Battle of the Hydaspes
Part of the Wars of Alexander the Great
A painting by Andre Castaigne depicting the phalanx attacking the centre during the Battle of the Hydaspes
Date 326 BC Location Near the Hydaspes River (known as Jhelum River), Pakistan. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Events By place Macedonian Empire In the spring Alexander the Great crosses the Indus near Attock and enters "Hydaspes" redirects here For the historic battle see Battle of the Hydaspes. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Result Pyhrric Macedonian victory. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most [1] Territorial changes Alexander controls Punjab.
Belligerents
Macedonian Empire Greek allies Persian allies Indian allies	Paurava
Commanders
Alexander the Great Craterus unlisted others	King Porus unknown others
Strength
34,000 infantry,[2][3][4] 7,000 cavalry[5][6]	20,000 infantry,[7] 2,000 cavalry,[7] 200 war elephants,[8][9] 1,000 chariots[10]
Casualties and losses
4,000 to 12,000 infantry killed,[11] 280 cavalry killed,[12] 8,000 wounded[13]	12,000 killed,[14] 9,000 captured[14]

The Battle of the Hydaspes River was a battle fought by Alexander the Great in 326 BC against the Indian king Porus (Pururava or Purushotthama in Sanskrit) on the Hydaspes River (the Jhelum) in the Punjab region of ancient India, near Bhera now in Pakistan. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia This article is about the history of South Asia prior to the Partition of British India in 1947 The Pauravas ( Sanskrit: पौरव was the name given to the many petty kingdoms and tribes of ancient northwestern India (including modern Pakistan) Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' For other uses, see Craterus (disambiguation Craterus (ca 370 BC - 321 BC Greek: Κρατερός) was a Macedonian general Conflict alliance and comradeship with Alexander Unlike his neighbour Ambhi (in Greek Omphis, King Porus chose to fight Alexander the Great in The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on A war elephant is an Elephant trained and guided by humans for combat The chariot is the earliest and simplest type of Carriage, used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Events By place Macedonian Empire In the spring Alexander the Great crosses the Indus near Attock and enters India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Conflict alliance and comradeship with Alexander Unlike his neighbour Ambhi (in Greek Omphis, King Porus chose to fight Alexander the Great in Purushottama ( Sanskrit: पुरुषोत्तम means "Supreme Purusha " i Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical "Hydaspes" redirects here For the historic battle see Battle of the Hydaspes. "Hydaspes" redirects here For the historic battle see Battle of the Hydaspes. Punjab ( ਪੰਜਾਬ پنجاب, पंजाब پنجاب also Panjab (پنجاب meaning "Land of the Five Rivers") (c Bhera is a town in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located on the Jhelum river in Sargodha District, at Latitude 32 Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The kingdom of Paurava of King Porus was situated in the part of Punjab which is now part of modern day Pakistan (see Pakistani Punjab). The Pauravas ( Sanskrit: पौरव was the name given to the many petty kingdoms and tribes of ancient northwestern India (including modern Pakistan) Conflict alliance and comradeship with Alexander Unlike his neighbour Ambhi (in Greek Omphis, King Porus chose to fight Alexander the Great in Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Punjab ( Urdu:) province of The Hydaspes was the last major battle fought by Alexander. Although victorious, Alexander's exhausted army mutinied and refused to go any further into India. His tired army saw the use of war elephants for the first time in years since Gaugamela. A war elephant is an Elephant trained and guided by humans for combat The Battle of Gaugamela (ˌgɔːgəˈmiːlə (Γαυγάμηλα took place in 331 BC between Alexander the Great of Macedonia and Darius III King Porus and his men put up a fierce resistance against the invading Macedonian army which even won the admiration and respect of Alexander. ^[15]

Location

The battle took place on the east bank of the Hydaspes River (now called the river Jhelum, a tributary of the river Indus) in the Punjab province of Pakistan. "Hydaspes" redirects here For the historic battle see Battle of the Hydaspes. The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Later, Alexander founded a city on the site of the battle, which he called Nicaea; as long as this city has not been discovered, any attempt to find the ancient battle site is doomed, because the landscape has changed considerably. Nicaea (or Bucephala was a city in what is now the present-day Punjab, one of the cities founded or renamed by Alexander III of Macedon. For the moment, the most plausible location is just south of the city of Jhelum, where the ancient main road crossed the river, and where a Buddhist source indeed mentions a city that may be Nicaea. The identification of the battle site near modern Jalalpur/Haranpur is certainly erroneous, as the river meandered far from these cities. Jalalpur Sharif is a small town located in Jhelum and is a Union Council of Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil in Jhelum District Punjab province ^[16]

Prelude

After Alexander defeated the last remnants of the Achaemenid Empire under Bessus and Spitamenes in 328 BC, he began a new campaign against the various Indian kings in 327 BC. The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of Bessus (died summer 329 BC was a Persian nobleman and Satrap of Bactria, and later contender king of Persia Spitamenes (in old Persian Spitamaneh; born 370 BC and killed 328 BC was a Persian courtier in the Persian province of Sogdiana involved in the collapse Events By place Macedonian Empire At Maracanda Alexander murders Clitus, one of his most trusted commanders friend and foster-brother Events By place Macedonian Empire Alexander the Great invades northern India. Some scholars place the invasion force as high as 135,000 soldiers,^[4] while others estimate the fighting force at about 41,000^[2] or 46,000. ^[3]

The main train went into modern day Pakistan through the Khyber Pass, but a smaller force under the personal command of Alexander went through the northern route, taking a fortress at Aornos (modern day Pir-Sar, Pakistan) on the way. The Khyber Pass, (also spelled Khaiber or Khaybar (درہ خیبر (altitude  m   ft is the Mountain pass that links Pakistan and In early spring of the next year, he combined his forces and allied with Taxiles (also Ambhi), the King of Taxila, against his neighbor, the King of Hydaspes. Taxiles (in Greek Tαξίλης or Ταξίλας lived 4th century BC) was the Greek chroniclers' name for a prince or king who reigned over the tract For the Genus of metalmark butterflies, see Taxila (butterfly. "Hydaspes" redirects here For the historic battle see Battle of the Hydaspes.

Battle

Porus drew up on the south bank of the Jhelum River, and was set to repel any crossings. "Hydaspes" redirects here For the historic battle see Battle of the Hydaspes. The Jhelum River was deep and fast enough that any opposed crossing would probably doom the entire attacking force. "Hydaspes" redirects here For the historic battle see Battle of the Hydaspes. Alexander knew that a direct crossing would fail, and so he tried to find a crossing point. Alexander moved his mounted troops up and down the river bank each night, with Porus shadowing him. Eventually, Alexander found a suitable crossing, about 17 miles upstream of his camp. His plan was a classic pincer maneuver: leave his general Craterus behind with most of the army while Alexander crossed the river upstream with a strong part of his army, consisting perhaps of 10,000 foot and 5,000 horse. Craterus was to ford the river and attack if Porus faced Alexander with all his troops, but to remain if Porus faced Alexander with only a part of his army.

Alexander's crossing of the Hydaspes river

Alexander quietly moved his part of the army upstream and then traversed. He landed on an island, however, but was soon on the other side of the river. To combat the new threat, Porus sent a small cavalry and chariot force under his son to the crossing. The force was easily routed, the chariots in particular being impeded by the mud near the shore of the river, with Porus' son among the dead. Porus now saw that the crossing force was larger, and decided to face it with the bulk of his army. He left behind a small detachment to disrupt the landing of Craterus' force now crossing the river.

When the battle actually started, the Macedonian cavalry was to the right of the line, but Alexander sent a group of cavalry to circle behind the Indians and attack them from behind. The Indians were poised with cavalry on both flanks, the war elephants in front, and infantry behind the elephants.

These war elephants presented an especially difficult situation for Alexander. A war elephant is an Elephant trained and guided by humans for combat Most of his success on the battlefield came from his ability to separate the enemy lines and drive his crack Companion cavalry into the opening. The Companions ( εταιροι hetairoi) were the Cavalry of the Macedonian army from the time of king Philip II of Macedon, and This was used with devastating effectiveness at both Issus and Gaugamela. The Battle of Issus (or more commonly The Battle at Issus) occurred in southern Anatolia, in November 333 BC. The Battle of Gaugamela (ˌgɔːgəˈmiːlə (Γαυγάμηλα took place in 331 BC between Alexander the Great of Macedonia and Darius III However, the Indian elephants scared the Macedonian horses. The mere scent of these incredible creatures forced Alexander to modify his strategy.

Combined attack of cavalry and infantry

Alexander started the battle by sending horse archers to shower the Indian left cavalry wing. After this, he led the customary charge on the weakened cavalry wing. Predictably, the Indian right cavalry wing galloped to the opposite wing in order to reinforce the charged cavalry. At this moment, Alexander sent his officer Coenus with cavalry either to attack the Indian left by way of circling behind the enemy, or to attack the Indian cavalry after a feint to the Indian right. Thus, Alexander was able to destroy the Indian cavalry while minimizing his mounted units' exposure to the Indian war elephants. Had the Indian cavalry not been destroyed they could have endangered his phalanxes later in the battle, and the Macedonian horse may not have been able to support the foot soldiers against the Indian cavalry due to the proximity of the elephants. The phalanx (Ancient Greek φάλαγξ Modern Greek φάλαγγα phālanga (plural phalanxes or phalanges (Ancient and Modern Greek φάλαγγες

Meanwhile, the Macedonian phalanxes had advanced to engage the charge of the war elephants, which was stopped, albeit with heavy casualties to the infantry. The Army of ancient Macedon is considered to be among the greatest military forces of the ancient world The Macedonians eventually surrounded the Indian force, which amounted to a mass surrender.

Porus was one of many Indians who impressed Alexander. Wounded in his shoulder, standing at seven feet tall, but still on his feet, he was asked by Alexander how he wished to be treated. "Treat me, O Alexander, like a king" Porus responded. ^[17]

Macedonian losses to their cavalry arm was much less than in the infantry, with 280 killed. Alexander lost as many as 4,000 infantry, mostly phalanx troops,^[11] while 12,000 of his men were casualties in total. ^[13] They had borne the brunt of the fighting against the elephants, as the horses of the Macedonian cavalry had refused to go near the beasts. Indian losses amounted to 12,000 dead and 9,000 men captured.

Aftermath and consequence

A painting by Charles Le Brun depicting Alexander and Porus during the Battle of the Hydaspes

The bravery and war skills of Porus impressed Alexander. Charles Le Brun (24 February 1619 - 22 February 1690 was a French painter and art theorist, one of the dominant artists in 17th century France. Conflict alliance and comradeship with Alexander Unlike his neighbour Ambhi (in Greek Omphis, King Porus chose to fight Alexander the Great in Alexander spared the life of Porus, although he had been defeated, and let him rule Hydaspes in Alexander's name. This was as far as Alexander could go. At this time, the Magadha Empire further east on the Gangetic plain had 6,000 war elephants, while Chandragupta Maurya of the Mauryan Empire years later acquired 9,000 war elephants. Magadha (मगध formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas ( Sanskrit, "great countries" or regions in ancient India. The Indo-Gangetic Plain also known as the Northern plains and the North Indian River Plain is a large and fertile plain encompassing most of northern and eastern India, Chandragupta Maurya (चन्द्रगुप्त मौर्य sometimes known simply as Chandragupta (born c The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE) ruled by the Mauryan dynasty was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military These numbers of war elephants were many times larger than the numbers employed by the Persians and Greeks, which was discouraging for Alexander's men and stayed further progress into India.

Afterwards, Alexander founded Alexandria Nikaia (Victory), located at the battle site, to commemorate his triumph. He also founded Alexandria Bucephalus on the opposite bank of the river. Alexandria Bucephalous, or Bucephalia, was a city founded by Alexander the Great in memory of his beloved horse Bucephalus on the Jhelum River Alexander did this in memory of his recently deceased and much cherished horse, Bucephalus. For the branding mark anciently used on horses see Bucephalus (brand.

Notes

References

Modern

• Fuller, John (1960). Major-General John Frederick Charles Fuller, CB, CBE, DSO, commonly J The Generalship of Alexander the Great. New Jersey: De Capo Press.
• Green, Peter (1974). Peter Green (born 1924 is a British Classical scholar noted for his Alexander to Actium, a general account of the Hellenistic Age Alexander of Macedon: A Historical Biography.
• Manav Guha (2005). Porus and Alexander: The Battle of the Jhelum 327-326 BC. Orders of Battle. General Data LLC.
• Harbottle, Thomas Benfield (1906). Dictionary of Battles. New York.
• Rogers, Guy (2004). Alexander: The Ambiguity of Greatness. New York: Random House.
• Welman, Nick. Battles (Major) and Army. Fontys University. Fontys is one operator of Universities of Applied Science in the Netherlands The headquarters of Fontys is in the city of Eindhoven.

Ancient

• Diodorus Siculus (90-30 BC). Bibliotheca Historica.
• Quintus Curtius Rufus (60-70 AD). Quintus Curtius Rufus was a Roman historian who is generally thought to have written his works during the reign of Emperor Claudius (41-54 AD Historiae Alexandri Magni.
• Plutarch (75 AD). Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c The Life of Alexander the Great, Parallel Lives. Plutarch 's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, commonly called Parallel Lives or Plutarch's Lives, is a series of
• Metz Epitome.

External links

• Hydaspes (Jhelum)
• Battle of Hydaspes River animated battle map by Jonathan Webb