page_title: Yona
section_title: Buddhist caves of Western India
hierarchical_section_title: Yona / History / Buddhist caves of Western India
caption_attribution_description: English: yasavadhanānaṃ
context_page_description: The word Yona in Pali and the Prakrits, and the analogue "Yavana" in Sanskrit, are words used in Ancient India to designate Greek speakers. "Yona" and "Yavana" are transliterations of the Greek word for "Ionians", who were probably the first Greeks to be known in the East.
  Both terms appear in ancient Sanskrit literature. Yavana appears for instance, in the Mahabharata, while Yona appears in texts such as the Sri Lankan chronicle Mahavamsa.
  The Yona are mentioned in the Ashoka inscriptions, along with the Kambojas, as two societies where there are only nobles and slaves.
  Examples of direct association of these terms with the Greeks include:
  The mention of the "Yauna" in the Persepolis Administrative Archives.
  The mention of the "Yona king Aṃtiyoka" in the Edicts of Ashoka
  The mention of the "Yona king Aṃtalikitasa" in the Heliodorus pillar in Vidisha
  King Milinda and his bodyguard of "500 Yonas" in the Milinda Panha.
  The description of Greek astrology and Greek terminology in the Yavanajātaka "Nativity of the Yavanas".
  The mention of Alexandria on the Caucasus, "the city of the Yonas" in the Mahavamsa, Chapter 29.
context_section_description: In the Great Chaitya of the Karla Caves built and dedicated by Western Satraps Nahapana in 120 CE, there are six inscriptions made by self-described Yavana donors, who donated six of the pillars, although their names are Buddhist names. They account for nearly half of the known dedicatory inscriptions on the pillars of the Chaitya.
  3rd pillar of the left row:
  "(This) pillar (is) the gift of the Yavana Sihadhaya from Dhenukataka"
  4th pillar of the left row:
  "Of Dhamma, a Yavana from Dhenukakata"
  9th pillar of the left row:
  "(This) pillar (is) the gift of the Yavana Yasavadhana from Denukakata"
  5th pillar of the right row:
  "This pillar is the gift of the Yavana Vitasamghata from Umehanakata"
  13th pillar of the right row:
  "(This) pillar (is) the gift of the Yavana Dhamadhaya from Denukakata"
  15th pillar of the right row:
  "(This) pillar (is) the gift of the Yavana Chulayakha from Dhenukakata"
  The city of Dhenukakata is thought to be Danahu near the city of Karli. It is described by other donors in other inscriptions as a "vaniya-gama" (A community of merchants).
  The Yavanas are also known for their donation of a complete cave at the Nasik Caves (cave No.17), and for their donations with inscriptions at the Junnar caves.
caption: Left pillar No.9 of the Great Chatya at Karla Caves. This pillar was donated by a Yavana circa 120 CE, like five other pillars. The inscription of this pillar reads: "Dhenukakata Yavanasa/ Yasavadhanana[m]/ thabo dana[m]" i.e. "(This) pillar (is) the gift of the Yavana Yasavadhana from Denukakata".[19] Below: detail of the word "Ya-va-na-sa" (adjectival form of "Yavana", old Brahmi script Brahmi y 2nd century CE.jpgBrahmi v 2nd century CE.gifBrahmi n.svgBrahmi s.svg).
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