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HoplMedia does not endorse X-Sides of any sort. Please staff

2:28

responsibly. Hello

2:44

everyone! Welcome to

2:46

the History of Persia, episode

2:48

117, At World's End. Before

2:53

we begin, I just want

2:56

to remind everyone to get

2:58

their questions in either by

3:00

direct message on social media,

3:02

the contact page at historyofpersiapodcast.com,

3:05

or email to

3:08

[email protected] for

3:10

the episode 125 Q&A to wrap up the Achaemenid

3:12

era. Last

3:17

time, we returned to the

3:19

narrative and covered Alexander the

3:21

Great's battle for control of

3:24

Bactria and Sogdiana. Despite

3:27

defeating the Achaemenids, the local

3:29

Sogdian nobility refused to

3:31

accept the Macedonian occupation lying

3:34

down. From late 329 to

3:36

early 327 BCE, they fought a brutal insurgent campaign and forced

3:43

Alexander to march from mountain fortress

3:45

to mountain fortress and root them

3:48

out. Along

3:50

the way, the Macedonians battled

3:52

the Sogdian's Saka allies and

3:54

captured Raksana, The

3:57

daughter of Oxiartes, one of the Sogdian's. The

4:00

and rebels. Upon

4:02

Oxy Rt. surrender, Alexander formed

4:04

a marriage packs with the

4:06

war lord and married Roxana.

4:09

Supposedly. His one true

4:12

love. Do

4:14

wonder what have fast the on would

4:16

have to say about that presentation of

4:18

history though. Once. The rebels

4:20

were finally dealt with. Alexander settled

4:23

the organization of bacteria for the

4:25

time being and announced that he

4:27

his army, his wife, and even

4:30

her family were not done conquering

4:32

just yet. When. Three

4:34

Twenty seven came around. The.

4:37

Army left back try in the hands

4:39

of it's new Sat wrap. Then.

4:41

They marched south east. Heading

4:44

back into the Hindu Kush

4:46

to begin Alexander's invasion of

4:49

India. nominally.

4:51

This had all been a came in

4:53

and territory. And. The northwestern

4:55

fringe of the subcontinent certainly was

4:57

under direct a came in had

4:59

control from a very early point

5:02

all the way back with Cyrus

5:04

the great. However,

5:06

the gradual collapse of authority under

5:08

Daria the third and are desserts

5:10

these The Fist compounded with the

5:13

extended period of revolt in Saga

5:15

Dia. Meant. That

5:17

these Indians atrophies had

5:20

functionally ben independent for

5:22

three years. That's.

5:24

Not a lot of time, but

5:26

it is enough time to start

5:28

getting used to the new found

5:31

The Independence. Alexander's

5:33

arrival would be a rude reminder

5:35

that they were still supposed to

5:37

be part of a grand continents

5:40

spanning empire. According

5:42

to quintet, courteous, Rufus Alexander

5:44

outfitted his army with shiny

5:47

new equipment. armor decorated with

5:49

gold shields, adorned with silver

5:51

spears and laid with ivory.

5:54

The works. This.

5:56

Probably isn't true, at least not

5:58

for most of the army. As

6:01

Courteous describes it, But.

6:03

Even though he is the

6:05

only source, I wouldn't be surprised

6:07

if it was true for Alexander's

6:09

personal guards and companions. It's

6:12

not the sort of equipment you would

6:15

take into battle, but marching information on

6:17

parade when you enter a conquered city.

6:20

It. Would cut a striking image,

6:22

especially since the Greeks already

6:24

believed that India was immensely

6:27

wealthy. First. Impressions are in

6:29

poured into after all. The.

6:32

Audi I, the Imperial army

6:34

still largely formed of Macedonians,

6:37

Greeks, inflation's but now including

6:39

recruits from across the empire,

6:41

especially Iran and Central Asia,

6:44

marched out. Now numbering

6:46

around fifty thousand soldiers

6:48

plus camp followers, they

6:50

started crossing through modern

6:52

Afghanistan. Several. Of

6:55

the local person, governors had

6:57

already sent representatives to Alexander

6:59

after Basses death and the

7:01

had actually planned to establish

7:03

a new satcher be called

7:05

her up a misa die

7:07

including territory formerly split between

7:10

the northern fringes of the

7:12

Came in had gone to

7:14

Hora and said target dia.

7:17

The. Western Indic vassal kingdom

7:19

of Cut Piece Of was

7:21

supposed to become the core

7:24

of this new profits, with

7:26

Alexander officially renaming the city

7:28

of Kopi see to another

7:30

Alexandria. Usually. Identified

7:32

with modern fog rom. Technically,

7:35

this was Alexandria in the Caucasus

7:38

because the Greeks believed that the

7:40

Hindu Kush eventually wrapped around the

7:42

north to meet with the Caucasus

7:44

near the Black Sea. Port.

7:47

For simplicity, I'll just call

7:49

this one Alexandria a Pc.

7:52

So. They stopped in Alexandria Tpc

7:54

to set up an actual

7:56

Macedonian garrison. And.

8:00

Government for pair up a nice

8:02

to die before advancing south to

8:04

the Coffin River. C O P

8:06

H E N in case you

8:09

were wondering. Roughly at

8:11

the sight of modern Kabul. Coffin.

8:14

Just being the ancient form of

8:17

that same name. While. They're

8:19

Alexander received king on this

8:21

of Tuck Sila, the most

8:23

important city of the upper

8:26

Indus Valley. Who. Was currently

8:28

engaged in a bitter struggle

8:30

against his neighbor and rival,

8:32

a king called Porous. presumably.

8:36

These two had been a came

8:38

in his vassals or at least

8:40

office had been, but recent events

8:42

had sparked a struggle for dominance

8:44

among the petty kings of the

8:46

in this region. Alexander.

8:49

Was all too happy to offer

8:51

office his aid. So. Long

8:53

as the king of Tax Sila fledged

8:55

himself to the odd yeah dynasty. Which.

8:58

Was basically just a return to the A

9:00

came in and status quo. The.

9:03

Greeks called the town that

9:05

eventually became Modern Cobbled Me

9:07

tire. And. They stopped there

9:09

to split their forces. Alexander

9:12

took command of just over half

9:15

the army, including the bulk of

9:17

the infantry and light cavalry. While.

9:20

Per to Kiss and Have Fusty on

9:22

were placed in command of a slightly

9:24

smaller contingent. With. About half of

9:26

the heavy cavalry as well as

9:28

all the Greek mercenaries. The.

9:31

Two armies would march down

9:33

different branches of the North

9:36

Eastern in this tributary rivers

9:38

to subjugate any native cities

9:40

that refuse to submit to

9:42

Alexander's rule, and rendezvous again

9:44

at Tax Sila. Ping

9:47

office went with her fest the

9:49

on to act as a guide

9:51

while Alexander was accompanied by says

9:53

a courthouse an Indian commander who

9:55

had served the Persians prior to

9:57

the battle of Goucher mailer. And

10:00

you'll notice how have Best Dion

10:03

and other Macedonian officers we haven't

10:05

heard much about. start taking the

10:07

spotlight at this point in the

10:10

campaign. Between. Treason,

10:12

personal insults to Alexander, and

10:14

needing to find governors for

10:17

all this new territory. There

10:19

was a lot of turnover

10:21

in Alexander's officer corps during

10:23

the conquest of Eastern Iran.

10:27

So. Now. There. Were

10:29

opportunities for previously obscure subcommander's

10:31

to carve out a place

10:34

for themselves. And.

10:37

Feisty Ons forces hit

10:39

resistance burst, besieging Osteen.

10:42

The. Petty King of Gone Hora for

10:44

a full month. Before breaking

10:46

through the walls of the officers

10:49

castle. Evidently off

10:51

these was another of offices

10:54

local rivals and king office

10:56

already had one of gun

10:58

Horas nobles in his entourage,

11:01

ready and able to install

11:03

a friendly local dynasts. Asked

11:06

these was killed in the fortress as

11:08

it fell and have feisty on moved

11:10

on with his own campaign. Meanwhile.

11:14

Alexander followed the Co. East

11:16

river. Possibly. The

11:18

Modern Cool Rom. Into. The

11:20

territory of a people call

11:22

Bs patients. He was

11:25

headed for the Khyber Pass, the

11:27

route that takes you between modern

11:29

Afghanistan and Pakistan. But. In

11:31

the fourth century Bc, the region

11:33

was littered with many mountain cultures

11:36

like several that we've encountered throughout.

11:38

the A came in a period.

11:41

The. A space and had little

11:43

interest in foreign rule and

11:45

hilltop fortresses that they could

11:47

retreat to and resist any

11:50

invaders. So. That's

11:52

exactly what they did. Of

11:55

course we're talking sparsely

11:57

populated mountain herders. So.

11:59

The first. Townsville easily

12:01

to Alexander's advance. The.

12:04

Largest as bait and city put

12:06

up more resistance. The.

12:08

Macedonian forces made a direct assault

12:11

just as they had so many

12:13

times in the past, only to

12:15

be repelled at the gates. Both

12:18

Ptolemy and Alexander himself were

12:21

wounded in this attack. So.

12:24

The army besieged the sp

12:26

in walls. It. Took

12:28

a few days to find a suitable

12:30

place to break down the outer fortifications

12:33

and the as patients held them back

12:35

at the inner wall long enough to

12:37

be noteworthy. But. Alexander

12:40

just commanded so many missile

12:42

troops that the defenders were

12:44

eventually overwhelmed, allowing the Macedonian

12:47

vanguard to scale the walls

12:49

and take the city centre.

12:52

Alexander wanted to set a

12:55

precedent here. And if

12:57

you've been paying attention since about the

12:59

reign of our desert sees the second

13:01

you know that a king wanting to

13:03

set a precedent with a conquered city

13:05

is not a good sign. As.

13:08

The inheritor of the Persian

13:11

Empire. These. Index cities

13:13

that resisted him. We're.

13:15

Not been conquered by

13:17

Alexander. Instead. As

13:19

the Lord of All Asia saw

13:21

at they were rebels and would

13:24

be punished as such. Captives

13:26

were executed and the city

13:28

was burned to the ground. But.

13:31

The a space and capital was not.

13:34

Their. King came out at the

13:37

head of his army to try

13:39

and face a Macedonian contingent under

13:41

Ptolemy in the field. And

13:44

supposedly he was killed in a

13:46

cavalry charge by Ptolemy himself. Bringing.

13:49

The as space and conflict to an

13:52

end when the rest of his people

13:54

just surrendered. after the

13:56

a space hims they approached

13:58

another indian vassal Kingdom, the

14:01

land of the Gorions, and

14:04

their fortress city of Arigaeum, modern

14:07

Nawagi Pakistan along

14:09

the Chawaspis River. The

14:12

Macedonians occupied Arigaeum peacefully, with

14:15

Craterus taking control of the

14:17

city to make it the

14:19

center of Macedonian power in

14:21

the region. However, while

14:23

leading a foraging party through

14:25

the surrounding countryside, Ptolemy discovered

14:28

a large goryan force assembling

14:30

to retake the city. It

14:34

is not stated how many men

14:36

were coming to assault Arigaeum, but

14:39

we can assume several thousand at least

14:41

for Ptolemy to report it as a

14:44

genuine threat. Alexander

14:46

led a small band out as

14:48

bait for the Gorions, and successfully

14:50

lured them in, thinking

14:53

they could successfully attack the small

14:55

Macedonian party in the open. Unbeknownst

14:58

to them, Ptolemy was leading a

15:01

larger force around their flanks through

15:03

the mountains. The

15:05

uneven ground made it difficult for

15:07

the Macedonian phalanx under Ptolemy's command

15:10

to fight in formation, and

15:12

rendered cavalry all but useless.

15:15

Which led to a difficult and

15:17

protracted battle, but the

15:20

Macedonians once again just had

15:22

a pure numerical advantage, and

15:24

were able to overwhelm the

15:26

Gorions through attrition, and

15:29

presumably better unit cohesion since this

15:31

was an army of people who

15:33

had been fighting together for literal

15:36

decades. The Gorions

15:38

submitted to Alexander before the

15:40

main Macedonian host moved on.

15:43

As they advanced through the rest of

15:45

the area following the Panchkora River now,

15:48

they found isolated bands of

15:50

Gorion resistors, but nothing that

15:52

could effectively challenge the full

15:55

army. Then they

15:57

went into the territory of the

15:59

Ossakhenian. And

16:01

this was a different story. According

16:05

to Arian, the Ossakennians mustered a

16:08

force of 2,000 cavalry, 30,000

16:11

infantry, and 30

16:14

war elephants. The first elephant

16:16

force the Macedonians would have to

16:19

face in open battle. This

16:21

would have made the Ossakennian

16:24

army even larger than Alexander's

16:26

forces. Remember, Hephaestion had half

16:28

the troops at this point.

16:32

Presumably, this is an

16:34

exaggeration. But the

16:36

greater point is that they were

16:38

still a genuine challenger with at

16:41

least similar numbers

16:43

to the Macedonian army. The

16:47

more important number is probably the

16:49

claim that the Ossakennians hired 7,000

16:52

mercenaries from further east within India.

16:56

Possibly rebels or refugees from

16:58

the Nanda Empire experienced

17:01

veterans to form a fighting corps

17:03

for the army. Alexander

17:06

assaulted the Ossakennian capital

17:08

at Masaka and somewhat

17:11

overconfident in the 7,000

17:13

mercenaries, the Ossakennians

17:15

sallyed out from behind their

17:17

fortifications to attack the

17:20

Macedonians directly. Here,

17:22

Alexander deployed a fusion

17:24

of Persian and Macedonian

17:26

tactics, ordering a

17:28

barrage of archers and mounted javelin

17:31

throwers to loose their missiles as

17:34

soon as the Ossakennians got within range,

17:37

disrupting the enemy forces and prompting

17:39

a retreat as they were chased

17:41

by the Macedonian phalanx. Everyone

17:44

settled in for a siege, but

17:46

the terrain was too steep and the

17:48

walls were too wide for

17:50

the Macedonians to fully encircle

17:52

Masaka. The

17:55

Indian mercenaries were able to range

17:57

out behind the Macedonian line. and

17:59

burn the siege weapons that were

18:02

coming up in the Macedonian baggage

18:04

train. Alexander ordered

18:06

his men to construct a single

18:09

simple siege tower that could extend

18:11

a bridge over the Asakenian walls,

18:14

which worked initially, but when

18:16

the Hepaspists tried to march

18:18

across the bridge and attack

18:20

the city directly, their

18:23

structure collapsed, sending many of Alexander's

18:26

honor guards to their deaths. After

18:29

three days of attempted sieges, a

18:32

sturdier bridge was deployed and the

18:34

Macedonians were able to kill the

18:36

Indian mercenary captain on the

18:38

city walls, disrupting their enemy

18:41

enough to overwhelm them and get control

18:43

of the gates. They

18:45

were thrown open and

18:47

the Macedonians poured into Masaka,

18:50

forcing the native defenders to

18:52

surrender or face mass slaughter.

18:56

Naturally, they chose the former. The

18:58

king of Masaka and his family were

19:00

taken hostage as the conquerors installed their

19:02

own forces within the city. The

19:05

Asakenians who escaped made camp in

19:08

the mountains nearby and

19:10

were surrounded. They tried

19:12

to escape, but were so penned

19:14

in by the Macedonians that their

19:16

hilltop camp became a slaughterhouse. From

19:20

Masaka, Alexander proceeded

19:22

into the Peshawar Valley, to

19:25

take the cities of Ora, modern

19:28

Odigram, and Bizira, modern

19:31

Birakot. Alexander

19:33

thought after the fall of

19:35

Masaka, the neighboring cities would

19:37

simply surrender. He was

19:39

wrong. He sent

19:41

General Atollus to occupy Ora,

19:44

which sent an army out to face

19:46

the Macedonians in the field. They

19:49

were easily defeated, leaving a

19:51

severely beaten force to attempt

19:53

and defend Ora from a

19:55

Macedonian siege. Bizira,

19:58

on the other hand, was tougher

20:00

to crack. The city

20:03

was so confident in its

20:05

fortifications that when General Coinus

20:07

arrived, the defenders didn't

20:09

even attempt to repel him in

20:11

battle. Alexander was

20:13

forced to march down to

20:16

Bizira himself and reinforce the

20:18

siege. However,

20:20

while Alexander was on his

20:23

way, his forces were

20:25

attacked by a scouting party from

20:27

Ora. Alexander pursued them

20:29

back to their city, joining Adalice

20:32

for another assault on the city

20:34

walls. With Alexander's

20:36

reinforcements and the siege weapons they

20:38

had prepared to take to Bizira,

20:41

Ora fell almost immediately. Alexander

20:45

stuck around just long enough to

20:47

ensure that it was firmly in

20:49

Adalice's hands, before taking all the

20:52

siege equipment to its intended destination

20:54

at Bizira. However,

20:56

when Ora fell, the citizens

20:59

of Bizira fled their city

21:01

to a more fortified position,

21:04

a fortress down the Swat

21:06

River called Eornos. Ptolemy

21:09

and Alexander's personal assistant,

21:11

Eumenes of Cardia, were

21:14

sent ahead to scout the area

21:16

around this fortress. It

21:20

had a moat, a stockade,

21:22

and a series of narrow

21:24

natural ravines that prevented any

21:26

organized army from even approaching

21:28

the walls in formation. The

21:32

northern side was deemed the most

21:34

vulnerable, guarded only by

21:36

a single wide ravine. So

21:40

Alexander did what he did best

21:42

and ordered thousands of soldiers to

21:44

start filling in the gap with

21:46

as much debris as possible to

21:48

form a bridge. Dirt,

21:51

rocks, carpentry scraps from their

21:53

siege weapons, metal scraps

21:56

from broken weapons, you name it.

21:58

It all went into the pit. It

22:01

took three days to cross, but

22:04

finally Alexander's forces reached and secured

22:06

the area just outside the walls

22:08

of Eornos. The

22:11

king supposedly led the vanguard with

22:13

climbing ropes to scale the stockade

22:16

and take the city himself. And

22:19

when Eornos fell, Alexander

22:21

presided over a ceremony

22:23

dedicating the city to Nikkei,

22:26

the Greek goddess of victory. From

22:30

there, they turned north, crossing between

22:32

the Coffin and Indus rivers as

22:34

they approached the city of Nyssa,

22:38

one of the Indian Ghanasongas,

22:40

oligarchic republics not unlike the

22:42

Polis they were familiar with

22:45

back in Greece. Akufis,

22:48

the president of Nyssa's

22:50

rolling council, came

22:52

out to meet with Alexander. Through

22:55

interpreters, Alexander concluded that

22:58

Nyssa was connected to

23:00

a god who resembled the Greek

23:02

god of wine, Dionysus,

23:05

at least enough to believe

23:07

that Nyssa tied to the

23:09

myth of Dionysus conquering India.

23:12

Akufis, for his part, just

23:14

wanted to surrender peacefully, retain

23:16

his position of authority, and

23:19

get Alexander to pass his city

23:21

without violence. So

23:24

Nyssa swore itself to Macedonian

23:26

authority, and the Westerners

23:28

celebrated a festival to their god

23:30

for a few days before moving

23:32

on, taking Akufis's

23:34

son and grandson as

23:37

political hostages, and

23:39

a hundred Indian cavalry from

23:41

the city as part of their tribute

23:43

to the new empire. When

23:46

they finally reached the Indus river,

23:49

Alexander was met by

23:51

envoys from Toxila, which

23:54

King Amphus had reached with Hephaestion

23:56

and Perdicus well before Alexander arrived

23:58

in the region. These

24:01

envoys brought the first wave

24:03

of Texelas tribute to their

24:06

new overlord, alongside additional

24:08

cavalry forces and 30 war

24:11

elephants, the first such

24:13

beasts to join the Macedonian

24:15

army on their march. Before

24:19

crossing the Indus, which the

24:21

Greeks saw as the border

24:23

into India proper, Alexander

24:26

ordered more celebrations and sacrifices

24:29

to the gods. And

24:32

after these ads, we will

24:34

follow them into this strange

24:36

new land. Happy

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26:38

India. Even

26:40

the slightly more arid regions

26:43

that make up much of

26:45

modern Pakistan where Alexander campaigned,

26:47

it was unlike anything the

26:50

Europeans had ever encountered. It's

26:53

tropical, forested, and

26:55

since it's actually a subcontinent that's

26:58

been colliding with Asia for millions

27:00

of years, it is

27:02

surrounded by mountains. These

27:05

natural boundaries have allowed the South

27:07

Asian subcontinent to develop a more

27:10

unique ecosystem, and

27:12

this was so far from Greece

27:15

that the invaders had never seen

27:17

anything like most of the plants

27:19

and animals they now encountered. They

27:23

met dark-skinned Indian people, a

27:26

trait they had only ever really

27:28

associated with inner Africa. They

27:30

had been fighting their way through the mountains

27:32

over the course of winter and spring 327

27:35

and 326, and

27:38

suddenly found themselves in the midst

27:40

of the tropical monsoon season, a

27:43

form of weather that they had

27:45

no context for. It's

27:49

easy to imagine just how

27:51

alien this must have all

27:53

been, through the combination of

27:56

completely new experiences and things

27:58

they had only ever experienced in their lifetime. only ever heard

28:00

rumors about in a

28:03

very different African or

28:05

Arabian context. Even

28:08

the gods and traditions were

28:10

utterly unheard of. Schools

28:13

of philosophy they had never

28:15

encountered like Buddhism and Jainism

28:17

flourished. It

28:19

was another planet. Alexander

28:23

led his troops south from

28:25

the Khyber Pass to Taksila

28:27

to rejoin the forces that

28:29

had gone ahead with Hephaestion,

28:31

Perdicus, and Amphus, and

28:34

paused only briefly to establish

28:36

a permanent Macedonian garrison and

28:39

install a Macedonian satrap for

28:41

his new province of India,

28:44

Old Persian Hindush. Then

28:48

it was time to expand his power

28:51

and honor, his pledge

28:53

to Amphus, by

28:55

marching against the Taksilan King's

28:57

enemies. It

28:59

is at this point that we

29:01

really have to start wondering whether

29:04

or not Alexander was conquering territory

29:06

that had once been part of

29:08

the Achaemenid Empire, if only

29:11

loosely, or at

29:13

some point in the distant

29:15

past under Darius the Great

29:17

or Xerxes, or if

29:19

Alexander was poised to become the

29:21

first Western conqueror to penetrate this

29:24

deep into the Indus Valley. We

29:27

know that Darius conquered some of it,

29:30

and it is possible that some of

29:32

his successors had at least campaigned there

29:34

as well. However,

29:37

we know so little about

29:39

Persia's Indian satrapies that it

29:41

is impossible to decide how

29:43

far east they actually went.

29:47

Amphus's rival was King

29:49

Porus. Possibly not

29:52

actually a name, but derived

29:54

from his people, The

29:56

Puru, a tribe mentioned in the

29:58

Rig Veda. Horace

30:01

controlled the territory between they

30:03

had ah Speed River. The.

30:05

Modern Jhelum. And the

30:07

Chin Up River. The. Second and

30:10

third, westernmost rivers in the

30:12

Punjab. I.

30:14

Came in in control at least extended

30:16

it to somewhere between the in this

30:19

and the had ah speeds. We.

30:22

Don't know how much

30:24

farther. It is

30:26

possible. That. Poorest this people

30:28

had never been a came

30:30

in at subjects. When.

30:33

Alexander arrived on the north west

30:35

side of the had ah species

30:37

in may have three twenty six.

30:40

Porous, Was already in camped on

30:42

the south eastern bank. The.

30:45

River was shallower than the in

30:47

this which really isn't saying much

30:49

and it was still swollen with

30:51

monsoon water. It took

30:54

several days for the Macedonian scouts

30:56

to find a suitable crossing point,

30:58

even though they had pulled boats

31:00

used to cross the in this

31:03

overland with them. The.

31:05

Nearest potential crossing was found

31:07

almost twenty seven kilometers, seventeen

31:10

miles upstream from the opposing

31:12

camps, at a place where

31:14

a small island divided the

31:17

river. Over the course

31:19

of several days, a detachment

31:21

of the main Macedonian forces

31:23

crossed on rafts while Alexander

31:25

supervise from a position on

31:28

the island. To.

31:30

Maintain the element of surprise. Alexander

31:32

led his men in small groups,

31:34

taking a wide arc back to

31:37

the west out of sight of

31:39

porous his camp before circling back

31:41

around to the crossing. Meanwhile.

31:45

Crowder is was tasked with

31:47

leading false maneuvers along the

31:49

had Ah speeds banks to

31:51

distract porous is scouts and

31:53

observers. Alexander

31:55

crossed with five thousand

31:57

infantry and six thousand

32:00

cavalry. His elite troops.

32:02

Supposedly. Facing a force

32:04

of over twenty thousand,

32:06

including dozens of elephants,

32:09

And that low end to

32:11

of twenty thousand isn't even

32:13

all that unrealistic. When.

32:16

The Indian forces realized what

32:18

was happening. Porous dispatched his

32:20

own son in command of

32:22

around with two thousand cavalry

32:24

and one hundred and twenty

32:26

light war chariots to disrupt

32:28

the crossing. But. By the

32:31

time they arrived, the Macedonian troops

32:33

were already assembling on the south

32:35

eastern Bank. There. Was

32:37

a brief skirmish, but the Indians

32:40

were forced to withdraw. Upon.

32:42

Hearing that his opponent was bearing

32:44

down on his camp, Porous ordered

32:46

his troops to move out, but

32:49

left a token force with the

32:51

bulk of his elephant core to

32:53

give the impression. That. A

32:55

much larger army was still in

32:57

camp and dissuade crowder as from

32:59

attempting to cross and attack the

33:02

Indian army from behind. He

33:05

arranged his troops along the riverbank

33:07

with rows of spear men behind

33:09

a line of elephants. Spaced.

33:12

Out to one beast every hundred

33:15

feet or so. just wide enough

33:17

to provide maneuverability for his own

33:19

infantry, Would just near enough that

33:21

the elephants could close the distance

33:24

on any attacker and cover the

33:26

whole line with arrows from the

33:28

archers mounted on their backs. Indian.

33:32

Cavalry form the cap on either

33:34

flank of the infantry formation, which

33:37

was just a bit wider than

33:39

the Elephant line. Porous,

33:42

Himself was commanding from atop

33:44

the center most elephant. Alexander

33:50

took an unusual formation.

33:53

He lined up his infantry

33:55

as usual, Macedonian phalanx on

33:57

the left, hot late style.

34:00

Pos bests to their right. But.

34:02

Then concentrated all of his

34:04

had hi roy horsemen on

34:06

the right hand side under

34:08

his own personal command. Apparently.

34:11

Leaving his left flank open to

34:13

a cavalry attack, Porous,

34:16

Must have been a bit

34:18

confused and expecting some deception.

34:20

But. It would have been hard to

34:22

anticipate what exactly was going to happen.

34:26

These. Invaders may have looked

34:28

strange, war, strange clothing and

34:30

spoke a strange language. But.

34:33

Horses armor and spear work the

34:35

same no matter where you go.

34:38

Then it became clear. Alexander.

34:42

Personally led the light cavalry in

34:44

the first charge. Primarily.

34:46

Made up of soccer recruited from

34:48

the Da Hye Confederacy during the

34:50

Macedonians time in Central Asia. They.

34:54

Assaulted the Indian left flank out

34:56

of range from the elephants with

34:58

a barrage of arrows and javelin.

35:01

Porous, Is right flank cavalry

35:03

guard raised around behind their

35:06

own lines to reinforce their

35:08

comrades, but the Macedonian heavy

35:10

cavalry under Coin us mimics

35:12

their moves, riding behind the

35:15

Macedonian infantry and across the

35:17

battlefield in a huge sweeping

35:19

arc, almost making a complete

35:22

circle as they went behind

35:24

Porous Is formation and charged

35:26

into the Indian Horseman from

35:28

the rear. Practically.

35:32

There was nothing Be Macedonians could

35:34

do to actually counter the elephants

35:36

other than pray to their gods

35:38

and hope for the past. But.

35:41

They're pikes were much longer than

35:43

the Indian spears and sorts. They

35:45

could hold up there pal task

35:47

to shield themselves as best they

35:49

could it's from the elephant archers

35:52

and engage the Indian infantry from

35:54

out of range of their enemies

35:56

blades. So.

35:58

The Phalanx try straight

36:00

across the battlefield and

36:03

engaged. Elephants.

36:05

Were already diverting to assist their

36:07

own cavalry and were caught face

36:09

to face with the Macedonian phalanx.

36:12

The. Macedonians were a combination of

36:15

hardened veterans and much too

36:17

close to these lumbering monsters

36:19

to get away, even if

36:21

they wanted to. So they

36:23

attacked the elephants at spear

36:25

point. When. Spears broke,

36:27

they drew swords or soccer

36:30

style cigar as axes and

36:32

ran between the ellison floods

36:34

slashing at tendons to bring

36:37

be animals down. And.

36:39

If that stands out as especially

36:41

cruel. What? The

36:43

hell do you think was happening. To the

36:45

horses and all these cavalry battles. Overwhelmed.

36:49

By an impenetrable wall of

36:51

pikes, the Indian infantry that

36:53

tried to engage with the

36:55

Macedonians were forced to retreat

36:57

Only for coin is to

36:59

turn his cavalry already behind

37:01

the Indians and catch them

37:04

in a pincer. Point.

37:06

Is is horseman became the anvil

37:08

to the phalanx. His hammer. Crushing.

37:10

Porous is infantry in between.

37:13

Meanwhile. Macedonian scouts on the

37:16

far side of the river had been

37:18

waiting and watching to alert crowd s

37:20

when the battle began. As.

37:23

Soon as he heard crowder it's

37:25

lead the remaining thirty thousand or

37:27

so soldiers and Alexander's army across

37:29

a ford in the had ah

37:31

species closer to Porous Is pam.

37:34

Where. They overwhelmed the unprepared

37:36

camp guards and seized control.

37:40

When. The retreating forces from the

37:42

battlefield began to appear. They.

37:44

Found themselves trapped between

37:46

two Macedonian armies. Initially,

37:49

Think Porous himself refused

37:52

to surrender. Riding. Around

37:54

on his elephants and throwing

37:56

javelin at Alexander's envoys. until

37:58

finally a captive from his

38:01

own entourage was sent to

38:03

talk him down. Supposedly.

38:07

Porous agreed to talk terms

38:09

of surrender only if Alexander

38:11

would treat him as a

38:13

fellow king and not a

38:16

defeated vassal. Alexander

38:18

agreed to this, confirmed Porous

38:20

in his position as king

38:22

of the region, and even

38:24

agreed to give Porous control

38:26

over any of his neighbors

38:28

that he received Macedonian help

38:30

in defeating. And. Exchange

38:33

Porous became Alexander's vassals,

38:35

set aside his conflict

38:37

with Taxi Love and

38:39

would allow Alexander to

38:41

establish new Macedonian garrisons

38:43

in his territory. Primarily.

38:46

The colony cities of Buca

38:48

Fala and Nick. Hi! I'm.

38:52

Nick. Hi simply means a

38:54

place of victory commemorating

38:56

Alexander Success. Buca.

38:59

Follow was named in honor

39:01

of Alexander's favorite warhorse. You

39:04

catalysts. Which. Was killed during the

39:06

battle of the had ah speeds. Either.

39:09

In the skirmish with Porous his son or

39:11

during the fighting, it's. That.

39:13

Horse had been Alexander's companion

39:15

for his entire adult life.

39:18

Is entire tenure as king,

39:20

and his entire campaign across

39:22

the Persian empire. And

39:24

in Alexander's view, that made this

39:27

horse worthy of its own city.

39:30

In modern times, especially

39:32

among more Indian or

39:34

Pakistani nationalistic movements, Alexander's

39:37

victory over King Porous has

39:39

been called into question. Either.

39:42

Doubting that the battle ever

39:45

happened or more often claiming

39:47

that Porous actually defeated Alexander.

39:50

Or. At least fought him to withdraw. There

39:53

are definitely suspicious elements

39:56

to the ancient accounts.

39:58

Notably. Claiming. Half or more

40:01

of porous. his forces were wiped

40:03

out. While. Alexander is only

40:05

said you have lost a few

40:07

hundred men. This.

40:10

Doesn't make sense with the apparent

40:12

position of strength that Porous was

40:14

able to negotiate from in the

40:16

aftermath. Or. Just the

40:19

very lopsided numbers of

40:21

the initial engagements. However,

40:25

Although. The original sources are lost

40:27

to us now. Plutarch:

40:29

Dia doris area and and

40:31

courteous all heavily site eyewitness

40:33

accounts such as those written

40:35

by Ptolemy and you minis

40:37

of cardiac. They. Also

40:40

go on to describe the

40:42

follow up campaign where Porous

40:44

supported Alexander in birther conquests.

40:48

These. Original works were written

40:50

for an audience of

40:52

fellow eyewitnesses, their children,

40:54

grandchildren, and friends or

40:56

acquaintances, Like. Some of

40:58

the tall tales recorded by then a fine.

41:01

There is is still only

41:03

so much room for exaggeration

41:05

when the participants are still

41:07

around. The. More realistic

41:09

version of events is simply

41:12

that the scale of Alexander

41:14

success here. Was. Exaggerated.

41:17

And much like many of his

41:19

battles in Iran and Central Asia,

41:21

a hard fought battle where he

41:23

just barely came out on top

41:25

had some low points glossed over

41:28

in the real talent. Based.

41:30

On both Alexander and Porous

41:32

his behavior after words. It

41:34

is safe to say that

41:36

the Macedonians one on the

41:39

battlefield. But. Also, that porous

41:41

had the capacity to put up

41:43

another fight if he had wanted

41:45

to. Leading. To

41:47

ultimate victory by negotiation rather

41:50

than force of arms. alexander

41:53

and his forces followed porous back

41:55

to his capital where they ironed

41:57

out the exact terms of porous

41:59

as Vassalage and the Macedonian

42:01

High Command took in

42:04

some information about this new

42:06

environment. A new

42:08

world to conquer from Porus and Amphis.

42:12

Over the following month, they made

42:14

plans for a campaign across the

42:16

northern Punjab, lands

42:18

that were almost certainly never

42:20

conquered by their Achaemenid predecessors.

42:23

However, we've hit one of those points where

42:25

there's a lot to get through on one

42:28

topic, and not enough

42:30

detail on another, so the

42:32

Malian Campaign will have to

42:34

wait. Until

42:36

then... If you

42:38

want more information about this

42:41

podcast, you can go to

42:43

historyofpersiapodcast.com. That's

42:46

where you will find my bibliography,

42:48

the Achaemenid Family Tree, and plenty

42:51

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42:53

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42:57

There are all sorts of ways

42:59

to do that, but most importantly,

43:01

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