses.
1) Ashoka had sent an embassy to
the ruler of Syria and West Asia, viz., Antiochus II , (261-264 B.C.)
2) Ashoka's embassy had gone to
the court of the Egyptian monarch Ptolemy II (255-247 B.C.)
3) An embassy under the leadership
of Maharaksita had gone to the Greek Ruler Antigones.
4) Ashoka's embassy had gone to
Mogas, the ruler of North Africa.
5) Ashoka's ambassadors had gone
to Alexander (272-258 B.C.) of Ypres.
6) A religious embassy visited
Sri Lanka under the leadership of Mandragupta and Sanghamitra.
7) Ashoka's religious embassy went
to Burma under leadership of Uttara and Sona.
8) Another embassy of Ashoka went
to Nepal under the leadership of Madhyama Kasyapa.
9) An Indian embassy had gone to
the Roman Emperor Augustus' court in 21 B.C.
10) According to a Chinese tradition,
an Indian ambassador had visited the court of the Chinese emperor
Hoti
(89-105 A.D.).
11) Mahaksatrapa Rudradaman ambassador
had gone to the court of the Chinese Emperor Hi-van-ti.
12) Indian ambassadors had visited the
Roman Emperor Trojan (107 A.D.)
13) An Indian embassy visited the Roman
Emperor Antinenus.
14) Indian embassy visited Quantentine,
ruler of Constantinople.
15) Embassies from India, Maldives and
Sri Lanka visited Lulian, the Roman emperor.
16) An Indian embassy went to China in
428 A.D.
17) An embassy from Southern India visited
the Chinese emperor Heo-van-ti.
Address :-
14/B, Sion Kamgar Hsg.Soc.,
Sion, Mumbai 400 022.
Phone : 48 43 02.
