Zeionises's name appears on his coins in the
Greek form Zeionísēs (Ζειονίσης) and the
Kharosthi form Jihunia (𐨗𐨁𐨱𐨂𐨣𐨁𐨀),[1] and on a silver vase from
Taxila in the Kharosthi form Jihoṇika (𐨗𐨁𐨱𐨆𐨞𐨁𐨐),[2] which are derived from
Saka name *Jihonyaka, meaning "benefactor"[3]
Reign
Zeionises was a satrap of the area of southern Chach (
Kashmir) for King
Azes II.
He then became king, and ruled in parts of the Indian subcontinent around 10 BCE – 10 CE, but apparently lost his territory to the invasion of the
Indo-Parthians.
His coins bear the
BuddhistTriratna symbol on the obverse, and adopt representations of Greek divinities such as the city goddess
Tyche.
A silver jug found at
Taxila indicates that Zeionises was the "satrap of
Chuksa, son of
Manigula, brother of the great king", but who this king was remains uncertain.[2]
^An Inscribed Silver Buddhist Reliquary of the Time of King Kharaosta and Prince Indravarman, Richard Salomon, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 116, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1996), pp. 442
[1]
^A Kharosthī Reliquary Inscription of the Time of the Apraca Prince Visnuvarma, by Richard Salomon, South Asian Studies 11 1995, Pages 27-32, Published online: 09 Aug 2010
[2]