Persian/Iranian and Macedonian /Greek Invasion-
- Amongst the foreigners, the Persians were the first to invade India.
- The Iranians invaded India in the 6th century B.C, when king Darius I ruled over Iran.
- He invaded India and occupied the territories in the North-Western Frontier Province, Sind and Punjab in 516 B.C.
Important Rulers-
1.Cyrus-
- Cyrus founded the Persian Empire 550 B.C
- Pliny informs that Cyrus destroyed the city of Kapisi while Arrian tells that he conquered territories as far as Kabul.
2.Cambyses-
- He Was the son of Cyrus succeeded, diverted his attention towards Egypt and Greece and had no time to launch an expedition towards India
3.Darius I-
- Darius pushed the Persian borders far as Indus River, had the river Indus surveyed by his Greek commander Skylax and constructed a canal connecting the Nile River and the Red Sea.
4.Xerxes-
- Darius I was succeeded by Xerxes.
- Xerxes employed Indian army against the Greeks.
The effects of Persian invasions-
Coins-
- The Persian coinage system influenced Indian coins
Political-
- India’s Political Weakness Explosed
Kharoshthi Script-
- The Indians adopted the Kharosthi Script of Iran.
- It was written from right to left
Culture-
- Interchange of Indo Persian culture
Impact on Art and Architecture-
- The Iranian art also influenced the Indian art.
- Ashoka, followed the Iranian custom of preaching ideals by inscribing them on the stone pillars
Administrative-
- Large number of Persian nobles were employed in the courts of the Indian kings
Macedonian Invasion-
Hellenistic-
- The term 'Hellenistic' was first used in the 19th century to describethe era and civilization, which materialized from the conquests of Alexander the Great (330 B.C. to 7 B.C.).
- During this period Greek culture spread from the Mediterranean eastwards to the Indus River Valley and westwards to the Atlantic
Macedonia
- There was a distinction in the ancient Greek world between those who lived south of the Mount Olympus and those who lived to its north.
- The people who lived to the north of the mountains were called the Macedonians.
- The latter were called ‘Makedones’, a Greek word in origi
The Alexander (CA. 356-323 B.C.)-
- His father's name was Phillip and his mother's name was Olympus. He was born in Pella.
- Among his many victories, Alexander’s campaigns in India are the most noteworthy.
- In 327 BCE, Alexander marched from Bactra through the Hindukush and advanced towards the plains of the Indus.
- Then having crossed the Indus river he secured the help of Ambi, king of Taxila and marched to Jhelum
Battle against Porus-
Porus’s Kingdom-
- Porus ruled over the territory which lay between the Jhelum and the Chenab.
- He maintained a strong army
Battle of Hydaspes
- It was fought between Alexander and King Porus, who used to rule over the tracts between rivers Hydaspes (Jhelum)in July 326 B.C.E.
- Although Porus ended up losing the battle, his courage impressed Alexander the Great so much that the latter reinstated him as a subordinate ruler and allowed him to rule the south-east, stretching out until the Hyphasis
Other battles-
- Alexander continued his march into the Indian subcontinent and crossed the Chenab and Ravi (Acesines and Hydraotes).
- He defeated many principalities and fought a fierce battle with the Kathas of Panjab.
- The Kathas did not submit easily and fought valiantly.
- Alexander was able to capture Sagala, the hill fortress of Kathas and razed it to ground.
- Thereafter he was informed by a nearby king about the might of the Nandas, east of Beas.
- Alexander wanted to proceed but his troops refused to advance Hence, he was forced to return to Jhelum.
- He handed all the country between Jhelum and Beas to Porus and sailed down Jhelum for his return journey
The last campaign of Alaxender-
Malavas (Malloi) & Kshudrakas
- Below the confluence of Jhelum and the Chenab, he fought his last important campaign against the Malavas (Malloi) & Kshudrakas.
- The Malavas fought bravely but were defeated.
- The Kshudrakas also could not stand anywhere before Alexander.
- Three years after his campaigns in India, in 324 BCE, Alexander was back at Susa in Persia. In the following year he died at Babylon.
After his death there were regional fights between different generals and statrap and finally majority of area came under Seleucus Nicator
Causes responsible for defeat of Indians by Alexander-
- Lack of unity among Indian rulers.
- Military supremacy of Alexander.
- The elephants used by the Indians proved a liability rather than an asset for them.
- Nature also seemed to favour the Macedonians. Because of rain and storm the Indian archies could not use their bows effectively on the slippery battle field
Impact of Alexander’s invasion on India-
- Trade and Communication between India and Greece increased after Alexander's campaign.
- Land and routes by sea opened up through which Greek merchants and craftsmen came to have access to these faraway lands.
- It helped in the Founding of the Mauryan Dynasty because Alexander’s invasion had reduced the strength of the various states as well as the warlike tribes of the Punjab etc.
- Help in building Indian Chronology for subsequent Events.
- Indian philosophy, religion, astronomy, mathematics was influenced by the Greek invasion.
- Indians borrowed the concept of the twelve signs of the Zodiac from the Greeks.
- Greek sculpture influenced Indian sculpture, givingrise to the Gandhara School of art.
- The Kushana ruler Kanishka adopted Mahayanism and invited Bactrian artists to make the images of Buddha.
- The Indians adopted the Greek idea of minting well-formed coins of particular shapes.