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The practice of military governorship was first introduced in India by the
Explanation
The practice of military governorship in India was introduced by the Greeks through the satrap/satrapy system established after Alexander’s campaigns. When Alexander retreated he left the conquered territories under provincial governors, inaugurating a system of Greek provincial (military) governors in the northwest [1]. Alexander’s invasion led directly to the establishment of Greek satrapies in the north-western subcontinent, and these regional rulers evolved into the Indo-Greek polities that continued the satrapal pattern [2]. Classical accounts explicitly note that Alexander left satraps behind and that these rulers became independent Indo-Greeks, indicating the Greek origin of military governorship in India [3]. Later Saka and Parthian rulers ousted the Indo-Greeks, but they were not the introducers of the satrapal system [4].
Sources
- [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 6: Polity and Society in Post-Mauryan Period > The Beginnings > p. 77
- [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > The Impact of Alexander's Invasion > p. 50
- [3] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 6: The Age of Reorganisation > Invasions of the Indo-Greeks > p. 134
- [4] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 6: Polity and Society in Post-Mauryan Period > SUMMARY > p. 86