A meridarch or meridarches (Greek: μεριδάρχης, from meris, "division", and -arches, "ruler") was the civil governor of a province in the Hellenistic world (4th–1st centuries BCE), and could be translated as "Divisional Commissioner". Only a few mentions of meridarchs are known from ancient sources, one from Palestine, two others from the Indo-Greek kingdom in South Asia, one on a vase from Swat, the other on a copper plate from Taxila, and one belonging to Oḍirāja kingdom, also from Swat.

Judea

Shortly after 153 BCE, Josephus relates, Alexander Balas appointed Jonathan Maccabeus as strategos (general) and meridarch (civil governor of a province) of Judea, and sent him back with honors to Jerusalem (I Macc. x. 51–66; Josephus, "Ant." xiii. 4, § 1).

Indo-Greek kingdom

At the far eastern end of the Hellenistic world, in northern India, an inscription in Kharosthi has been found on a relic vase in Swāt, referring to a "meridarch Theodorus" and his enshrinement of relics of the Buddha:

Theudorena meridarkhena pratithavida ime sarira sakamunisa bhagavato bahu-jana-stitiye.
The meridarch Theodorus has enshrined relics of Lord Shakyamuni, for the welfare of the mass of the people

Another mention of a Meridarch appears on the Taxila "meridarch" plate. The plate reads:^[1]

By....., the Meridarch, together with his wife. the stupa was established, in honor of (his) mother and father, for the presentation of a respectful offering.

A third mention in form of gold leaf inscription of Senavarma, also from Swat Valley during the era of Oḍirājas, states that:^[2]

The (inscription) about the establishment of the relic was written by Saṃghamitra, son of Lalia, the anankaios, and (it) was manufactured by Ṣaḍia, son of Sacaka, the meridarch...

References

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