The arrival of the Greeks

Now a second story, running at the same time far to the north-west. That area had small kingdoms on an old route to the Mediterranean. One, say the Greeks, was the Pauravas, with their king Porus.

334–331 BCE: Alexander, a young Greek king from Macedonia, attacked the Persian Empire, partly as revenge for earlier Persian attacks on Greece. (Some Indian soldiers from the Persian-ruled north-west had fought against the Greeks!) He won, and his empire spread over three continents.

327–325 BCE: Wanting to reach "the end of the world", he came to India and defeated Porus in Punjab. Local tribes and rulers fought back fiercely; he massacred the people of several cities. Greek records say that in some battles "women fought side by side with their men".

After the battle Alexander asked Porus how he wished to be treated. "Like a king." So Alexander left Porus ruling his kingdom, as a satrap. Satraps were governors left behind to run far-off lands; being far away, they had a lot of power and freedom.

Alexander was badly wounded in one battle. His soldiers, tired and homesick, refused to march on towards the Ganga. He turned back through southern coasts and harsh deserts, and many soldiers died of thirst, hunger and disease.

Back in Persia he faced rebellions. He fell ill and died in Babylon at 32. His generals and satraps split his huge empire into their own kingdoms.

One more meeting: Indian sages the Greeks called gymnosophists ('naked philosophers'). Alexander tested them with riddles, threatening death for wrong answers. "Which is stronger, life or death?" "Life, because it lasts while death does not." "How can a man be most loved?" "If he is most powerful and yet does not inspire fear." Perhaps a hint to Alexander! He was impressed and spared them all: a meeting of Greek and Indian thinking.