Editing Alexander the Great (section)

===Forays into the Indian subcontinent===
[[File:AlexanderConquestsInIndia.jpg|thumb|Alexander's invasion of the Indian subcontinent]]

After the death of [[Spitamenes]] and his marriage to Roxana (Raoxshna in [[Old Iranian]]) to cement relations with his new satrapies, Alexander turned to the [[Indian subcontinent]]. He invited the [[tribal chief|chieftains]] of the former satrapy of [[Gandhara]] (a region presently straddling eastern Afghanistan and northern [[Pakistan]]), to come to him and submit to his authority. [[Omphis]] (Indian name [[Ambhi]]), the ruler of [[Taxila]], whose kingdom extended from the [[Indus]] to the [[Hydaspes]] (Jhelum), complied, but the chieftains of some hill clans, including the [[Aspasioi]] and [[Assakenoi]] sections of the [[Kambojas]] (known in Indian texts also as Ashvayanas and Ashvakayanas), refused to submit.{{sfn|Tripathi|1999|pp=118–21}} [[Ambhi]] hastened to relieve Alexander of his apprehension and met him with valuable presents, placing himself and all his forces at his disposal. Alexander not only returned Ambhi his title and the gifts but he also presented him with a wardrobe of "Persian robes, gold and silver ornaments, 30 horses and 1,000 talents in gold". Alexander was emboldened to divide his forces, and Ambhi assisted Hephaestion and Perdiccas in constructing a bridge over the Indus where it bends at [[Hund, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Hund]],<ref>Lane Fox 1973</ref> supplied their troops with provisions, and he received Alexander and his whole army in his capital city of Taxila, with every demonstration of friendship and the most liberal hospitality.
[[File:The phalanx attacking the centre in the battle of the Hydaspes by Andre Castaigne (1898-1899).jpg|thumb|''The [[Phalanx]] Attacking the Centre in the [[Battle of the Hydaspes]]'' by André Castaigne (1898–1899)]]

On the subsequent advance of the Macedonian king, Taxiles accompanied him with a force of 5,000 men and took part in the [[Battle of the Hydaspes]]. After that victory, he was sent by Alexander in pursuit of [[Porus]], to whom he was charged to offer favourable terms, but narrowly escaped losing his life at the hands of his old enemy. Subsequently, the two rivals were reconciled by the personal mediation of Alexander; Taxiles contributed zealously to the equipment of the fleet on the Hydaspes and was entrusted by Alexander with the government of the whole territory between that river and the Indus. A considerable accession of power was granted him after the death of [[Philip (son of Machatas)|Philip]], son of Machatas, and he was allowed to retain his authority at the death of Alexander himself (323 BC), as well as in the subsequent partition of the provinces at [[Treaty of Triparadisus|Triparadisus]], 321 BC.

In the winter of 327/326&nbsp;BC, Alexander personally led a campaign against the Aspasioi of the [[Kunar Valley]], the Guraeans of the [[Panjkora River|Guraeus Valley]], and the Assakenoi of the [[Swat District|Swat]] and [[Buner District|Buner Valleys]].<ref>{{harvnb|Narain|1965|pp=155–65}}</ref> A fierce contest ensued with the Aspasioi in which Alexander was wounded in the shoulder by a dart, but eventually the Aspasioi lost. Alexander then faced the Assakenoi who fought against him from the strongholds of Massaga, Ora, and [[Aornos]].{{sfn|Tripathi|1999|pp=118–21}}

The fort of Massaga was reduced after days of bloody fighting in which Alexander was seriously wounded in the ankle. According to [[Quintus Curtius Rufus|Curtius]], "Not only did Alexander slaughter the entire population of Massaga, but also did he reduce its buildings to rubble."<ref>{{cite book |last=McCrindle |first=J. W. |chapter=Curtius |title=History of Punjab |volume=I |year=1997 |publisher=[[Punjabi University]] |location=Patiala |editor1-first=Fauja |editor1-last=Singh |editor2-first=L. M. |editor2-last=Joshi |page=229}}</ref> A similar slaughter followed at Ora. In the aftermath of Massaga and Ora, numerous Assakenians fled to the fortress of [[Aornos]]. Alexander followed close behind and captured the strategic hill-fort after four bloody days.{{sfn|Tripathi|1999|pp=118–21}}

[[File:Alexander_accepts_the_surrender_of_Porus_by_Andre_Castaigne_(1898-1899).jpg|thumb|left|''[[Porus]] surrenders to Alexander'']]
After Aornos, Alexander crossed the Indus and won an epic battle against King [[Porus]], who ruled a region lying between the Hydaspes and the [[Chenab River|Acesines]] (Chenab), in what is now the [[Punjab]], in the Battle of the Hydaspes in 326&nbsp;BC.{{sfn|Tripathi|1999|pp=124–25}} Alexander was impressed by Porus's bravery and made him an ally. He appointed Porus as satrap, and added to Porus's territory land that he did not previously own, towards the south-east, up to the Hyphasis ([[Beas]]).<ref name="ReferenceA">p. xl, Historical Dictionary of Ancient Greek Warfare, J, Woronoff & I. Spence</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">Arrian Anabasis of Alexander, V.29.2</ref> Choosing a local helped him control these lands that were distant from Greece.{{sfn|Tripathi|1999|pp=126–27}} Alexander founded two cities on opposite sides of the [[Hydaspes]] river, naming one [[Alexandria Bucephalous|Bucephala]], in honour of his horse, who died around this time.{{sfn|Gergel|2004|p=120}} The other was [[Nicaea (Punjab)|Nicaea]] (Victory), thought to be located at the site of modern-day [[Mong, Punjab]].<ref>{{harvnb|Worthington|2003|p=175}}</ref> [[Philostratus the Elder]] in the ''[[Life of Apollonius of Tyana]]'' writes that in the army of Porus, there was an elephant who fought bravely against Alexander's army, and Alexander dedicated it to the [[Helios]] (Sun) and named it Ajax because he thought that such a great animal deserved a great name. The elephant had gold rings around its tusks and an inscription was on them written in Greek: "Alexander the son of Zeus dedicates Ajax to the Helios" (ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ Ο ΔΙΟΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΙΑΝΤΑ ΤΩΙ ΗΛΙΩΙ).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0638.tlg001.perseus-grc1:2.12|title=Philostratus the Athenian, Vita Apollonii, book 2, chapter 12|website=perseus.tufts.edu|access-date=20 February 2021|archive-date=25 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225081128/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0638.tlg001.perseus-grc1:2.12|url-status=live}}</ref>