[Cronos]

The Greek gynmasia or the schools of physical culture existed in Central Asia before Ashoka. We know they existed because the foundations of their cities indicate this and it was a prerquisite for Hellenistic culure.
Thanks! Wasn't that the Gandhara school in Afghanistan? And IIRC there are some folks in Pakistani Occupied Kashmir that are practically Greek in appearance.

[Eternal_Bear]

Not sure what school of Buddhism they practiced. We know Greek armies ranged as far as Benares and that the King of Greek India converted to Buddhism. As for some Afghans resembling Greeks, when Alexander invaded Afghanistan, there were Greeks already living there! Apparently, they were descendants of colloborators who had fled with the Persian Army from Greece in 479 BC.

BTW, Kandahar is derived from Iskander (Alexander) and the Afghan national cap was worn by the Greeks when they entered the country. Sometimes fashions don't change for 2300 years. You can see portraits of Alexander wearing the cap.

Much of what we know about the Greek states in Central Asia is derived from caches of coins which depict the rulers. They were eventually isolated and destroyed by nomad armies but they did establish contacts with China and their influence via their art eventually even reached Japan.