Nicaea, Punjab

Nicaea was a city in what is now the present-day Mong,^[1] one of the two cities founded by Alexander the Great on opposite sides of the Hydaspes river. The second city founded by Alexander on the Hydaspes was Bucephala.^[2][3]

Following the Battle of the Hydaspes, Alexander founded two cities. One on the site of the battle he named Alexandria Niceae meaning Victory. The site of that city is still undetermined and a number of candidates have been put forward for the location:

• Huntingford identifies this Alexandria with a large mound west of Jhelum city, while Lendering cites Jhelum in more general terms. Buddhist tradition mentions an un-named city south of Jhelum that some speculate may have been Nicaea.
• The Hungarian archaeologist and Silk Road expert Sir Marc Aurel Stein believed that instead of using the road from Taxila to Jhelum which dates from medieval times, Alexander's army went south to cross the river near modern Bhera. At this site the battle would have happened near the town of Mong. The topography, river orientation and natural features including salt cliffs in this vicinity match closely the description given in ancient sources.

Further supporting this location is the traditional claim by the residents of Mong and nearby Phalia that Mong is Hellenistic Nicaea. The historian and BBC presenter Michael Wood supports Steins claims about Mong.

References

1. ^ The encyclopædia britannica: a dictionary of arts, sciences, literature and general information, Volume 14 p. 398
2. ^ Alexander the Great: a reader Author Ian Worthington Editor Ian Worthington Edition illustrated, reprint Publisher Routledge, 2003 ISBN 0-415-29186-0, ISBN 978-0-415-29186-6 Length 332 pages p. 175
3. ^ Alexander the Great: his towns