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Minnagara

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City of the Indo-Scythian kingdom

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Minnagara (Ancient Greek:Μινναγάρ^[1] and Μιννάγαρα^[2]) was a city of theIndo-Scythian kingdom, located on theIndus river inPakistan, north of the coastal city ofBarbaricum, North and West ofBarygaza.

Minagara as mentioned inPeriplus of the Erythraean Sea

Minnagara is mentioned in the 1st century CEPeriplus of the Erythraean Sea:

"Beyond this region (Gedrosia), the continent making a wide curve from the east across the depths of the bays, there follows the coast district of Scythia, which lies above toward the north; the whole marshy; from which flows down the riverSinthus, the greatest of all the rivers that flow into the Erythraean Sea, bringing down an enormous volume of water (...) This river has seven mouths, very shallow and marshy, so that they are not navigable, except the one in the middle; at which by the shore, is the market-town,Barbaricum. Before it there lies a small island, and inland behind it is the metropolis of Scythia, Minnagara; it is subject toParthian princes who are constantly driving each other out."^[3]

A second Minnagara is mentioned in the Periplus, which seems to be upstream ofBarigaza:

41. "Beyond thegulf of Baraca is that ofBarygaza and the coast of the country of Ariaca, which is the beginning of the Kingdom of Nambanus, That part of it lying inland and adjoining Scythia is calledAbiria, but the coast is calledSyrastrene. It is a fertile country, yielding wheat and rice and sesame oil and clarified butter, cotton and the Indian cloths made therefrom, of the coarser sorts. Very many cattle are pastured there, and the men are of great stature and black in color. The metropolis of this country is Minnagara, from which much cotton cloth is brought down to Barygaza."

— Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, Chap. 41^[4]

Ptolemy also mentioned Minnagara, which, according to his explanations, would be along theNarmada River, upstream ofBarigaza, and belowUjjain:

Moreover the region (in Pakistan) which is next to the western part of India, is called Scythia. A part of this region around the (Indus) river mouth isPatalena, above which isAbiria. That which is about the mouth of the Indus and the Canthicolpus bay is calledSyrastrena. (...) In the island formed by this river are the cities Pantala,Barbaria. (...) The Larica region of Scythia is located eastward from the swamp near the sea, in which on the west of theNamadus river is the interior city ofBarygaza emporium. On the east side of the river (...)Ozena-RegiaTiastani (...) Minnagara".

— Ptolemy Geographia, Book Seven, Chapter I

Minnagara may be identical with the Manjábarí of the Arab geographers.

Alternatively, "Nagara" being the Sanskrit word for "town", the city itself may have been called "Min", a name found inIsidorus of Charax as a Scythian city inSakastan (Lassen).