When coterminous Pakistan fought Alexander the Great and almost brought him down to his knees.

[Indus Pakistan]

In 326BC Alexander the Great with his Greek and Macedonian army invaded coterminous Pakistan. Our anscestors fought like lions and almost killed him in what is now Multan. By the time he left our land large part of his army was destroyed. So this thread is to celebrate our ancestors who fought to protect our sacred Indus region and also the brave Alexander. It was the first meeting of coterminous Pakistan with the West. In the subsequent centuries Greek culture and civilization took root in Gandhara region of coterminous of Pakistan which is modern North West Pakistan. I was pleasently surprised to find that Pakistan Army Museum celebrates Alexander and Porus and the Battle of Hydaspes. Image below.

One of histories greatest conquerors certainly left coterminous Pakistan with respect for ancestors fighting abilities. Not many people can claim in to have tangled with Alexander the Great and given him rough time like we did. What is so unique about Alexander's campaign in coterminous Pakistan is that it touched almost all our people. Every province and most districts of Pakikstan felt the force of the Greek Army. Some of us joined him. Some of us fought against him but either way it was making of history. Books are still being written about it over 2000 years later.

For the first time coterminous Pakistan fortified by the mighty River Indus was joined to a vast empire that connected us with Greece and all countries in between.

Look at the map below and see if your district in Pakistan was involved in one of histories greatest moments. The route map of Alexander the Great is approximate.

The approximate route of invasion was Khyber Pass, Peshawar, cross the Indus near Attock, Taxila/Islamabad, Jhelum where Porus fought Alexander on the banks of River Jhelum or what the Greeks called Hydaspes. He then moved east to near Lahore crossing the border near Amritsar but then the Greeks turned back into coterminous Pakistan. This is proximate to the GT road axis. Returning back to Jhelum they sailed down the river to Multan where the fierce Mallians almost killed Alexander the Great.

Then sailing down into Sindh near Karachi Alexander had one of his generals survey mouth of the Indus River. He himself then marched along what is now the Mekran Highway past Gwadar into Iran.


Monument to Battle of Hydaspes. Jalalpur Sharif, Jhelum, Pakistan.

@Chinese-Dragon Please let your Chinese members know about this part of Ancient Pakistan's history. Thanks @AUSTERLITZ @Magnum Opus @KediKesenFare @HAKIKAT @EgyptianAmerican @xenon54 etc


https://tribune.com.pk/story/1502658/army-museum-opens-doors-public-lahore/

 

[Indus Pakistan]

If you want to see whether your district was involved in the making of history and fighting Alexander the Great. Refer to the district map of Pakistan below with major cities marked along the route Alexander took. Obviously the route is "best guess" and to be only taken as a educated guess. We can't of course know the exact path taken after over 2000 years but this does give you fairly good idea. So have a look. Did your ancestors take on the Greeks/Macedonians of Alexander and fought like lions?

 

[Azadkashmir]

Most western people dont know this they get shocked when they hear about alexander in modern pak.

 

[TMA]

edited

Did not some of Pakistani's ancestors fight on the Greek/Macedonian side? As some modern day Pakistanis have some Greek in them?

Most Pakistanis don't have a clue, at least in the UK.

Most western people dont know this they get shocked when they hear about alexander in modern pak.

 

[Azadkashmir]

Did not some of Pakistani's ancestors fight on the Greek/Macedonian side? As some modern day Pakistanis have some Greek in them?

Most Pakistanis don't have a clue, at least in the UK.

well most uk paks care about going out with mates to restaurant to eat kebabs and cinema.
history is not priority.

 

[xyxmt]

My Daughter's Greek class mate told her that her father have so much respect for Pakistanis, my daughter asked me why do you think he does so I told her this is why.

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

A small Kingdom on the Indus almost managed to bring the mightiest and largest empire in it's time to it's knees. Unfortunately, the various kingdoms of the Indus were very fractured and weakened from constant warfare. Many of them joined Alexander and fought against their rivals. Had just a couple of them united to face this foreign invasion, the results would have been much different.

It is important to mention, that Porus was not the only hero; many tribes and Kingdoms held up in their forts and fought to the last man - unfortunately they have mostly been lost to history, and we do not know much about them.

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

Porus's army numbered around 20,000 - 40,000 and were mostly made up of hastened conscripts and not professional soldiers as compared to Alexander. His manpower was also drained by the endless conflict with Taxila, another Indus Kingdom which joined Alexander against Porus.

Due to the hastiness of the situation, Porus had little time to prepare and most likely had to rely almost completely on conscripts to form his infantry. These conscripts were armed with mostly cheap spears, bows and farming tools and carried long wicker shields easily penetrated by Macedonian pikes.

It was with their bravery that they managed to inflict substantial damage and hold up against a much more trained, experienced, professional, disciplined and organized army. Much respect to our ancestors.

 

[-blitzkrieg-]

Pakistanis killed Alexander; the poisoned arrow tip that punctured his lung was the cause of Alexander's illness and eventual death.
The poisonous plant (strychnine) predicted as per his symptoms is rare along Alexander’s route of march and could be harvested only in high elevation regions of the subcontinent (modern Pakistan).

 

[Taimoor Khan]

I wrote this a while back on now defunct Pakistani defense forum.

http://forum.********************/index.php?showtopic=91310




About time state should recognize Porus and his contributions towards protect the sovereignty of our lands. He should be to us Pakistanis as what Leonidas is in ancient Greek history. Infact his stature should be much much higher as he was not only fighting the world greatest army against all odds, but other regions as well who conspired against him while siding with the Greeks.

Who kicked whose arse can be understood by the fact the Greek historian went quite about this war only to mention about it 300 years after the event, that is three centuries, completely twisting facts and realities.

Standing at 7 foot tall, what a personality and man he would be, leading his small army against the super power of the time. Someone needs to make another 300 but this time around with the Greeks on the receiving end.

 

[Taimoor Khan]

For those who dont know, The Mangla garrison, the dam, they are all named after the daughter of Porus.

Porus lost his son during the battle.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

First I want to thank everybody for their contribution. Secondly rather surprised that we have not had any Gangas jumping in and trying to claim it was they who fought Aexander's army to it's knees. Just want to clarify that I am using the term "coterminous Pakistan". Coterminous means having the same space or boundaries in time. In other words the land and geography that is today Pakistan. Or the Indus River region.

coterminous
kəʊˈtəːmɪnəs/
adjective
adjective: coterminous
having the same boundaries or extent in space, time, or meaning.

Thirdly, we must understand that Greece was the unrivalled superpower of it's time. It had just defeated the mighty Persian Empire and nothing stood in way of Alexander to be "conquerer of the known world". He and his army then rolled into coterminous Pakistan. Divided we we were. Indeed probably split like the district map I posted above. Just like today we had some traitors. But we also had heroes.

It must have been a strange sight. The mighty Greek army with Alexander now behaving like he was god marched through our lands. I can imagine our people leaving their farms and heading to fight the world conquerer from afar. Porus whose kingdom is only slightly larger than modern day Jhelum District fought Alexander and his Greeks on the banks of Jhelum River in what history records as Battle of Hydaspes 326BCE. Any of you members from Jhelum district should feel proud. The battle is still studied in military academies across the world. Porus fought bravely but was defeated but the battle is recorded as very difficult by greek historians.

Along the entire coterminous Pakistan the Greeks found our ancestors - from tiny kingdoms to just tribes fighting them at every turn. The Greeks often through frustration and what was common in those days massacred the defeated. This is what happened in Multan or what was then known as Mali. The Mallians after having almost killed Alexander were killed indiscrimnately. However by the time the Greeks left our land we would forever be recorded as a difficult, divided but defiant fighters. Coterminous Pakistan would become a Greek Satrap in a huge empire stretching from Europe to Pakistan.

I ask Pakistani members to look at this map and see if they can place their location on the route Alexander took and or the Porus Kingdom marked green proximating to modern Jhelum District and regions adjacent. I encourage any personal accounts, stories or anything that you can add to this thread - in partcular from districts that lay on Alexander armies route.

I think it is high time Pakistan built statues to Porus and other fighters including our enemy Alexander. Over 2000 years we should not bear any bad blood with the Greeks but recognize the warriors that once made world history on our soil. Not many people can say they took on the superpower of it';s time with gusto like we did.

Next time you drive over the Jhelum River take few seconds to reflect on the momentous battle that took place so many centuries ago on it's banks.

And I am glad Pakistan Army Museum has embraced the Battle of Hydaspes and Porus in it's collection. A fitting inheritor of the valour shown by Porus over 2000 years ago.

 

[El Sidd]

River Indus is too strong a challenge for west to cross as history tells us.

 

[Trango Towers]

Did not some of Pakistani's ancestors fight on the Greek/Macedonian side? As some modern day Pakistanis have some Greek in them?

Most Pakistanis don't have a clue, at least in the UK.

Illiterate people have no clue anywhere but those of us that read know very well

 

[defence_analyst]

First I want to thank everybody for their contribution. Secondly rather surprised that we have not had any Gangas jumping in and trying to claim it was they who fought Aexander's army to it's knees. Just want to clarify that I am using the term "coterminous Pakistan". Coterminous means having the same space or boundaries in time. In other words the land and geography that is today Pakistan. Or the Indus River region.

coterminous
kəʊˈtəːmɪnəs/
adjective
adjective: coterminous
having the same boundaries or extent in space, time, or meaning.

Thirdly, we must understand that Greece was the unrivalled superpower of it's time. It had just defeated the mighty Persian Empire and nothing stood in way of Alexander to be "conquerer of the known world". He and his army then rolled into coterminous Pakistan. Divided we we were. Indeed probably split like the district map I posted above. Just like today we had some traitors. But we also had heroes.

It must have been a strange sight. The mighty Greek army with Alexander now behaving like he was god marched through our lands. I can imagine our people leaving their farms and heading to fight the world conquerer from afar. Porus whose kingdom is only slightly larger than modern day Jhelum District fought Alexander and his Greeks on the banks of Jhelum River in what history records as Battle of Hydaspes 326BCE. Any of you members from Jhelum district should feel proud. The battle is still studied in military academies across the world. Porus fought bravely but was defeated but the battle is recorded as very difficult by greek historians.

Along the entire coterminous Pakistan the Greeks found our ancestors - from tiny kingdoms to just tribes fighting them at every turn. The Greeks often through frustration and what was common in those days massacred the defeated. This is what happened in Multan or what was then known as Mali. The Mallians after having almost killed Alexander were killed indiscrimnately. However by the time the Greeks left our land we would forever be recorded as a difficult, divided but defiant fighters. Coterminous Pakistan would become a Greek Satrap in a huge empire stretching from Europe to Pakistan.

I ask Pakistani members to look at this map and see if they can place their location on the route Alexander took and or the Porus Kingdom marked green proximating to modern Jhelum District and regions adjacent. I encourage any personal accounts, stories or anything that you can add to this thread - in partcular from districts that lay on Alexander armies route.

I think it is high time Pakistan built statues to Porus and other fighters including our enemy Alexander. Over 2000 years we should not bear any bad blood with the Greeks but recognize the warriors that once made world history on our soil. Not many people can say they took on the superpower of it';s time with gusto like we did.

Next time you drive over the Jhelum River take few seconds to reflect on the momentous battle that took place so many centuries ago on it's banks.

And I am glad Pakistan Army Museum has embraced the Battle of Hydaspes and Porus in it's collection. A fitting inheritor of the valour shown by Porus over 2000 years ago.

Sir Jhelum district was not part of Porus kingdom. Ambhi which ruled Jhelum district allied with Alexander. But your map of Porus Kingdom is correct which are coterminous (learned new word today) Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin districts and in near future Kharian district after population census maybe. Confusion is because of river name and district are same.