Indo-Parthian kingdom

The Indo-Parthian kingdom, also known as Pahlavas in the ancient Sanskrit texts, was a syncretic state founded by Gondophares I in the first century CE. At its zenith, Gondophares ruled an area which today covers parts of eastern Iran, parts of Afghanistan, most of Pakistan and parts of northwestern India. Indo-Parthians continued to rule in some areas until 226 CE, with Paratarajas continuing until 262 CE.

The kingdom was founded in 19/20 when the governor of Drangiana (Sakastan) Gondophares I declared independence from the Parthian Empire. He would later make expeditions to the east, conquer territory from the Indo-Scythians and Indo-Greeks and thus transforming his kingdom into an empire. The domains of the Indo-Parthians were greatly reduced following the invasions of the Kushans in the second half of the 1st century. They managed to retain control of Sakastan, until its conquest by the Sasanian Empire in c. 224/5. In Baluchistan, the Paratarajas, a local Indo-Parthian dynasty, fell into the orbit of the Sasanian Empire circa 262 CE.

The Indo-Parthians are noted for the construction of the BuddhistmonasteryTakht-i-Bahi (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Mardan, Pakistan.