भारतीय इतिहास के ६ स्वर्णिम पृष्ठ (वीर सावरकर - विदेशी आक्रान्ताओं पर विजय गाथा)

rate Bactrian Greek military leaders could sleep soundly in the royal palace
of Ayodhya (Saketa) in the confident safety of their triumph.
165. This Greek invasion of Demetreos took place within thirty to forty
years of Ashoka’s adoption of Buddhism. How did the Indian resisting
capacity and bravery in the valiant provinces of Gandhar, Panchnad and
others deteriorate so suddenly during those intervening years? What
particular event in those thirty to forty years necessitated this degeneracy in
the high standard of Indian heroism?
166. Was the Bactrian Greek invading army, under the leadership of
Demetreos, in any way superior to those of Alexander and Seleucos? Not at
all. They themeselves admitted that their forefathers, under the leadership
of Alexander and Seleucos were far superior to them, were endowed with
almost divine powers. It clearly means that the reason, why these inferior
and weaker Greeks should conquer the Indians so very easily, was not that
the Greek prowess had increased since the time of Alexander, but that the
Indian heroism and the Indian capacity to resist aggression must have
deteriorated to a horrible extent.
167. Now, during the hundred-and-twenty-seven years or so that elapsed
between the Alexandrian aggression in 327 B.C. and the one by Demetreos
about 200 B.C., there occurred only one significant event, which was likely
to bring about this grievous falling off in the high standard of Indian
material prowess and their ability to repulse the enemy. It must have been
the extremist propaganda of the non-resistant, non-violent principles of
Buddhism, which condemned the military might throughout these
provinces. For, no other event of such magnitude took place at that time.
We shall just consider here two points that throw some light on this issue.
Indian Mentality at the time of Alexander’s invasion and that at the
time of Demetreos!
168. At the time of Alexander, the Buddhist cult was never heard of in the
provinces of Kamboj, Gandhar, Panchnad straight to Sind (cf. para: 16).
The people there were hero worshippers of Vedic Hindus! States like the
Youdheyas were proud of their war-like spirit and bore the attribute
‘Nation-in-arms’ (आयुधजीवी) with evident exultation! (cf: para 38).
Not only the Kshatriyas there, but in some of the states, all the citizens, men
and women, young or old, took the field to face the aggressive foreign
enemy. Where, unfortunately, a certain republic got beaten, the brave Indian
ladies there leapt into the fire with the dauntless children (cf: paras 40 to 55)