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continued.... Alexander's small force crossed the river with the help of boats and the leather sacks filled with grass. The first who set his foot across the river was Alexander himself. The messengers immediately conveyed this news to Porus. When Porus learnt of this, he promptly sent his son with 2000 infantrymen and 120 chariots to check the progress of Alexander. In the ensuing encounter Alexander's horsemen made short work of this advance force and Porus's son himself died fighting in the battle field. When Porus learnt about this, he was deeply bereaved and surprised because the camp army across the river was still preparing itself to cross the river. He left behind a small force consisting of some elephants and infantrymen to face thwe camp army and himself proceeded with a huge army to meet Alexander in the battle field. In view of the battle formation and a vast army of Porus, Alexander put his 6000 soldiers in waiting while with the remaining 6000 opened an attack on the left flank of Porus's army. Shooting arrows fiercely on each other, the rival armies were locked in a closed combat. Finding the left flank entangled in this manner, as soon as the right flank of Porus's army advanced from the rear to help, the waiting Greek soldiers launched an attack from the rear. This forced the right flank of the Porus's army to turn back in order to counter the enemy's offensive, but as it was a steep place its battle formation was upset. To escape the enemy's attack, Indian warriors took shelter behind the elephants. In this situation, the mahouts, made an advance with the elephants. Although the Greek soldiers tried to check their advance with a terrible shower of arrows, they intrepid Indian elephants set about to trample the enemy under foot. At the same time the Indian horsemen pushed ahead and fell on the enemy. But due to the unevenness the horsemen had again to fall back behind the elephants. At this stage, the Greek army made a calculated attack on the Indians. Unfortunately, in the resulted confusion the elephants lost their balance and started to trample underfoot their own army. Having conducted the war for 24 hours at a stretch, the brave Porus fell unconscious of his wounds. When Porus, tired of exhaustion and bleeding all over his body, was brought before Alexander, he kept wondering at his tall stature. He asked Porus 'how would you like to be treated?' "As a king would treat another king", was Porus's reply. Impressed by his bold answer, Alexander issued instructions for the release of Porus and his medical treatment. Alexander restored back Porus's kingdom and also gave him some additional territories while making him his friend. Soon Alexander left for Macedonia leaving behind governors to rule his Indian conquests, but his death following so close on his departure, caused a state of confusion in which his governors soon left India and sought their fortunes in the west. Alexander had overthrown the small kingdoms and republics pf the north-west and his departure left a political vacuum. Not surprisingly, Chandragupta Maurya, assisted by Chanakya, exploited the situation and swept all these little states in the Mauryan empire. The End of this section |
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