Alexander the Great, acknowledged as one of the greatest military strategists of his time, was the first of the Greek conquerors to invade India. Alexander lll, King of Macedonia, arrived in Punjab in 327 bc, after conquering the vast Persian Empire. Following the takeover of the cities of Taxila and Aornos in Punjab, in present-day Pakistan, he fought against the powerful Indian monarch Porus in the vicinity of the Hydaspes River (present-day Jhelum River) in the epic Battle of Hydaspes (326 bc). The Indians fought with elephants, a new phenomenon for the Greeks.
After his victory, Alexander struck an alliance with Porus and allowed him to continue to rule the kingdom. Alexander and his men then pressed on, to conquer the region along the Indus River, heading towards the Ganges River and the powerful kingdom of Magadha. On the way, the battle-weary soldiers mutinied and Alexander was forced to change direction. He went south down the Indus River and attacked villages on the way. Alexander and his men reached the mouth of the Indus in July 325 bc, after which they turned westward to return home. While in India, Alexander set up numerous Greek settlements which facilitated trade and communication with other parts of his empire.
Alexander, who believed in a fusion of different races, was keen to make Asia and Europe a single country with Babylon as the capital. He encouraged intermarriage as part of his universal policy and married a Persian princess himself. He promoted the dissemination of Greek customs in India and the rest of his empire in Asia.
Alexander’s ambitious plans were thwarted when he suddenly fell ill at Babylon and died in June 323 bc at the age of 33. In the absence of a successor, his generals became governors of different regions and fought amongst themselves for control of the empire. By 311 bc, Alexander the Great’s empire had split into independent states and monarchies. In India, little trace of his empire was left after his death, but the memory of Secunder, as he was called in India, lived on for years to come.
Bucephalus—Alexander’s favourite steed
Legends abound about Alexander and his favourite steed Bucephalus. He is said to have fought many battles to victory and committed daring deeds while riding the horse. Alexander was heartbroken when Bucephalus died during the Battle of Hydaspes. He founded the city of Bucephala in the region in the horse’s memory.