Next time you hear someone talking about those eastern accounts, please ask them for specific references. (I see this as the main reason that we lost the history about a king). quora.com/Why-didnt-Alexander-the-Great-invade-India/answer/, Starting the Prompt Design Site: A New Home in our Stack Exchange Neighborhood, Statement from SO: June 5, 2023 Moderator Action. In his wisdom, he had concluded that Alexanders conquest of the land was a threat to our culture. He had a powerful army along with nerves of steel. For, in battles before and after, he massacred everyone in the cities he subdued. Is there any political terminology for the leaders who behave like the agents of a bigger power? Historical India is an opensource community based project dedicated to the history of Greater India. Burning homes, poisoning drinking water, terrorizing civilians, bribing for a win, all that I can remember. Is there a non-combative term for the word "enemy"? I was wondering if you are in touch with Francois Gautier who lives in Delhi and who is very active in this field and keen to project THE TRUE INDIAN history might be able to put in touch with publishers who might be interested to do so,I am just wondering. Why isn't Summer Solstice plus and minus 90 days the hottest in Northern Hemisphere? Marshal Gregory Zhukov, the legendary Russian commander, on Alexanders Invasion, http://www.esamskriti.com/essay-chapters/Why-the-Greeks-never-came-back-to-India-1.aspx, https://ramanan50.wordpress.com/2014/07/04/chandra-gupta-megasthanes-never-met-history-faked/, Interesting.. but not sure what is 4004AD. He was overlord of the Punjab, and under him were many other princes. Are there good reasons to minimize the number of keywords in a language? As a young king, this experience proved invaluable as he unified and defeated remnants of Alexander's Successors. Alexander showed impressive courage and promise from a young age. Dhana Nanda was in no mood to listen to Chanakya. Why did Allied Command maintain passive, especially Indian units in Middle East during the years 1942 and 1943? The fight on the banks of the Hydaspes River in India was the closest Alexander the Great came to defeat. Arrian, who most believe has the most accurate account of the battle, addressed this confrontation: I must say that the only source where I have heard that Alexander the Great lost is from Indians, which seems like a reasonably biased source. Sensing defeat they called for a truce, which Porus accepted. Why is this? There are quite a few gaps in the accepted records; even for established figures like Ashok. They did not come as visitors. This was because Porus' cavalry mostly used elephants, and the night of the battle, the rain had made it difficult to move. His armies defeated formidable foes and marched on under his leadership through Persia to make him king of the land. Alexander appointing Selucus as Alexanders representative in India. The Alexander episode does not find much mention in the entire written record, that is the strangest aspect of it. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. No mention of advanced modern concepts in the Vedas and other treatises. James Mill , in his History of of India states that India did not exist before 4000 years!I have corrected in the Post.Regds. There were many smaller kings and kingdoms at the time. The next king on his path was Paurava, or Parwateshwar, who then ruled the region of modern Punjab. Similar is the case of Alexander. In 326 BC, Alexander defeated Porus and the Pauravas during the Battle of the Hydaspes, [1] [2] but that engagement was possibly their Macedonians' most costly battle. The war against Alexander in Bharat was not just a military war; it was philosophical, it was about an idea and a way of life, which could be followed by others. Some others, though, extended their support. Also the Greeks and other ancient peoples did not see themselves as in any way superior, only different.. Would a passenger on an airliner in an emergency be forced to evacuate? Alexander killed the son and destroyed the cavalry and chariots; the few survivors fled back to Porus. For me as an Indian I know from history which says war can be won without bloodshed. His priorities were limited to Magadh and he was confident that when Alexander reached Magadh, he would defeat the invader. They were wonderstruck with Alexander. Chanakya played on the minds of Alexander and his troops to win the war.[ref]. Even so, after a fierce battle in a raging thunderstorm, Porus was defeated. Alexander's supposed victory over Porus is not based on any conclusive eyewitness account. What conjunctive function does "ruat caelum" have in "Fiat justitia, ruat caelum"? You should treat me as a king treats another king, he said.Rather than showing fear of being executed or killed, Porus wasdemanding and commanding respect. Alexander won the battle, and received an acknowledgement of such from Porus; Porus won the war, by convincing the Greek army (if perhaps not Alexander himself) that continuing was pointlessly expensive. Are you proposing to write a new Indian History book which can be used as text books in future. Neither is there any record of the presence of any King called Porus in North-Western India during that time. Porus had an idea he was coming so he had been trying to build a coalition to properly fight a potentially significant battle in defense of his surrounding kingdoms. King porus is the decendant of yadu dynasty or pandiyan dynasty since two claims are there in India. Alexander is recognised as first invader in Bharatvarsha. This is a grey area of history. Should I be concerned about the structural integrity of this 100-year-old garage? Ok, that is a valid answer, but remember that this is an English-speaking site, so you should be attempting to write valid and correct English sentences with correct punctuation and capitalization. Large areas of Punjab were absorbed into the Alexandrian Empire, and the defeated, dethroned Porus became reinstated by Alexander as a subordinate ruler. For instance, Arrian writes in Alexander Anabasis that the Indians were the noblest among all Asians. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It was here that reports of a massive Nanda army caused a mutiny among Alexander's ranks. According to the Roman historian Marcus Justinus, the battle was savagely fought. Hydaspes marked the limit of Alexander's career of conquest; he died before he could launch another campaign. Him effectively killing the moral and willing participation of the Macedonian army to conduct further military engagements doomed what could have been Alexander's greatest discovery and crowning achievement. Porus had to defend his kingdom and chose the perfect spot to check Alexander's advance. Ambhi was a descendant of Shakuni of Mahabharata. Instead of supporting him, he dismissed his worries. Did Alexander the Great win or lose the battles against Porus before leaving? Deeming it an unsuitable time to set Dhana Nanda right, he moved on to the main problemAlexander. A united front against any external threat is a formidable opponent indeed. Whoever won the battle, Alexander or Porus, what historical evidence is there regarding what actually happened in that encounter? Porus (Old Indian Puru): king in the eastern Punjab, defeated in 326 BCE by Alexander the Great. Starting the Prompt Design Site: A New Home in our Stack Exchange Neighborhood, Statement from SO: June 5, 2023 Moderator Action. They would have to ford on more time and sumerly land in hostile territory. The spies suggested that this was crucial information. Contents The Greeks may claim victory but if Alexanders troops were so badly mauled by the petty regional fiefdoms, how could they have crushed the comparatively stronger army of Puru? Unlike his neighbour, Ambhi, the king of Taxila (Takshashila), Porus resisted Alexander. He was a sharp and intelligent man. Many of Internet links claim that Porus was defeated by Alexander, then he returned to Greece, giving back the Kingdom to Porus. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. He spared the Macedonians life, and Alexanders bodyguards quickly carried off their king. By King Prasenjit I mean king Prasenjit of Koshala kingdom. Chanakya gives a warning message to King Dhana Nanda of Nanda dynasty that Alexander is invading but the King Nanda ignores this warning as he does not see any threat from Alexander ! Chanakya had a number of students under his tutelage, both male and female. Plutarch wrote: "Alexander, in his own letters, has given us an account of his war with Porus. Alexander may have won the field, but may have decided that the cost of continuing against that kind of resistance was going to be more than his tired and depleted army could bear, since the army was already showing signs of unrest and fatigue, with a considerable number of veterans already retired and founding new . Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. One was a warrior Alexander or Sikander, a young, determined leader out to conquer the world. No one will know for sure I guess. 6 Answers Best Dimitri I've read a lot about Ancient Greece. This battle would be one of the most significant in Alexander's career - not only did he win, but he also conquered a vast new territory that would later become part of his ever-growing empire. Remember that initial history was written by Europeans; a few of these initial writings are beginning to be challenged as new evidence emerges. Why do most languages use the same token for `EndIf`, `EndWhile`, `EndFunction` and `EndStructure`? According to all surviving ancient historical sources, King Alexandros III of Makedonia (most commonly known in English as "Alexander the Great") defeated King Porus (whose name is conjectured to have been Puru in his native tongue) of the Indian kingdom of Paurava in the Battle of the Hydaspes in May 326 BC. What should be chosen as country of visit if I take travel insurance for Asian Countries. If he decided todo something, nothing could stop him. The bitter Truth is that we need to CROW ABOUT OUR GLORIOUS PAST LEST WE WILL BE VULNERABLE FOR MANIPULATIONS BY EXTERNAL AGENCIES. I gave my comment I don't want to argue and I do not want to prove that Alexander LOST or WON. @CGCampbell Indeed, there are few Indian accounts of anything during this era, as I pointed out in an. Thus, Alexander the Great did not necessarily tuck tail, but was forced due to the mutineers of his army. Alexander, having won all the kingdoms west of Greece up to Bacteria (Persia), proceeded to India, defeated many kings and finally met his foe Porus in Punjab. Note: The above article is an exact (with very minor changes) reproduction of a twitter thread on Puru and Alexander by Aabhas Maldahiyar. They were also open field battles against superior forces, and Alexander crushed them with ease. These were the men who changed the course of world history. They are supposed to be a mix of fact and fable. They reported that the army was homesick. A descendant of the ancient Indian King Porus, a colossus from ancient Indian history and a prominent aristocrat from the "Eastern Hellenic World", opens up about Alexander the Great and ancient and modern Greece. (Remember Taxila was defeated by Alexander before his journey to Punjab !). Unfortunately I have no idea about publishing. A battle can be a draw, or even a tactical victory yet a strategic defeat. Porus, (flourished 4th century bce), Indian prince who ruled the region between the Hydaspes (Jhelum) and Acesines (Chenab) rivers at the time of Alexander the Greats invasion (327326 bce) of the Punjab. This blog explores the history of India with the help of Indian texts,archeology,other scientific tools like astronomy based dating (Internal evidence as found in Sanskrit and Regional language, references in the contemporary texts of other civilisatios(external evidence) and the archaeological finds in other countries, their language , culture and present customs. This lead me to believe that no such examples of an alternate version of the Indian war existed, but I wanted to be fair and check on this site before reaching such a conclusion. According to the history which is being tought to us, he defeated several Kings of India, then met Porus (Indian name - Paurav or Parvateshvara) in tough war but defeated him. Modi Again is his latest book. So, Alexander reluctantly turned back without confronting the Nandas. This was confirmed by the arrival of Russian army personnel to india. But Elephants actually caused problems for Porus rather than help. 4 parallel LED's connected on a breadboard. Contents 1 History Strabo, the Greek historian wrote: Generally speaking, the men who have written on the affairs of India were a set of liarsOf this we became the more convinced whilst writing the history of Alexander., After Alexanders failure to gain a position in India and the defeat of Seleucus Nicator, relationships between the Indians and the Greeks and the Romans later, was mainly through trade and diplomacy. How can we compare expressive power between two Turing-complete languages? Can I knock myself prone? Alexander, who was believed to have resorted to treachery to defeat Indian fortresses, took Porus by surprise. As far as I know, Indian history says that the glorious war was won by Alexander, not Porus. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Changraupta himself, in his younger year, is said to have seen the build up and growing panic among the Indian kingdoms in anticipation of the impending battle between Alexander and Porus. Alexander was victorious against Porus and advanced further into the Indian subcontinent until the Hyphasis River. My article was written before I saw the film. True to Hindu traditions, the magnanimous Indian king spared the life of the surrendered enemy. King Porus (), the Greek version of the Indian names Puru, Pururava, or Parvata, was the ruler of a Kingdom in Punjab located between the Jhelum and the Chenab (in Greek, the Hydaspes and the Acesines) rivers in the Punjab. He was swift and fast. Having won the most of walk-able world Alexander would have seen different cultures and learnt all techniques. My question is since BJP is power at the Center,has the Authorities done anything to rectify the School text books in India and has inputs from researchers like you has been saught or offered by you. He (Alexander) asked how he (Porus) should be treated and Porus gave brave reply to treat him as one king . It only takes a minute to sign up. I have heard, though I have not consulted, that the eastern accounts of the war had Alexander the Great losing those initial battles and realized that he could not win, and then he decided to return to his kingdoms. None from Indian records; which are silent on this, which is very curious indeed. After traveling hundreds of miles from Greece and even winning the battle, why would Alexander return without conquering India? Aabhas Maldahiyar is an author of three books, a columnist, an urban designer, and an ex-Marxist. The given link will enlighten records available in modern age about Gangaridai and show the relationship of them with Greeks. Because I would like a rewrite of all standard History books and also History books studied by kids in Schools in US and other western World. The Mahabharatha and Bhavishya Purana have clearly elucidated about the future of Bharatha varsha / Arya vartha. He sent out more Vishkanyas and made the enemy soldiers feel nostalgic remembering their own homes far away. According to the theory, the lands that were given to Porus was the result . The enemy was the Persians, and they had already been defeated. The main problem with the content of this answer is that it is simply your opinion. After a while of deceit and deception, Alexander crossed north of Porus's main camp. According to Budge, in the Battle of Hydaspes, the Indians destroyed the majority of Alexanders cavalry. How realistic are the number of battle deaths in the Anabasis? He expected a heroic entry in the land. Did King Porus's men use snake poison against Alexander's troops? The closest one comes to it is the Puru Tribe of Northwest India. A peace treaty was signed, and Alexander helped Puru in annexing other territories to his kingdom. One was from the cradle of Western philosophyGreece. The Nandas were quite a powerful force, and the Greek troops had become war-weary (whether they actually refused orders is open to debate). They discovered their mistake on reaching the ocean, and then subsequently turned along the Makran and Persian Gulf coast. If there are very few (to none at all) written historical records from what is now Northen India, concerning this period then the fact that there is no history written about Alexander means what, exactly? The Battlefield This is the story of two determined men. He was a disciple of Buddha and a contemporary to Magadh king Ajatshatru. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Porus. The only possible answer is at the Battle of Hydaspes, the Macedonians realised they were dealing with an enemy of uncommon valour. Alexander, after the meeting with his officer Coenus, was convinced that it was better to return." Since Hydaspes is just small part of India at that time. Poruss reply shocked him. He had a powerful army along with nerves of steel. The latter seems to be true in the light of Alexanders remains having been found to contain evidence of poisoning. But, the Macedonian main force was caught off guard by Indian heavy archers and battle elephants. But the Greeks made no such claim, Greek contemporary writers describe the Battle of Hydaspes (Jhelum) as the hardest fought of all Alexanders battles. How to resolve the ambiguity in the Boy or Girl paradox? According to the Roman historian Marcus Justinus, the battle was savagely fought. Our ideologies spread across our neighbouring lands through trade routes and other business opportunities. Puru challenged Alexander, who charged him on horseback. In regards to the battle between Alexander and Porus, both accounts are correct, in their own way. What are the most comprehensive historical references for ancient India? How do laws against computer intrusion handle the modern situation of devices routinely being under the de facto control of non-owners? The most important result of Alexander's exploits is sadly forgotten - the emergence of the Mourya Dynasty but that is another story, Ref: Early India - Romila Thapar; Land Of The Seven Rivers- Sanjeev Sanyal. Bosworth alleges that \"Arrian was prone to the errors of misunderstanding and faulty source conflation that one would expect in a secondary historian of antiquity\".\r\rPointing out several mistakes and general arbitrariness in Arrian's treatment of his primary sources, Bosworth points out that \"Arrian is prone to misread and misinterpret his primary sources, and the smooth flow of his narrative can obscure treacherous quicksands of error\".\r\rBosworth further points out that \"Arrian makes it quite plain that his work is designed as a literary showpiece.