Did Alexander ever meet king porus of India?

-- Anonymous, September 28, 2004

Answers

Howcome anyone arguing that Alexander defeated Porus doesn't bother showing any real proof in documentation from respected historic texts?

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2004

The reality is Alexander "the Great" suffered heavy losses and failed campaigns in India. And there is no reliable evidence to indicate that King Porus was ever captured by Alexander and then magnaminously released. And far from being magnaminous, Alexander murdered innocent Brahmins and other Indian philosophers. Mythology surrounding Alexander continued to be embellished and fabricated even centuries after his death. Check the below sites for the reality of Alexander's defeat in India:

The Myth, Romance and Historicity of Alexander and His Influence on India - http://hinduwebsite.com/history/research/alexandermyth.htm

Alexander, The Ordinary - http://sify.com/itihaas/fullstory.php? id=13225593

Alexander's Waterloo in Sindh - http://yangtze.cs.uiuc.edu/~jamali/sindh/story/node7.html

i. Chivalry suited the politics of balancing one Punjab rajah against another, but Indian historians have been unable to believe this intelligent generosity and still argue that if Porus received such honours, India’s alleged defeat at the Jhelum can only be a western falsehood: The cruel nature of Alexander has well been brought out by the western historians and therefore under the circumstances, the treatment of Porus by the victor Alexander makes one to suspect the Victor’s victory. In fact, the psychology of the poets / writers in eulogizing the Defeated was to make him a Victor always.

ii. The retreat he inspired has always seemed sympathetic: Because, already many soldiers were killed. His pet horse was killed or died. The rest of the army had already started revolting and urging him to return.

“In the battle of Jhelum a large majority of Alexander’s cavalry was killed. Alexander realized that if he were to continue fighting he would be completely ruined. He, therefore, requested Porus to stop fighting. Treye to Indian tradition Porus did not kill the surrendered enemy. After this both signed a treaty. Alexander then helped him in annexing othere territories to his kingdom”15.

15. E. Migot, Memoris Sur les anciens philosophers de l’ Inde, andMemories de l’ Academie Eroyal des Inscriptions et Belles, Letters, XXXI, 1761,-63, pp.90-92.

What was the Direct and Indirect Effect of Alexander’s Invasion of India? Vincent Arthur Smith gives answer to this crucial question, which is reproduced as follows:

1. “Whatever Hellenistic elements in Indian civilization can be detected were all indirect consequences of Alexander’s invasion. The Greece influence never penetrated deeply. Indian polity and structure of society resting on the caste basis remained substantially, unchanged, and even in military science Indians showed no disposition to learn the lessons taught by the sharp sword of Alexander” (emphasis added).

2. “Alexander’s fierce campaign produced no direct effects upon either the ideas or the institutions of India. During his brief stay in the basin of the Indus, he was occupied almost solely with fighting. Presumably, he was remembered by the ordinary natives of the regions which he harried merely as a demon-like outer barbarian who hanged Brahmins without scruple and won battles by impious methods in defiance of scriptures, Indians felt no desire to learn from such a person” (emphasis added).

14. Vincent A. Smith, The Oxford History of India, Clarendon Press, UK, 1923, p.87 and 139, quoted verbatim with emphasis added.

-- Anonymous, November 25, 2004

Yes, he did. He met Porus in battle, and even though Porus fielded a great many elephants against him, defeated him due to the mobility of his lighter forces. This also when those legendary lines were spoken: (Alexander) How would you like to be treated? (Porus): Like a King. Alexander was apparently so impressed that he gave Porus back all his lands, and reinstated him as King. The victory was a shallow one, however, as Alexander's discontented army forced him to turn back after a short while.

-- Anonymous, October 30, 2004