SSC
The Battle of the Hydaspes (326 BCE), on the banks of the Jhelum, was fought between Alexander and:
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Answer: Option D — King Porus (Puru)
Detailed Solution
The Battle of the Hydaspes was fought in 326 BCE between Alexander of Macedonia and King Porus (Puru), the ruler of the kingdom between the Jhelum and the Chenab rivers, in present-day Pakistan Punjab.
About the battle:
- "Hydaspes" is the Greek name of the Jhelum river (called "Vitasta" in Sanskrit).
- Alexander crossed the river secretly at night during the monsoon, upstream from the camp of Porus.
- Porus's army included war elephants, chariots, cavalry and infantry.
- The rain and mud made the chariots useless, and Alexander's cavalry attacked the flanks of the Indian army.
- Porus fought bravely on a large elephant, but was wounded and defeated.
The famous story:
- According to Greek accounts, when Porus was brought before Alexander and asked how he wished to be treated, he replied, "As a king treats another king."
- Alexander was impressed by his courage, restored his kingdom to him, and added more territory to it.
Background:
- Alexander invaded India in 327-326 BCE, after conquering the Persian empire.
- Ambhi (Omphis), the ruler of Taxila, submitted to Alexander and helped him against Porus, who was his rival.
After the battle:
- Alexander advanced up to the river Beas (Hyphasis).
- His soldiers, tired after years of fighting and afraid of the powerful Nanda kingdom of Magadha, refused to go further.
- Alexander turned back and returned by way of the Indus and the land route through Gedrosia (Baluchistan).
- He died in Babylon in 323 BCE.
Effects of Alexander's invasion:
- It opened routes between India and the West.
- It weakened the small states of north-west India, which helped Chandragupta Maurya to unify north India.
- Greek settlements were left in the north-west.
Sources:
Greek writers such as Arrian, Plutarch, Curtius and Diodorus describe the invasion; Indian sources do not mention it.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Ambhi of Taxila was Alexander's ally.
- ✗Chandragupta Maurya and Dhana Nanda did not fight this battle.
Quick tip
Remember: Battle of the Hydaspes (Jhelum), 326 BCE = Alexander vs Porus ("as a king treats another king"); Ambhi of Taxila helped Alexander; army stopped at the Beas.
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Mahajanapadas & Mauryan Empire — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Mahajanapadas & Mauryan Empire, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the sixteen Mahajanapadas, the rise of Magadha under the Haryanka, Shishunaga and Nanda dynasties, Alexander's invasion, and the Mauryan Empire under Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusara and Ashoka, including Mauryan administration, Ashoka's dhamma and his edicts. Questions often ask about the capital of a Mahajanapada, the founder of a dynasty, or details of Ashoka's rule, such as the Kalinga war and his rock and pillar edicts. Key sources include Kautilya's Arthashastra and Megasthenes' Indica. James Prinsep first deciphered Ashoka's Brahmi inscriptions in 1837. Practise the Mahajanapadas and Mauryan Empire questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.