Alexander the Great and the Kambojas
The Kambojas were famous for their excellent horse breeding as well as their riding skills, hence they were also commonly known as Ashvakas.[1][2][3][4][5] The Ashvayana and Ashvakayana clans fought the Macedonians fiercely with even the Ashvakayana Kamboj women taking up arms and fighting alongside their husbands, preferring "a glorious death to a life of dishonor".[6]
Alexander crosses Hindu Kush
In the spring of 327 BCE Alexander set out on the road to the Indus. He invited the chieftains of the former Achaemenian Satrap of Gandhara to submit and join him. (Gandhara was the first kingdom of ancient India and is in the north of modern-day Pakistan). Ambhi (Greek: Omphis), the ruler of Taxila, whose kingdom extended from the Indus to the Jhelum (Greek:Hydaspes) complied, as well as some others, Sangaeus (Sanjaya) of Peucalaotis (Pushkalavati), Cophaeus of the Kabul region and Assagetes (Ashvajit), chief of a part of west Gandhara, and Sicicottos (Shashigupta) [7][8] from a hill state, south of the Hindu Kush.[9] However most of the highland chieftains refused to submit - including the Astekenoi, Aspasioi and Assakenoi, known in Indian texts as Hastinayanas, Ashvayanas and Ashvakayanas.
Alexander's campaign against the Kambojas
At Nikaia, near modern Jalalabad, Alexander divided his army into two parts, one under Hephaistion and Perdiccas was ordered to proceed through Kabul to Gandhara. Alexander personally took command of the second part, which included a select force of shield-bearing guards, foot-companions, archers, Agrianians and mounted javelin-men, marching against the Kamboja clans — the Aspasioi of the Kunar/Alishang valleys, the Guraeans [10] of the Guraeus (Panjkora) valley and the Assakenoi of the Swat and Buner valleys. These highlanders, designated as "parvatiya Ayudhajivinah" in Pāṇini's Astadhyayi,[11] were rebellious, fiercely independent clans who resisted subjugation by anyone.[12] "It was indeed a hard work for Alexander to take their strongholds, of which Massaga and Aornus need special mention".[13] "And it is also a tribute to the vision and sagacity of Alexander that he realised that without reducing these highlanders, his march into India would neither be secure nor effective".[14]
Battle against the Ashvayanas (Aspasioi)
- Ascending the Kunar valley, Alexander came into conflict with the Ashvayanas or Aspasioi. The modern remnants of these clans are the Pachai, the Asip or Isap or the Yusufzai in the Kabul valley between the rivers Kabul and Indus.[15] They offered stubborn resistance to the invading army. Alexander was seriously wounded in the right shoulder by an arrow and his officers Ptolemy and Leonatos were also injured. Next morning however, Alexander succeeded in breaching one of the walls of the citadel. The Ashvayanas then fled from the gates and made for the hills, leaving the Macedonians to raze the city to the ground and move on to confront another clan of the Ashvayanas located in city of Andaka.
Battle with Ashvakayanas (Assakenoi)
- After defeating the Ashvayanas, Alexander engaged the Ashvakayanas, the Assakenoi of classical writings. The Assakenoi inhabited the Swat valley and had strongholds in Massaga, Ora, Bazira, and Aornos. Their modern remnants are the Aspins of Chitral and the Yashkuns of Gilgit.[16] According to Arrian, they mustered an army of 30,000 cavalry, 30,000 infantry and 30 elephants.[17] Seven thousand soldiers joined from Abhisara as reinforcements.[18] The Ashvakayanas resisted stubbornly in their strongholds and the fort of Massaga was only gained after several days of bloody fighting during which Alexander was seriously injured in the ankle by an arrow.
Differing accounts of these events were given by the ancient writers Arrian[19] Quintus Curtius Rufus,[20] Diodorus Siculus[21] and Plutarch.[22]
Battle of Ora and Bazira
- After Massaga, Alexander dispatched Koinos to Bazira and Attlos, Alketas and Demetrios to Ora. The Ashvakayanas of Ora came out to fight Alketas but were beaten back behind the walls. The King of Abhisara [23] sent a military contingent to relieve the Ashvakayanas at Ora. Hearing this, Alexander rushed to Ora and also recalled Koinos from Bazira to join him. Their joint assault overran the citadel.
Battle of Aornos
- After the fall of Ora and Bazira, many Assakenians fled to a high fortress called Aornos, which is Pāṇini's Varana. It has been identified with modern Una (Pushtu Urna). But before attacking Aornos, Alexander strengthened his defences of Massaga, Ora and Bazira and fortified the city of Orbatis, modern Arbutt, on the left bank of the river Landei near Naoshehra, reaching the city of Embolima which adjoined Aornos. Having made Embolima his base, Alexander advanced towards the most formidable and highly strategic rocky fortress of Aornos which even Dionysos, an earlier Greek conqueror (as per Greek traditions) could not defeat. Alexander was determined to surpass this predecessor in his military achievements.
Writing on Alexander's campaign against the Assakenoi, Victor Hanson comments: "After promising the surrounded Assacenis (Ashvakayanas) their lives upon capitulation, he executed all their soldiers who had surrendered. Their strongholds at Ora and Aornus were also similarly stormed. (The) Garrisons were probably all slaughtered".[24]
Tragedy of Afrikes and invasion of Dyrta
Alexander got the news that one of the three sons of Cleophis (and the brother of the deceased war leader, Assaeknos of Massaga), was hovering in the mountains with an army of 20,000 and a fleet of 15 war elephants waiting for the right opportunity for a showdown with the Macedonians. Didorus calls this Ashvakayana chieftain as Afrikes [25] while Curtius refers to him as Erix.[26] Scholars state that the name Afrikes seems to contain reference to Aprita or Afridi, thereby, linking the Afridis with the Ashvakayanas.[27] Alexander proceeded against Afrikes. However, at the critical juncture, a dispute arose among Afrikes' followers and some deserters assassinated him and presented his head to Alexander and joined his ranks.[28] After this tragic event, Alexander proceeded against the Ashvakayanas of Dyrta (Sanskrit Darteya or Dharteya), north of Mahaban, near the point of issue of the Indus from the mountains. This section of the Ashvakayanas is known as Dharteyas to Pāṇini [29] and like other Ashvakayanas, have been styled as Ayudhajivin Samgha (Warlike republics) in the Ganapatha of Pāṇini.[30]
Aftermath of the war campaign
Arrian reports that Sicicottos, who had helped Alexander in this campaign against the Ashvaka Kshatriyas was made the governor of Aornos. Alexander's victory at Aornos was fleeting, with the Ashvakas defeated but not crushed. Only a few months later the Ashvakayanas revolted against their rulers - assassinating Nicanor, the Greek governor of Massaga. Sicicottos sent word to Alexander who was still in north Punjab (at Glansai), asking for immediate assistance. Alexander sent Phillipos and Tyriaspes to quell the Ashvakayana rebellion - how far they succeeded is not known, but Tyriaspes was soon replaced by Alexander's father-in-law Oxyartes, which may indicate that things had not gone well.[31]
References
- ↑ Historie du bouddhisme Indien, p. 110, E. Lammotte.
- ↑ The Pakistan review, 1962, p. 15, Published by Ferozsons, History.
- ↑ East and West, 1950, pp. 28, 157–58, Istituto italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente, Editor, Giuseppe Tucci, Co-editors Mario Bussagli, Lionello Lanciotti.
- ↑ Hindu Polity, A constitutional History of India in Hindu Times, 1978, p. 140, K. P. Jayswal.
- ↑ G. Tucci associates them with the cemeteries at the necropolises of Butkara II, Katelai I, Loebaur etc., in the Swat valley (See: The Tombs of the 'Ashvakayan-Assakenoi', East and West, Vol XIV, 1963, Nos 1-2, pp. 27–28).
- ↑ Diodorus in McCrindle, p. 270; History of Civilizations of Central Asia, 1999, p. 76, Ahmad Hasan Dani, Vadim Mikhaĭlovich Masson, János Harmatta, Boris Abramovich Litvinovskiĭ, Clifford Edmund Bosworth, Unesco - Asia, Central Political History of Ancient India, 1996, pp. 250–51, H. C. Raychaudhury, B. N. Mukerjee; cf: Ancient India, 2003, p. 261, V. D. Mahajan.
- ↑ Buddha Prakash, however, thinks that Sangaeus (Sanjaya) represented perhaps the Shinwari tribe called Sangu, now living to the west of Khaiber Pass (See: History of Punjab, Vol I, 1997, p. 233).
- ↑ Some scholars think that Sicikottos belonged to the Ashvaka clans. See: Invasion of Alexander, 2nd Ed, p. 112, J. W. McCrindle; Was Chandragupta Maurya a Punjabi? Article in Punjab History Conference, Second Session, October 28–30, 1966, Punjabi University Patiala, pp. 32–33, H. R. Gupta; They taught lessons to kings, Gur Rattan Pal Singh; Article in Sunday Tribune, January 10, 1999; Kambojas Through the Ages, 2005, p. 149, Kirpal Singh; (Cf S. C. Seth's views in "Sasigupta and Chandragupta", Indian Historical Quarterly, 1963, p. 361; cf: Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona, 1936, p. 163, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute; cf: The Indian Review, 1936, p. 814, edited by G.A. Natesan).
- ↑ Political History of Ancient India, 1996, p. 250, H. C. Raychaudhury, B. N. Mukerjee.
- ↑ The Ashvayanas living on river Guraeus, which is Gauri of Mahabharata, modern river Panjkora, were also known as Gorys or Guraios, modern Ghori or Gori, a widespread tribe, branches of which are still to be found on Panjkora and on both sides of the Kabul at the point of its confluence with Landai (See: History of Punjab, Vol I, 1997, p. 227, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, Patiala (Editors) L. M. joshi, Fauja Singh). The clan name Gore or Gaure is also found among the modern Kamboj people of Punjab and it is stated that the Punjab Kamboj Gaure/Gore came from the Kunar valley to Punjab at some point in time in the past
- ↑ Ashtadhyayi 4.3.91; India as Known to Pāṇini, 1953, pp. 424, 436–39, 455–457, V. S. Aggarwala.
- ↑ See: History of Punjab, Vol I, 1997, p. 225, Buddha Prakash; Raja Poros, 1990, p. 9, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University Patiala.
- ↑ Worthington, p. 162, from an extract of A. K. Narain, 'Alexander the Great', Greece and Rome 12 1965, pp. 155–165.
- ↑ Op cit, 1997, p. 225, Buddha Prakash
- ↑ The Invasion Of India By Alexander the Great (as described by Arrian, Q. Curtius, Diodorus, Plutarch And Justin), J. W. McCrindle; Op cit., p. 225, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, Patiala, (Editors) L. M. Joshi, Fauja Singh; Evolution of Heroic Tradition in Ancient Punjab, 1971, p. 72, Buddha Prakash.
- ↑ The Invasion Of India By Alexander the Great (as described by Arrian, Q. Curtius, Diodorus, Plutarch And Justin), J. W. McCrindle; Op cit., p. 225, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, Patiala, (Editors) L. M. Joshi, Fauja Singh; Evolution of Heroic Tradition in Ancient Punjab, 1971, p. 72, Buddha Prakash.
- ↑ Evolution of Heroic Tradition in ancient Punjab, 1971, p. 77, Buddha Prakash; History of Punjab, Vol I, 1997, p. 227, (Editors) L. M. Joshi, Fauja Singh.
- ↑ Abhisara was an offshoot of Kamboja See: Political History of Ancient India, 1996, pp. 133, 219/220, H. C. Raychaudhury, B. N. Mukerjee; A History of India, pp. 269–71, N. R. Ray, N. K. Sinha; Journal of Indian History, 1921, p. 304, University of Allahabad, Department of Modern Indian History, University of Kerala.
- ↑ The Invasion of Alexander the Great, pp. 68–69, J. W. McCrindle.
- ↑ Curtius in McCrindle, Op cit, p. 192, J. W. McCrindle; History of Punjab, Vol I, 1997, p. 229, Punajbi University, Patiala, (Editors): Fauja Singh, L. M. Joshi
- ↑ Diodorus in McCrindle, op cit., p. 269, J. W. McCrindle; Op cit., p. 228, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University, Patiala, Editor L. M. Joshi, Fauja Singh.
- ↑ Plutarch in McCrindle, Invasion of India by Alexander the Great, p. 306.
- ↑ Abhisara was an offshoot of Kamboja (See: Political History of Ancient India, 1996, pp. 133, 219/220, H. C. Raychaudhury, B. N. Mukerjee; A History of India, pp. 269–71, N. R. Ray, N. K. Sinha; Journal of Indian History, 1921, p. 304, University of Allahabad. Department of Modern Indian History, University of Kerala.
- ↑ Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power, 2002, p. 86, Victor Hanson.
- ↑ Diodorus in McCrindle, op cit., p. 232; History of Punjab, Vol I, 1997, p. 252, L. M. Joshi, Fauja Singh; Political History of Ancient India, 1996, p. 217, H. C. Raychaudhury, B. N. Mukerjee.
- ↑ Curtius in McCrindle, op cit., p. 200; History of Punjab, Vol I, 1997, p. 252, L. M. Joshi, Fauja Singh.; Op cit., p. 217, H. C. Raychaudhury, B. N. Mukerjee.
- ↑ Op cit., 1997, p. 232, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University Patiala, (Editors) L. M. Joshi, Fauja Singh; Raja Poros, 1990, p. 38, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University Patiala.
- ↑ Op cit, p. 232, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University Patiala, L. M. Joshi, Fauja Singh.
- ↑ India as Known to Pāṇini, 1951, p. 452, V. S. Aggarwala: It is Darteyas of the Vedic Index, I. p. 353.
- ↑ India as Known to Pāṇini, 1951, pp. 449–52, p. 424, V. S. Aggarwala.
- ↑ History of Punjab, Vol I, 1997, p. 234, Editors Fauja Singh, L. M. Joshi.
Further reading
- History of Punjab, Vol I, 1997, Editors Fauja Singh, L. M. Joshi
- Historie du bouddhisme Indien, E. Lammotte
- Alexander the Great, 2003 - Cambridge University Press, W. W. Tarn
- Political History of Ancient India, 1996, H. C. Raychaudhury
- The Invasion of India by Alexander the Great as Described by Arrian, Q. Curtius, Diodorus, Plutarch And Justin, J. W. McCrindle
- Envy of the Gods: Alexander the Great's Ill-fated Journey Across Asia, John Prevas
- Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power, Victor Hanson
- Alexander: A History of the Origin and Growth of the Art of War from the Earliest Times to the Battle of Ipsus, 301 Bc, With a Detailed Account of the Campaigns, 1996- Da Capo Press, Theodore Ayrault Dodge
- Alexander the Great in Fact and Fiction, 2002 - Oxford University Press, USA, A. B. Bosworth and E. J. Baynham
- The Wars of Alexander the Great, 2002- Osprey Publishing, Waldemar Heckel
- Classical Accounts of India, J. W. McCrindle
- History and Culture of Indian People, The Age of Imperial Unity, R. C. Majumdar, A. D. Pusalkar
- Ancient India, 2003, V. D. Mahajan
- Problems of Ancient India, 2000, K. D. Sethna
- The Pathan, 1967, Olaf Caroe
- Historical Essays, Second Series, 3rd edition, Edward A. Freeman, London Macmillan and Co. And New York,1892
- Alexander the Great, 2003, W. W. Tarn
- Studies in Indian History and Civilization, Buddha Parkash
- Ancient Kamboja, People and the Country, 1981, J. L. Kamboj
- Hindu Polity, A constitutional History of India in Hindu Times, 1978, pp. 140, 121, K. P. Jayswal
- History of Poros, Buddha Prakash
- Glimpses of Ancient Punjab, 1965, Buddha Prakash
- Political and Social Movements in Ancient Punjab, 1964, Buddha Prakash
- Alexander the Great, London 1968, p. 235, R. D. Milns time 3:00