Editing 326 BC (section)

==== Macedonian Empire ====

* Spring &ndash; [[Alexander the Great]] crosses the [[Indus]] near [[Attock]] and enters [[Taxila (ancient)|ancient Taxila]], whose ruler, [[Taxiles]] (or Ambhi), furnishes 130 [[war elephant]]s and troops in return for aid against his rival [[King Porus|Porus]], who rules the lands between the [[Hydaspes]] (modern [[Jhelum River]]) and the Acesines (modern [[Chenab River]]).

* On the left bank of the Hydaspes, Alexander fights his last great battle, the [[Battle of the Hydaspes River]]. He and his general [[Craterus]] defeat the [[India]]n King Porus. Alexander founds two cities there, [[Alexandria on the Indus]] or Alexandria Nicaea (to celebrate his victory) and [[Alexandria Bucephalous]] or Bucephala (named after his horse [[Bucephalus]], which dies there); and Porus becomes his friend and ally.
* [[Philip (son of Machatas)|Philip]], an officer in the service of Alexander the Great, is appointed satrap of India, including the provinces to the west of the Hydaspes, as far south as the junction of the Indus with the Acesines. Philip is put in charge by Alexander of building the city of [[Alexandria on the Indus]].
* Alexander continues on to conquer all the headwaters of the Indus River. East of Porus' kingdom, near the [[Ganges River]], Alexander faces the powerful empire of [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] ruled by the [[Nanda dynasty]]. Fearing the prospects of facing another powerful Indian army and exhausted by years of campaigning, his army mutinies at the [[Beas River|Hyphasis River]] (the modern [[Beas River]]) and refuses to march further east, thus making this river mark the easternmost extent of Alexander's conquests.
* Following the mutiny of his army at the Hyphasis River, Alexander is persuaded by his army leaders to abandon his plans for invading the [[Ganges River|Ganges Valley]]. Alexander appoints [[Nearchus]], a [[Crete|Cretan]] with naval experience, as admiral and places under his command all in the ranks of his army with any knowledge of seafaring. Nearchus has Indian shipwrights build 800 vessels, some as large as 300 tons, to take the army through [[Persian Gulf]] waters to Babylon. Alexander the Great begins the return march down the Indus to the sea.
* After the departure of Alexander from India, [[Philip (son of Machatas)|Philip]] is assassinated by some of the mercenary troops under his command. Alexander names [[Eudamus]] and [[Taxilas]] as replacement rulers of Philip's territories.