Menander I, known in Buddhist literature as Milinda, is the Indo-Greek king traditionally said to have converted to Buddhism. He ruled a substantial Indo-Greek kingdom in the northwestern Indian subcontinent during the second century BCE, probably from a base in the Punjab region. His silver coins, bearing Greek and Kharosthi inscriptions, have been found across a wide area.
The account of his conversion appears in the Milinda Pañha, or “Questions of Milinda,” a classical Pali Buddhist text. It presents extended philosophical discussions between King Milinda and the monk Nāgasena. The dialogue addresses subjects such as personal identity, rebirth, ethics, and the nature of wisdom, using questions and analogies rather than a simple narrative.
The tradition is important but should not be treated as conclusive modern biography. The Milinda Pañha was compiled after Menander’s reign, and independent evidence cannot firmly establish the details of his personal religious beliefs or conversion. Still, Menander is the canonical answer because Buddhist tradition specifically identifies him with Milinda and connects him with Nāgasena. Later Buddhist accounts also associate his death with religious devotion.