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]

Bust of Alexander in the British Museum.

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)

Battle with Ashvakayanas (Assakenoi)

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

Battle of Aornos

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

  1. ↑ Historie du bouddhisme Indien, p. 110, E. Lammotte.
  2. ↑ The Pakistan review, 1962, p. 15, Published by Ferozsons, History.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ Hindu Polity, A constitutional History of India in Hindu Times, 1978, p. 140, K. P. Jayswal.
  5. ↑ 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).
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ 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).
  8. ↑ 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).
  9. ↑ Political History of Ancient India, 1996, p. 250, H. C. Raychaudhury, B. N. Mukerjee.
  10. ↑ 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
  11. ↑ Ashtadhyayi 4.3.91; India as Known to Pāṇini, 1953, pp. 424, 436–39, 455–457, V. S. Aggarwala.
  12. ↑ See: History of Punjab, Vol I, 1997, p. 225, Buddha Prakash; Raja Poros, 1990, p. 9, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University Patiala.
  13. ↑ Worthington, p. 162, from an extract of A. K. Narain, 'Alexander the Great', Greece and Rome 12 1965, pp. 155–165.
  14. ↑ Op cit, 1997, p. 225, Buddha Prakash
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ 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.
  18. ↑ 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.
  19. ↑ The Invasion of Alexander the Great, pp. 68–69, J. W. McCrindle.
  20. ↑ 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
  21. ↑ 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.
  22. ↑ Plutarch in McCrindle, Invasion of India by Alexander the Great, p. 306.
  23. ↑ 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.
  24. ↑ Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power, 2002, p. 86, Victor Hanson.
  25. ↑ 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.
  26. ↑ 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.
  27. ↑ 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.
  28. ↑ Op cit, p. 232, Publication Bureau, Punjabi University Patiala, L. M. Joshi, Fauja Singh.
  29. ↑ India as Known to Pāṇini, 1951, p. 452, V. S. Aggarwala: It is Darteyas of the Vedic Index, I. p. 353.
  30. ↑ India as Known to Pāṇini, 1951, pp. 449–52, p. 424, V. S. Aggarwala.
  31. ↑ History of Punjab, Vol I, 1997, p. 234, Editors Fauja Singh, L. M. Joshi.

Further reading

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