Indo-Greek Kingdom
Explanation:
The first contact between Hellenic culture and Buddhist religion came with the campaigns of Alexander the Great and their territorial expansion into the Punjab region. In his campaigns in India, Alexander led several philosophers, and many of them returned to Greece carrying Buddhist precepts, notably the Pyrrho philosopher, founder of the Pyrrhonist school. The fragmentation of Alexander's empire eventually coincided, a few generations later, with the considerable increase in Buddhist proselytism around the world. Buddhist missions from India came to Greece and Egypt, dominated by the Diádocos, Alexander's successors. The states that suffered the most Buddhist influence, however, were those closest to India, such as the Kingdom of Bactria and the Indo-Greek Kingdom.
In the western world, Buddhism was not as powerful as it was on the Indian frontiers, but it was not difficult for a Greek or Egyptian philosopher or ordinary citizen to have heard of Buddhism. After Roman expansion, Buddhism remained active in the Middle East, but quite discreetly, coming through contact through the Silk Road. Greco-Buddhism eventually influenced Hellenic Judaism, which eventually formed the sect of therapists, whose ideas may have been directly affected by Buddhist ideals. The expansion of Greco-Buddhism to the Middle East, and in particular its relative flourishing in Alexandria, led to speculation that some of the religions that emerged in the Levant may have acquired Buddhist precepts, one of the most debated is Christianity, however much. the differences between Christianity and Buddhism are far greater than their similarities, and no historical basis exists to prove that Christianity has Buddhist influences. More likely, however, is that Gnosticism was syncretized with some Buddhist ideals, the greatest example being Manichaeism, as Mani was possibly influenced by the Gnostic Scythianus. The end of Greek-Buddhist influence, both in the West and East, came in the fifth century, first with the establishment of the Hephthalite Empire, and then with the Expansion of Islam in the seventh century. The cultural exchange between Indians and Greeks, however, would make a lasting impression, especially for Buddhists around the world, as this enabled an artistic renewal on their part. For Westerners, this is still a controversial subject, even though the pre-Christian Buddhist community has not made a lasting impression in their area, and having completely disappeared after the Islamic expansion, there is a possibility that their teachings have affected some sects and religions of the region.
