How Alexander's invasion worked for the Greeks and Indians

Alexander the great Macedonian conquistador invaded India in 326 B.C.E. at the end of his brilliant campaign to 'conquer the known world' as he swept Greece, Mediterranean world, Syria, Egypt, Persia and Central Asia dislodging a number of native dynasties and replacing them with his Greek lieutenants. India was the last stop for this voracious conqueror whose armies were trained for the kill whenever they found resistance to their advances. Alexander invaded India through the frontier kingdom of Takshashila whose ruler Oomphis (Ambhi) discretely surrendered to Alexander to avoid the annihilation of his kingdom. Alexander then went on to fight the last major battle of his life against King Porus or Puru, at the Battle of Hydaspes (Greek name for Jhelum river).

This brief contact with the Greeks under Alexander has been written off by noted Indian historians as of little consequence to Indian history as it was not even mentioned in Indian sources. However, for the Greeks, it heralded a number of important changes especially in their perception of India which earlier depended on the mythical conquests of Hercules and Greek god Dionysius' reaching India. Alexander's brief encounter brought actual information about the existence of a number of fierce warrior tribes at the entry of the Indian sub-continent. Though not recorded in Indian sources, the Battle of Hydaspes' accounts were written by not less than 16 of Alexander's companions, which narrate the great skills acquired by ancient Indians in war, notably, in the use of elephants as war machines equivalent of today's battle tanks. An interesting surviving proof of the battle is a large silver 'war token' of Alexander which shows a battle scene between a Greek soldier and two Indian soldiers seated on the back of an elephant. The Greek awe of the elephant continued with later rulers as Alexander's successor in his eastern territories, Seleucus Nikator sought 500 war elephants from Chandragupta Maurya to fight his western opponents.

Alexander's invasion also opened up the importance of India's ancient border, the Khyber Pass in Kabul-Gandhara region for its later rulers. Thus, on the conquest of Gandhara from the Greek invaders, Chandragupta Maurya fortified the region and kept a very tight vigil on the region. In fact, all great Indian rulers from Chandragupta Maurya and his grandson Ashoka to the later Gupta dynasty till the Mughals kept a wary eye on this important outpost which exposed the rest of India to invasions.

It has been recorded by Alexander's biographers that apart from gifting him a large number of animals as tribute, Ambhi also presented to Alexander 200 talents (talent was a Greek weight term of about 33 to 50 kg much like the Indian Maund 'Maan') of coined silver. This fact thus establishes that ancient Indian currency pre-dates Alexander, a vital proof of its indigenous nature as well. Indians, on the other hand, discovered the Greek style of die-struck coinage with beautiful images of the king and Greek deities. These coins inspired later Indian rulers to adopt both the technique and the idea of using images of Gods and goddesses on coins.

Lastly, Alexander's invasion brought one important fact which can be only appreciated in hindsight, the lack of Indian awareness of world affairs and events outside its immediate sphere, which cost them very heavily as 'invasions' from outside were rarely analysed and understood by Indian tacticians about their possible impact on the country.

INDIAN ENTRY

• Alexander invaded India through the frontier kingdom of Takshashila whose ruler Oomphis (Ambhi) discretely surrendered to Alexander
   
• His invasion also opened up the importance of India’s ancient border, the Khyber Pass in Kabul-Gandhara region
   
• Indians, on the other hand, discovered the Greek style of die-struck coinage with beautiful images of the king and Greek deities.