Battle of Hydaspe

The battles of Hydaspe opposes Alexandre Large the to Pôros (or Pûru), Indian Râja of the kingdom of Paurava, in July 326 av. J. - C. on banks of Hydaspe (or Hydaspes), modern Jhelum, on the current territory of the Pakistan. The soldiers Macedonians are confronted for the first time with a big number of elephants of war.

Historical context

In spring 327 av. J. - C., Alexandre leaves Bactres with the head of a considerable troop, close to: 60000 men, for half of Eastern, without counting the crowd of the wives, servants, merchants and slaves who accompany the soldiers. Previously in Sogdiane, Alexandre received indeed emissary of the king of Taxila which fears the ambitions of its neighbor, Pôros, combined to the prince of the Cachemire so, seems it, to subject the Penjab. This embassy explains partly why Alexandre launches out in a campaign in India; a powerful ally in the area represents a certain guarantee of success, and the wars between kinglets an excellent pretext to penetrate the Indian world. It crosses the country of the Paraponisades and passes by Alexandria of the Caucasus (current Bagram close to Kabul). Most of the army borrows the Passe of Khyber, “old road” of India, while a troop ordered by Alexandre himself follows a route more to north. It charges indeed Héphaistion and Perdiccas to conquer southern bank of Côphen (current Kabul-rud) and to prepare the crossing of Indus. Alexandre occupies himself as for him to subject the septentrional valleys of Côphen and his affluents. If the projection of its two generals is fast, Alexandre (with Cratère for lieutenant) is confronted with the mountain populations which oppose a resistance baited around their fortified towns (summer 327). In spring 326 Alexandre makes his junction on Indus with Héphaistion and Perdiccas, which had time to build a bridge between two banks. Once the crossed river, Alexandre receives the tender of king de Taxila. The army remains one month in the city of Taxila, then at the beginning of summer 326, Alexandre launches his forces against Pôros and his army of elephants.

Course of the battle

Pôros arranged its army on left bank of Hydaspe in order to push back any attempt at crossing. The river, inflated by and first the rain snow melt of monsoon, is deep and fast; also very armed which would try to pass it would condemn to an unquestionable destruction. Alexandre waits several days; he makes some movements of diversion along bank and organizes a misinformation campaign, making pass, by the local peasants, the information which he considers that water is too high to try a crossing, which arrives at the ear of Pôros. During one night, whereas the Indians have an excessive confidence, Alexandre crosses in person Hydaspe, some twenty-five kilometers upstream, with a troop of formed elite of Hypaspistes and Compagnons. Informed, Pôros, always seeing on other bank the principal body of troop, does not fear the danger. Pôros sends only one small troop of riders ordered by one of his/her parents (wire, brother or nephew) to be opposed to Alexandre. It makes an error there because its battalion east demolishes and his/her killed relative.

When the battle really begins, the cavalry of Alexandre is on the right of the frontline, while the phalange, ordered by Cratère, has as an order to cross the river if Pôros deals with Alexandre with all his troops. The Indian army is arranged with the cavalry on the two sides, the elephants of war ahead, and the infantry behind the elephants. These elephants of war offer a new difficulty. Alexandre must indeed re-examine his usual strategy which consists in cutting the unfavourable lines in order to launch the cavalry in the opening; what was of a frightening effectiveness to the battles of Issos and of Gaugamèles. Moreover, the Indian elephants return the horses Macedonians so nervous which they refuse to charge with face the pachyderms. Alexandre is thus forced to modify his strategy. He thus sends a group riding to circumvent the Indians in order to attack them by the back.

Alexandre begins the battle by a load from cavalry on the left side of the Indians. Pôros reinforces it by transferring to it part of its cavalry of its right side; what allows the cavalry Macedonian sent to circumvent the Indian army to take it by the back, as Alexandre envisaged. The Indian cavalry can be destroyed, without forcing the cavalry Macedonian to approach the elephants. During this time, the phalangites Macedonians and the Persian infantry, which crossed the river, are opposed to the load of the elephants, which is stopped with however heavy losses among the infantrymen. A great number of mahouts of the elephants are killed and the forces of Alexandre surround soon the Indian army. After heavy losses, Pûru, encircled and seriously wounded, goes with the honors to Alexandre under the terms of negotiations. Justin claims, contrary to the other ancient authors, that Alexandre and Pôros would have delivered a singular combat. But Lucien de Samosate claims that it is about an invention of Aristobule. This legendary episode was however taken again the alive one of Alexandre in the “décadrachme of Pôros”.

Consequences

It is difficult to estimate the losses of the two camps, but the Indians probably lose all their cavalry, much (perhaps essence) of their infantry, and more than 100 elephants of war. Alexandre captures more than 80 elephants; its cavalry is saved but it loses an important part of its infantry. The historian Peter Green estimates that Alexandre lost some: 4000 men, majority being phalangites which underwent the shock of the combat against the elephants, because the horses of the cavalry Macedonian had refused to approach some. It is advisable to note that it is not the first time that the Macedonians face elephants of war, one counts of it a score in the army of Darius III with the Bataille of Gaugamèles, but they had not had that a very weak impact on the battle. It is thus during the battle of Hydaspe that the Macedonians truly faced a load of pachyderms, the cavalry with final being shown not very convincing against it and phalangites having undergone heavy losses.

In spite of the defeat of Pôros, Alexandre saves his life and reinstalls it on its throne because it needs a factor of stability in an area with the turbulent tribes. After having subjected the current Penjab, the army Macedonian opposes Alexandre and refuses traverver Hyphase (the Eastern river of the valley of Indus). Alexandre dies a few years later in 323 av. J. - C. and its empire does not survive the war enter the Diadoques. The kingdom of Hydaspe finds its independence. In commemoration of the battle, Alexandre founds two cities, Alexandria Nicée (of the old Greek : Νικαία / Nikaia : “victory”) over the site of the modern city of Jalapur to the Pakistan and Alexandria Bucéphale, probably on the site of Bhora, in homage to its horse Bucéphale which dies during, or a little later the battle.

The “décadrachme of Pôros”

Alexandre commemorates this victory by striking currency with the effigy of Pôros. On this décadrachme, struck with Babylon towards 323 av. J. - C., one can notice:

Right: Pôros, perched on the nape of the neck of an elephant, holds up a lance towards Alexandre who also continues it with horse armed him with a lance; behind Pôros, a mahout catches the lance of Alexandre.
Reverse: Divinized Alexandre is upright of face, with the head of profile; the exceeding case of its sword of its back, it is pressed left hand on a long sceptre and holds of the right hand the lightning of Zeus; it is capped Persian Tiare and is crowned by a Nike.

This décadrachme thus consolidates the idea according to which Alexandre and Pôros would have delivered a singular combat.

Random links: