Abdagases I ( Greek: Ἀβδαγάσης, epigraphically ΑΒΔΑΓΑΣΟΥ;

Kharosthi The Kharoṣṭhī script, also spelled Kharoshthi (Kharosthi: ), was an ancient Indo-Iranian script used by various Aryan peoples in north-western regions of the Indian subcontinent, more precisely around present-day northern Pakistan and ...

: 𐨀𐨬𐨡𐨒𐨮 ', 'Gardner, Percy, ''The Coins of the Greek and Scythic Kings of Bactria and India in the British Museum'', p. 107-108) was an

Indo-Parthian The Indo-Parthian Kingdom was a Parthian kingdom founded by Gondophares, and active from 19 CE to c. 226 CE. At their zenith, they ruled an area covering parts of eastern Iran, various parts of Afghanistan and the northwest regions of the Indian s ...

king, who ruled

Gandhara Gandhāra is the name of an ancient region located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, more precisely in present-day north-west Pakistan and parts of south-east Afghanistan. The region centered around the Peshawar Vall ...

and possibly over most of the

Indus region The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...

from c. 46 to 60 AD. He was a nephew and successor of

Gondophares Gondophares I (Greek: Γονδοφαρης ''Gondopharēs'', Υνδοφερρης ''Hyndopherrēs''; Kharosthi: 𐨒𐨂𐨡𐨥𐨪 ', '; 𐨒𐨂𐨡𐨥𐨪𐨿𐨣 ', '; 𐨒𐨂𐨡𐨂𐨵𐨪‎ ', ') was the founder of the Indo-Parthian K ...

, who had laid foundations for the Indo-Parthian kingdom after revolting against his Arsacid overlords in c. 19 AD. Abdagases was succeeded by Orthaghnes or

Pacores Pacores or Pakores (Greek alphabet, Greek: ΠΑΚΟΡΗϹ ''Pakorēs''; Kharosthi: 𐨤𐨐𐨂𐨪 ', '; Imperial Aramaic, Aramaic: pkwry) (100–135 AD) was a king who ruled the remnants of the Indo-Parthian Kingdom in Arachosia from 100–130 ...

Life

Abdagases belonged to the House of Suren, a prominent and influential family within the Arsacid Empire. He succeeded his uncle Gondophares as the ruler of

in c. 46 AD, whilst

Orthagnes Gondophares III Gudana ( Kharosthi: 𐨒𐨂𐨡𐨥𐨪 𐨒𐨂𐨜𐨣 ', 'Gardner, Percy, ''The Coins of the Greek and Scythic Kings of Bactria and India in the British Museum'', p. 109 Cunningham, Alexander, ''COINS OF THE INDO-SCYTHIANS.'' T ...

succeeded him at Drangiana and Arachosia. The figure of Abdagases is obscure; according to Gazerani, it is likely that Abdagases may have been the same person as another Abdagases, an influential and powerful Suren noble in the Arsacid Empire, who belonged to a faction of Parthian magnates that were dissatisfied with the Parthian king

Artabanus II Artabanus II (also spelled Artabanos II or Ardawan II; xpr, 𐭍𐭐𐭕𐭓 ''Ardawān''), incorrectly known in older scholarship as Artabanus III, was King of Kings of the Parthian Empire from 12 to 38/41 AD, with a one-year interruption. He wa ...

. The Parthian magnates had at first favoured a grandson of Phraates IV, also named Phraates as a better choice for king. However, he met an abrupt death in

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

. The Parthian magnates then turned to another prince, Tiridates III, who was crowned by Abdagases. Some of the Parthian magnates, however, were supporters of Artabanus II, due to their concern that Abdagases would become the '' de facto'' ruler of the Arsacid Empire, with Tiridates as a figurehead. As a result, Abdagases and his son Sinnacus withdrew their support from Tiridates as well. This event seems to have coincided with the declaration of independence in Sakastan by the Suren family under Gondophares. The identification of the two Abdagases figures, although supported by some scholars, nevertheless still remains indecisive, due to the lack of numismatic evidence. Abdagases ruled as king till c. 60 AD, and was succeeded by

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External links

Coins of Abdagases
Indo-Parthian kings 1st-century monarchs in Asia 60 deaths Year of birth unknown 1st-century Iranian people {{Indo-Parthian kings