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"The Scythian Storm: Did the Nomads Conquer Ujjain in 75 BCE?"
Content:
The claim that the Scythians (or Śakas, as they were known in Indian sources) captured Ujjain in 75 BCE is an intriguing but historically uncertain event. While the Śakas did establish a significant presence in northwestern and western India during this period, the exact timeline of their expansion—particularly regarding Ujjain—remains debated among historians.
By the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE, nomadic Central Asian tribes, including the Śakas, were migrating into the Indian subcontinent, likely pushed by the expansion of the Yuezhi and other steppe peoples. They gradually overran the Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek kingdoms in the northwest before moving into present-day Pakistan and northern India.
Ujjain, a major city in the ancient kingdom of Avanti (modern Madhya Pradesh), was a prosperous center of trade and culture. The Śaka rulers, particularly the Western Kshatrapas, later established control over parts of western and central India. However, the exact date of their capture of Ujjain is unclear.
Some historians, based on numismatic (coin) evidence and fragmentary inscriptions, suggest that the Śakas may have taken Ujjain around the mid-1st century BCE, possibly under a ruler like Maues (Moga) or his successors. However, definitive records placing this event precisely in 75 BCE are lacking.
While the Śakas did exert influence over parts of India, including possibly Ujjain, in the 1st century BCE, the specific claim that they took the city in 75 BCE lacks solid historical confirmation. Further archaeological or epigraphic discoveries may clarify this period.
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