11. Iranian and Alexander's Invasions

Iranian Invasion

• Unlike north-east, where different principalities and republics merged with the Magadhan empire, in the north-west several small principalities like Kambojas, Gandharas and Madras fought one another.
• This area was wealthy and can be entered through the passes in the Hindukush.
• The Achaemenian rulers of Iran especially Darius penetrated into northwest India in 516 B.C. And annexed Punjab, west of Indus and Sindh around the same time as Magadhan expansion.
• This area constituted the 20th province or satrapy of Iran, the total number of such satrapy being 28.
• The Indian subjects were also enrolled in the Iranian army. Xerxes, the successor of Darius, employed the Indians in the long war against the Greeks.

 

Results of the Contact

• The Indo-Iranian contact lasted for about 200 years and gave impetus to Indo-Iranian trade and commerce but the cultural results were more important.
• The Iranian scribers brought with them a form of writing known as Kharosthi script, written from right to left like Arabic and continued to be used till 3rd century A.D.
• Iranian influence on Maurya sculpture is clearly perceptible as Asoka's monuments, especially the bell-shaped capitals owed something to Iranian models.
• Iranian influence can also be traced in the Preamble of Asoka's edicts as well as certain words used in them such as Iranian term dipi became lipi in Asoka's edicts.
• Further the it was the Iranians through whom the Greeks came to know about the great wealth of India which whetted their greed and eventually led to Alexander's invasion of India.

 

Alexander's Invasion

• In the 4th century B.C. The Greeks and the Iranians fought for the supremacy of the world. Under the leadership of Alexander of Macedonia, the Greeks finally destroyed the Iranian empire.
• He conquered not only Minor Asia and Iran and Iran but also marched for India. Since the area was divided into many principalities, he found it easy to conquer them.
• He conquered Ambhi, the prince of Taxila and Porus whose kingdom lay between the Jhelum and the Chenab.
• He wanted to move further eastward but his army refused to accompany him as they had grown war-weary and disease-stricken.
• The Greek soldiers were also told of a formidable power on the Ganga, obviously the kingdom of Magadha ruled by the Mahapadma Nanda of the Nanda dynasty who maintained the army far outnumbering that of Alexander.
• He remained in India for 19 months (326-325 B.C.) and left after placing his territorial possessions into under 3 Greek governors.

 

Effects of Alexander's Invasion

• Alexander's invasion provided the first occasion when ancient Europe came into close contact with Ancient   India producing important results.
• His campaign opened up 4 distinct routes by land and sea , paving the way for Greek merchants and craftsmen and increased the existing facilities for trade.
• He established a no. Of cities such as Alexandria in Kabul region and one in Sindh and Boukephala on the Jhelum and Greeks continued to live in them even after the Mauryan occupation of this region.
• Alexander's historians have left behind valuable geographical accounts, clearly dated records of Alexander's campaign enabling historians to build Indian chronology for subsequent events.
• The accounts spoke about the sati system, the sale of girls and fine breed of oxen in North-west India.
• The art of carpentry was the most flourishing craft in India and carpenters built chariots, boats and ships.
• According to tradition Chandragupta Maurya had seen something of the working of the military machine of Alexander and had acquired some knowledge which helped him in destroying the Nandas.