India
By the end of 327, Alexander had secured the northeastern part of his empire and was ready for a new exploration. This new campaign was traveling to India. They Macedonians already knew about India from the Histories by Herodotus of Halicarnassus and the History of India by Ctesias of Cnidus, and their reports were incredible. Invading India was like going into a country of myths and legends. .It was an unnecessary campaign and war. The only reason for it must have been Alexander's curiosity and desire for more wars. Another possibility of move to the east must have been the appearance of two Indian princes that Alexander encountered, Sisicottus and Omphis . The first was at a war with the tribe of the Assacenes who Alexander also fought, the second was scared of king Porus and tried to get foreign help to defeat his enemy. (Jona Lendering)
India as a whole consisted of three parts: The valley of the Indus in the west, which can be divided into three separate parts. The valley of the Ganges in the east, this was where the powerful kingdom of Magadha and its capital in modern Patna were. And finally, the deep south, also known as Pandava. (Jona Lendering)
The three divisions of the valley of Indus were: Gandara, the valley of the river Cophen where modern Kabul is. The western part of the Punjab, which had, been part of the Achaemenid empire. It consisted in 326 of several small provinces, like Peucelaotis, Massaga and Taxi. The second one is the eastern Punjab, also known was the king down of Porus. Finally is the lower valley of indus, called Sindhu. (Jona Lendering)
Alexander moved through Gandara and the kingdom of Porus. Failed to attack Magadha, traveled south through the lower Indus valley, and ignored Pandava. (Jona Lendering)
India as a whole consisted of three parts: The valley of the Indus in the west, which can be divided into three separate parts. The valley of the Ganges in the east, this was where the powerful kingdom of Magadha and its capital in modern Patna were. And finally, the deep south, also known as Pandava. (Jona Lendering)
The three divisions of the valley of Indus were: Gandara, the valley of the river Cophen where modern Kabul is. The western part of the Punjab, which had, been part of the Achaemenid empire. It consisted in 326 of several small provinces, like Peucelaotis, Massaga and Taxi. The second one is the eastern Punjab, also known was the king down of Porus. Finally is the lower valley of indus, called Sindhu. (Jona Lendering)
Alexander moved through Gandara and the kingdom of Porus. Failed to attack Magadha, traveled south through the lower Indus valley, and ignored Pandava. (Jona Lendering)
Kambojas
In the spring of 327 BCE Alexander traveled the road to the Indus. He invited the chiefs of the old Achaemenian Empire. The leader of Gandhara surrendered to him and then joined him. Omphis, the ruler of Taxila, whose kingdom extended from the Indus to the Hydaspes also came, as well as some others, like Sanjaya of Peucalaotis, Cophaeus of the Kabul region and Assagetes, chief of a part of west Gandhara, and Sicicottos ruler of a hill state, south of the Hindu Kush. However most of the chiefs refused to surrender, including the Astekenoi, Aspasioi and Assakenoi. (Jona Lendering)
At Nikaia, Alexander split his army into two parts, one under Hephaistion and Perdiccas (Generals of Alexander). They were ordered to proceed through Kabul to Gandhara. Alexander personally took command of the second part, it included a select force of shielding guards, foot-companions, archers, and mounted javelin-men, marching against the Kamboja clans. Many highlanders, called "Pāṇini's Astadhyayi" were ignorant, fiercely independent clans who refused to surrender by anyone. Some examples included the Aspasioi of the Kunar valleys, the Guraeans of the Guraeus valley and the Assakenoi of the Swat and Buner valleys. (Jona Lendering)
Historian Buddha Prakash said:
"It was indeed a hard work for Alexander to take their strongholds, of which Massaga and Aornus need special mention". "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". (Jona Lendering)
Going up the the Kunar valley, Alexander came into conflict with the Aspasioi (small region of the Kambojas). They were stubborn in resistance to the invading army. They refused to surrender, but Alexander was seriously wounded in the right shoulder by an arrow and his officers Ptolemy and Leonatos were also injured. The next morning, Alexander succeeded in breaching one of the walls of the fortress. The Aspasioi fled from the gates and made for the hills, leaving the Macedonians to completely destroy the city all the way to the ground. They move on to confront another clan of the Kamboja located in city of Andaka. (Jona Lendering)
After defeating the Aspasioi,, Alexander fought the Ashvakayanas who were proficient at classical writing. The Ashvakayanas lived in the Swat valley and had bases in Massaga, Ora, Bazira, and Aornos (Regions of the Swat Valley). According to Arrian, they created an army of 30,000 cavalry, 30,000 infantry and 30 elephants. Also, seven thousand soldiers joined from other Indian regions as reinforcements. The Ashvakayanas resisted ignorantly in their bases. The fort of Massaga was only gained after several days of bloody fighting where Alexander was seriously injured in the ankle by an arrow. (Jona Lendering)
After Massaga, Alexander sent many of his generals to Ora. The Ashvakayanas of Ora came out to fight, but were beaten back behind the walls. The King of Abhisara sent an army to relieve the Ashvakayanas at Ora. After hearing this, Alexander rushed to Ora and called for more men to join him. Their assault together overcame their fortress. (Jona Lendering)
At Nikaia, Alexander split his army into two parts, one under Hephaistion and Perdiccas (Generals of Alexander). They were ordered to proceed through Kabul to Gandhara. Alexander personally took command of the second part, it included a select force of shielding guards, foot-companions, archers, and mounted javelin-men, marching against the Kamboja clans. Many highlanders, called "Pāṇini's Astadhyayi" were ignorant, fiercely independent clans who refused to surrender by anyone. Some examples included the Aspasioi of the Kunar valleys, the Guraeans of the Guraeus valley and the Assakenoi of the Swat and Buner valleys. (Jona Lendering)
Historian Buddha Prakash said:
"It was indeed a hard work for Alexander to take their strongholds, of which Massaga and Aornus need special mention". "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". (Jona Lendering)
Going up the the Kunar valley, Alexander came into conflict with the Aspasioi (small region of the Kambojas). They were stubborn in resistance to the invading army. They refused to surrender, but Alexander was seriously wounded in the right shoulder by an arrow and his officers Ptolemy and Leonatos were also injured. The next morning, Alexander succeeded in breaching one of the walls of the fortress. The Aspasioi fled from the gates and made for the hills, leaving the Macedonians to completely destroy the city all the way to the ground. They move on to confront another clan of the Kamboja located in city of Andaka. (Jona Lendering)
After defeating the Aspasioi,, Alexander fought the Ashvakayanas who were proficient at classical writing. The Ashvakayanas lived in the Swat valley and had bases in Massaga, Ora, Bazira, and Aornos (Regions of the Swat Valley). According to Arrian, they created an army of 30,000 cavalry, 30,000 infantry and 30 elephants. Also, seven thousand soldiers joined from other Indian regions as reinforcements. The Ashvakayanas resisted ignorantly in their bases. The fort of Massaga was only gained after several days of bloody fighting where Alexander was seriously injured in the ankle by an arrow. (Jona Lendering)
After Massaga, Alexander sent many of his generals to Ora. The Ashvakayanas of Ora came out to fight, but were beaten back behind the walls. The King of Abhisara sent an army to relieve the Ashvakayanas at Ora. After hearing this, Alexander rushed to Ora and called for more men to join him. Their assault together overcame their fortress. (Jona Lendering)
Swat Compaign
In the first months of 326, two armies invaded Gandara (region Alexander previously conquered). Perdiccas and Hephaestion were supposed to take the biggest group along the Cophen through the Khyber pass to the river Indus, and had to build a bridge on their way, they stayed a town called Peucelaotis. At the same time, Alexander commanded a smaller, shorter army that included the battalions of Craterus and Coenus. He fought against the tribes north of the main road. The Macedonians could not allow the Aspasians and Assacenes to stay neutral . They could possibly change position and cut off the main road at any time. (Jona Lendering)
Alexander's campaign through this area was not much less than a genocide. During his travel through the main road, he was lightly wounded during while trying to siege a hill fortress. Once it was taken, all defenders of it were massacred. In another valley, the terrified people fled after destroying their own villages. One sad story during his travels is about Alexander's men. During a cold night, they burned small wooden boxes they found in the neighborhood of a town they were conquering. Later they discovered that these boxes were coffins. When the capital of the Assacenes (Indian Village), called Massaga submitted, Alexander demanded that the soldiers that had defended the town joined his own army, but even after they had surrendered themselves at Alexander's mercy, he ordered their execution. (Jona Lendering)
One of the mysteries of the Indian campaign is the visit to Nysa. At Nysa, the god Dionysus was being worshipped, he is one of Alexander's mythological ancestors. It is not known which god was with Dionysus. Next to the town was a sacred mountain called Meros (means thigh in Greek), it reminded them of the story that Dionysus was born from Zeus' thigh. The Indian name was Meru, the holy mountain or 'axis' of the world. (Jona Lendering)
After a march through the valley of the Lower Swat, Alexander captured Massaga, Bazira, and Ora. He did this while crossing Shang-La pass, where Alexander approached the Indus. Many people had fled to a high mountain fortress called Aornus. According to local legend, not even the god Krishna, or an ancestor of Heracles for the Greeks, had been able to take the rock, which rose 1700 meters above the river. But, Alexander used native guides and was able to occupy a nearby mountain. His engineers built a mound, and soon the fortress was overtaken. The capture of Aornus made no sense from a strategic standpoint, but the message was quite clear, the Indians were facing a person and god more powerful than Krishna. (Jona Lendering)
Taxila
In April, the two Macedonian armies got back together near modern Hund, where Perdiccas and Hephaestion had built a bridge across the Indus. Alexander made a Macedonian named Nicanor, as leader of Gandara. Now that everything was out of danger, the Macedonian army crossed the Indus and reached Taxila, the capital of one of the small states in Punjab, where they were welcomed by king Omphis. (Jona Lendering)
One of the things the Macedonians were excited to learn about was whether there was any truth to the famous story by Herodotus of Halicarnassus about the gold-digging ants, who were said to live in India. They were never able to find out where the ants were living.The Macedonians also met the Brahman sages, who talked about Alexander's claim that he was the son of a god. They said that every human being descended from the gods. (Jona Lendering)
The leader of a small state in India, Dandamis, tried to show his guests that their conquest was going to end in defeat. (Jona Lendering)
He said: "
You will soon be dead, and then you will own just as much of this earth as will suffice to bury you." (Jona Lendering)
Although what he said was not very nice, Alexander made sure that one leader came with him, and so it happened. Calanus became Alexander's adviser and played an important role in dealing with the Indians The Macedonians discovered gavials, which look like crocodiles, in the Indus. It caused the Macedonians to think that this river was actually the Nile, just called something else, but this idea was corrected by the Indians. Also, the Macedonians learned about Buddha, even though they never really understood who he was. Nearchus, Alexander's admiral and historiographer, called him the second king of India. (Jona Lendering)
One of the things the Macedonians were excited to learn about was whether there was any truth to the famous story by Herodotus of Halicarnassus about the gold-digging ants, who were said to live in India. They were never able to find out where the ants were living.The Macedonians also met the Brahman sages, who talked about Alexander's claim that he was the son of a god. They said that every human being descended from the gods. (Jona Lendering)
The leader of a small state in India, Dandamis, tried to show his guests that their conquest was going to end in defeat. (Jona Lendering)
He said: "
You will soon be dead, and then you will own just as much of this earth as will suffice to bury you." (Jona Lendering)
Although what he said was not very nice, Alexander made sure that one leader came with him, and so it happened. Calanus became Alexander's adviser and played an important role in dealing with the Indians The Macedonians discovered gavials, which look like crocodiles, in the Indus. It caused the Macedonians to think that this river was actually the Nile, just called something else, but this idea was corrected by the Indians. Also, the Macedonians learned about Buddha, even though they never really understood who he was. Nearchus, Alexander's admiral and historiographer, called him the second king of India. (Jona Lendering)
Porus
During Alexander's stay in Taxila, representatives came from the king of the Abissares, a mountain tribe in Kashmir. They surrendered to Alexander, who never even visited their country. Another Indian leader, Porus, the king of Pauravas, refused to surrender to the so called 'god' who had invaded India. He hoped that he was safe, because the river Hydaspes. It was the border between his kingdom and Omphis', and in June, this river would rise because of the melting of the snow in the mountains and the occurrence of the monsoon rains. (Jona Lendering)
The Macedonian command knew that they had to act swiftly. Only half the army participated in the march to the east, it was impossible to mobilize the rest of the army on such short notice. The ships that had been used to cross the Indus were carried along the main road, called the Uttarapatha, to the Hydaspes, and although Porus tried his best, he was not able to prevent his enemies from crossing the river during a thunderstorm during May 326. In their first meeting, an Indian cavalry unit commanded by Porus' son was defeated. The chariots he tried to use were not able to move through the rain-soaked mud. (Jona Lendering)
The Macedonians continued their campaign to Porus' army. They had a bigger army and better equipment and had nothing to fear, except for Porus' elephants. This was an army unit that the Macedonians had never encountered before. Porus placed his elephants in front of his foot soldiers, knowing that the Macedonian cavalry could not attack them because horses are elephants unless they are trained not to before hand. On his left and right wings, Porus stationed his chariots. When the Macedonians reached Pauravas where the Indian king was waiting for them, they used their phalanx and moved slowly towards their enemy. Alexander commanded the Companion cavalry and the mounted archers, which were on his right wing. (Jona Lendering)
Seeing that the chariots on his left were outnumbered by the Macedonian cavalry, Porus moved his right wing chariots to the left. At that moment, the Macedonian cavalry commander Coenus moved to the undefended right wing of the Indians and encircled the enemy lines, attacking them from behind. While that was happening, the Calvary Companions in Alexander's neighborhood were victorious against Porus' chariots. Also, the Macedonian archers were attacking the elephants. The Macedonian archers and phalanx started to kill the elephants' drivers first, this made them panic and fall back. From that point forward, the Indians were attacked from every side. They had to defend themselves against the phalanx, their own elephants in front of them, and the Macedonian cavalry from behind. Almost every Indian cavalry were killed. A few foot soldiers managed to flee, and the wounded king Porus surrendered only after the destruction of his entire army. (Jona Lendering)
Alexander founded two cities on the battle field, which he called Nicaea (victory town) and Bucephala. The last name he chose was to honor his war horse, which had died of old age a few days before the battle. Porus, who had lost his army and basically owed his life to Alexander, was appointed as leader of his own kingdom. Omphis of Taxila was disappointed that he was forced to be with his enemy Porus. After all, he asked Alexander to fight against Porus before this happened. (Jona Lendering)
The Macedonian command knew that they had to act swiftly. Only half the army participated in the march to the east, it was impossible to mobilize the rest of the army on such short notice. The ships that had been used to cross the Indus were carried along the main road, called the Uttarapatha, to the Hydaspes, and although Porus tried his best, he was not able to prevent his enemies from crossing the river during a thunderstorm during May 326. In their first meeting, an Indian cavalry unit commanded by Porus' son was defeated. The chariots he tried to use were not able to move through the rain-soaked mud. (Jona Lendering)
The Macedonians continued their campaign to Porus' army. They had a bigger army and better equipment and had nothing to fear, except for Porus' elephants. This was an army unit that the Macedonians had never encountered before. Porus placed his elephants in front of his foot soldiers, knowing that the Macedonian cavalry could not attack them because horses are elephants unless they are trained not to before hand. On his left and right wings, Porus stationed his chariots. When the Macedonians reached Pauravas where the Indian king was waiting for them, they used their phalanx and moved slowly towards their enemy. Alexander commanded the Companion cavalry and the mounted archers, which were on his right wing. (Jona Lendering)
Seeing that the chariots on his left were outnumbered by the Macedonian cavalry, Porus moved his right wing chariots to the left. At that moment, the Macedonian cavalry commander Coenus moved to the undefended right wing of the Indians and encircled the enemy lines, attacking them from behind. While that was happening, the Calvary Companions in Alexander's neighborhood were victorious against Porus' chariots. Also, the Macedonian archers were attacking the elephants. The Macedonian archers and phalanx started to kill the elephants' drivers first, this made them panic and fall back. From that point forward, the Indians were attacked from every side. They had to defend themselves against the phalanx, their own elephants in front of them, and the Macedonian cavalry from behind. Almost every Indian cavalry were killed. A few foot soldiers managed to flee, and the wounded king Porus surrendered only after the destruction of his entire army. (Jona Lendering)
Alexander founded two cities on the battle field, which he called Nicaea (victory town) and Bucephala. The last name he chose was to honor his war horse, which had died of old age a few days before the battle. Porus, who had lost his army and basically owed his life to Alexander, was appointed as leader of his own kingdom. Omphis of Taxila was disappointed that he was forced to be with his enemy Porus. After all, he asked Alexander to fight against Porus before this happened. (Jona Lendering)
To the East
East of Porus' kingdom was the powerful kingdom of Magadha. It is very similar to the valley of the Ganges. Alexander set out to claim this kingdom to add to his large list of places conquered. No one really knows why he did this, Alexander stopped explaining to his historians why he went to war. (Jona Lendering)
By now, the snows of the Himalayan had melted and the rivers of the Punjab had risen, and monsoon season was beginning. Crossing the rivers between Pauravas and Magadha was hard, but the army was boated across the Acesines and the Hydraotes. Right after they crossed the river there was an evil omen, the moon eclipsed. A town called Sangala was taken over. But, at the end of July, when Alexander ordered his men to cross the Hyphasis, they refused. (Jona Lendering)
They had left Macedonia to punish Persia, and they didn't only punished it, they even conquered it. The army had seen their king start to behave like a Persian, and they even tolerated his behavior. They invaded India and had conquered Gandara and Pauravas. But now they were commanded to fight in faraway place called Magadha, which had never belonged to the Achaemenid empire. It was even thought to be situated at the edge of the earth. And, to top it all off, they had to march through the rains in the full heat of summer. So, they rebelled. .Alexander was enraged. He wanted to celebrate his 30th birthday in a different way. But he finally listened to Coenus, the hero of the battle at the Hydaspes, and by the gods, who sent evil omens. This was quite important. To the king, it was very important to stress that the gods, not the soldiers, had forced him to return. If it were opposite, he would have lost his authority. (Jona Lendering)
Even though he didn't lose his face, Alexander still had a grudge towards the people who forced him to return. Craterus, who may have helped the rebellious soldiers and was becoming a successful a general, was sent on missions that kept him far from Alexander. Also, many veterans were left behind in a new Alexandria on the east-bank of the Hyphasis, they had little hope of ever to returning to Macedonia or Greece. One important thing to note is that Coenus died suddenly, this is interesting because he stopped the feud between Alexander and his army. (Jona Lendering)
By now, the snows of the Himalayan had melted and the rivers of the Punjab had risen, and monsoon season was beginning. Crossing the rivers between Pauravas and Magadha was hard, but the army was boated across the Acesines and the Hydraotes. Right after they crossed the river there was an evil omen, the moon eclipsed. A town called Sangala was taken over. But, at the end of July, when Alexander ordered his men to cross the Hyphasis, they refused. (Jona Lendering)
They had left Macedonia to punish Persia, and they didn't only punished it, they even conquered it. The army had seen their king start to behave like a Persian, and they even tolerated his behavior. They invaded India and had conquered Gandara and Pauravas. But now they were commanded to fight in faraway place called Magadha, which had never belonged to the Achaemenid empire. It was even thought to be situated at the edge of the earth. And, to top it all off, they had to march through the rains in the full heat of summer. So, they rebelled. .Alexander was enraged. He wanted to celebrate his 30th birthday in a different way. But he finally listened to Coenus, the hero of the battle at the Hydaspes, and by the gods, who sent evil omens. This was quite important. To the king, it was very important to stress that the gods, not the soldiers, had forced him to return. If it were opposite, he would have lost his authority. (Jona Lendering)
Even though he didn't lose his face, Alexander still had a grudge towards the people who forced him to return. Craterus, who may have helped the rebellious soldiers and was becoming a successful a general, was sent on missions that kept him far from Alexander. Also, many veterans were left behind in a new Alexandria on the east-bank of the Hyphasis, they had little hope of ever to returning to Macedonia or Greece. One important thing to note is that Coenus died suddenly, this is interesting because he stopped the feud between Alexander and his army. (Jona Lendering)
Revolt of the Army
The most recent battle, where Alexander defeated the Indian King Porus, had been very taxing. Alexander was steadfast to push on into the Ganges River valley, but his men couldn't take anymore. We can tell what they felt like from the words of Coenus:
"We stand almost at the ends of the earth, and you are preparing to enter another world . . . that is a mission appropriate to your spirit, but not to ours." (Grant Nell)
Alexander made a tried to talk to his men, but got no where and stormed off to his tent. The next day, he discussed his intention of resuming his campaign, but it was now quite clear that the army was not going to follow. Alexander had no other ideas, his men weren't listening, so Alexander made his preparations for the journey home. (Grant Nell)
Some historians now think that Alexander purposely let reports of dangerous beasts and enemies reach the ears of his veterans, knowing it would demoralize them. Possibly Alexander was himself was tired of conquest, but did not want to lose face by suggesting that the army turn back. Alexander was a smart leader who understood the men he commanded. And his ego was massive. (Grant Nell)
He ordered a large camp to be constructed, which included strangely large couches and 12 sacrificial altars. All of this was purposely left behind, possibly to try to fool anyone who looked at it, and think the army of Alexander was superhuman. He wanted to make it look like they were super humans who never turn back, even though they did. He did this purely because he wanted his ego and reputation to be upheld. (Grant Nell)
Arrian records Alexander saying:
"Now if anyone desires to hear where our warfare will find its end and limit, let him know that the distance from where we are to the river Ganges is no longer great; and this you will find is connected to the Hyrcanian sea; for the great sea surrounds the entire earth. I will also demonstrate to the Macedonians and their allies not only that the Indian gulf is confluent with the Persian, but the Hycranian gulf is confluent with the Indian." (Grant Nell)
"We stand almost at the ends of the earth, and you are preparing to enter another world . . . that is a mission appropriate to your spirit, but not to ours." (Grant Nell)
Alexander made a tried to talk to his men, but got no where and stormed off to his tent. The next day, he discussed his intention of resuming his campaign, but it was now quite clear that the army was not going to follow. Alexander had no other ideas, his men weren't listening, so Alexander made his preparations for the journey home. (Grant Nell)
Some historians now think that Alexander purposely let reports of dangerous beasts and enemies reach the ears of his veterans, knowing it would demoralize them. Possibly Alexander was himself was tired of conquest, but did not want to lose face by suggesting that the army turn back. Alexander was a smart leader who understood the men he commanded. And his ego was massive. (Grant Nell)
He ordered a large camp to be constructed, which included strangely large couches and 12 sacrificial altars. All of this was purposely left behind, possibly to try to fool anyone who looked at it, and think the army of Alexander was superhuman. He wanted to make it look like they were super humans who never turn back, even though they did. He did this purely because he wanted his ego and reputation to be upheld. (Grant Nell)
Arrian records Alexander saying:
"Now if anyone desires to hear where our warfare will find its end and limit, let him know that the distance from where we are to the river Ganges is no longer great; and this you will find is connected to the Hyrcanian sea; for the great sea surrounds the entire earth. I will also demonstrate to the Macedonians and their allies not only that the Indian gulf is confluent with the Persian, but the Hycranian gulf is confluent with the Indian." (Grant Nell)
The Southern Punjab
Alexander had decided to return, but he didn't know how. The simplest route was to go to the kingdom of Porus, to Taxila, and Gandara. It would not be too hard to reach Alexandria in the Caucasus, where his army had started its expedition to India. But, this would look like the Macedonians returned after a defeat. So, the Macedonian commanders decided that it was best to go to the Ocean. From there they would ship the army back to Persis and Babylonia. But, the army first had to march to the west, until the soldiers got to the Hydaspes again at the end of September. Here, is where Alexander founded two cities, Nicaea and Bucephala, and in the river part, many ships were already assembled. But extra ships had to be built, and it took quite a lot of time before the expedition to the south could begin. Alexander's admiral, Nearchus, who was writing a book about the expedition, mentioned Alexander's most important writers, who gave a list of captains who were responsible for the building of the transport ships. Phoenicians, Carians, Cypriotes and Egyptians were to row 800 ships. (Jona Lendering)
It was November when the Macedonians finally started their expedition back. Alexander sacrificed to the river gods, his ancestors, the demigod Heracles and the Egyptian god Ammon. Finally, the ships could leave. The fleet was escorted by two armies, it commanded by Craterus and Hephaestion, marching along the banks in the west and east. The ships had been traveling for ten days, when a disaster happened. In between the Acesines and Hydaspes, several ships were thrown out of control, and many people lost their lives. (Jona Lendering)
It was November when the Macedonians finally started their expedition back. Alexander sacrificed to the river gods, his ancestors, the demigod Heracles and the Egyptian god Ammon. Finally, the ships could leave. The fleet was escorted by two armies, it commanded by Craterus and Hephaestion, marching along the banks in the west and east. The ships had been traveling for ten days, when a disaster happened. In between the Acesines and Hydaspes, several ships were thrown out of control, and many people lost their lives. (Jona Lendering)
Sind
The ruler of the next kingdom, Musicanus, didn't pay his respect to the Macedonians, which gave Alexander the excuse he wanted to invade the country he had to cross anyway. It was called Sind. Musicanus surrendered and now had to listen to his new leader. Right after that, Alexander attacked Musicanus' neighbor, king Oxicanus, who reigned near modern Sukkur. Going farther south, Alexander also attacked the kingdom of king Sambus, which was situated between the Kirthar and the Indus. (Jona Lendering)
When Alexander wanted to continue to the nearby sea in April, the states behind him revolted. The rebellion was inspired by the Brahmans, who had some kind of academy in a town called Harmatelia. The Macedonians killed many rebels, the Brahmans were hanged and king Musicanus, who had supported the revolt, was crucified. King Sambus escaped. The Brahman rebellion spread to the north regions as well, the leader of Gandara was killed, but eventually, the Macedonian garrison pacified the country. (Jona Lendering)
When Alexander wanted to continue to the nearby sea in April, the states behind him revolted. The rebellion was inspired by the Brahmans, who had some kind of academy in a town called Harmatelia. The Macedonians killed many rebels, the Brahmans were hanged and king Musicanus, who had supported the revolt, was crucified. King Sambus escaped. The Brahman rebellion spread to the north regions as well, the leader of Gandara was killed, but eventually, the Macedonian garrison pacified the country. (Jona Lendering)