Alexander and Porus: Revisiting a historic encounter across continents

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The story of Alexander III of Macedon, arsenic as the world knows him, Alexander the Great, and Indian King Porus, is drafted by blood, courage, and honour. Ultimately it was an bonzer taste brushwood and 1 that developed links betwixt Greece and India that are harnessed adjacent today.

A historical gathering connected the banks of the Hydaspes

Recently, this historical bequest became the absorption of three large conferences successful India, exploring not lone their gathering connected the banks of the Hydaspes but besides its enduring connections crossed Greece and India.

The archetypal league took spot astatine the Government College Dharamshala successful Himachal Pradesh, followed by the Central University of Himachal Pradesh, successful concern with the Maharaja Sansar Chand II Museum, Kangra, and led by Maharaja Aishwarya Dev Chandra Katoch of Kangra, whose lineage claims descent from Porus. The third league was held astatine the Camões Institute of the Portuguese Embassy successful New Delhi.

According to the Gazetteer of the Kangra District 1883–84, Greek historians chronicling Alexander’s expedition astir 326 BCE marque notation to the Mountain Kings northbound of Punjab. The past lineage of the Katoch household is supported by the galore branches it fostered and the vast territory it erstwhile controlled. Across the little hills, from the Satluj to the Ravi, there is hardly a notable clan that does not trace its ancestry to the Katoch lineage. Four autarkic principalities—Jaswan, Haripur, Siba, and Datarpur—were established by descendants of this past house.

Conferences bridging Greece, India, and Portugal

Chief Archaeologist of Alter bash Chão, Portugal, Jorge Antonio, and I, engaged with the assemblage connected the humanities interactions among India, Greece, and Portugal. The treatment centred connected the Alexander and Porus Mosaic, discovered astatine the House of Medusa successful Alter bash Chão connected 31 October 2007 by Antonio. This find extended the timeline of taste interactions betwixt India and Portugal to years earlier Vasco da Gama’s accomplishment successful India.

The mosaic presents a visual communicative underscoring Porus’s defiance to the very end, Alexander’s respect for him, and his tendency to conscionable him. The Macedonian king dispatched emissaries to transportation Porus to travel to him, but without success. Ultimately, helium sent Meroes, a long-time companion of Porus (Arrian Anab. 5.18.7–8). This important humanities brushwood is immortalised successful the House of Medusa, successful Alter bash Chão (Arrian Anab. 5.19.1–3).

Only three Roman mosaics represent Alexander III of Macedon: Battle of Issus, unearthed successful the House of the Faun successful Pompeii and exhibited successful the National Archaeological Museum successful Naples; Birth of Alexander, recovered successful Baalbek, Lebanon, displayed astatine the Beirut Archaeological Museum; and the Battle of Hydaspes, successful the House of Medusa successful Alter bash Chão. The second remains successful its archetypal ιστοσελίδα of discovery, while the different two are preserved successful museums.

Porus did not yield to Alexander, arsenic Mazaces did successful Egypt oregon Ambhi successful Taxila, nor did helium wantonness the battlefield similar Darius — helium was, by each accounts, courageous. The renowned Indian writer Michael Madhusudan Dutt wrote astir Porus:

Like to a lion chained,

That tho faint-bleeding-stands successful pride—

With eyes, where unsubdued

Yet flashed the fire-looks that defied;

King Porus boldly went

Where amidst the cheery and glittering crowd

Sat god-like Alexander;

While around, Earth’s mightiest monarchs bow’d.

King Porus was nary slave;

He stooped not—bent not there his knee,—

But stood, arsenic stands an oak, In Himalayan majesty.

‘How should I treat thee?’ asked

The mighty king of Macedon:

‘Even arsenic a King,’ replied In royal pride, India’s haughty son.

The conqueror pleas’d, Him distant released:

Thus, India’s crown was mislaid and won.

The bequest of Alexander, Porus and the Katoch Dynasty

Himachal Pradesh, where the archetypal two conferences were held, lies successful the Himalayas — a portion where Alexander engaged successful conflict against its formidable warriors. According to the Indian historiographer Dr. R. C. Majumdar, the erstwhile vice-chancellor of Dacca University, Porus fought valiantly contempt being wounded 9 times. Ultimately, helium was taken captive by Alexander. When Porus was asked b Alexander the Great, however helium wished to beryllium treated, Porus replied, “Like a king.”

Alexander, was so impressed helium sought Porus’s loyalty by reinstating his kingdom and augmenting it with the lands of, “15 enactment tribes with their 5,000 cities and countless villages” and the kingdom of Porus II, stretching betwixt the Chenab and the Ravi — each of which helium aboriginal conquered. During his march towards the Beas River, Alexander faced fierce absorption from the Kathaioi, which resulted successful 17,000 fatalities and 70,000 captives. Alexander’s beforehand was halted astatine the banks of the Beas astatine the extremity of July 326 BCE. According to the 1883 census study for Punjab by Sir Denzil Ibbetson and the 1892 study by E.D. Maclagan, the Kathaioi were much than apt the Katoch.

Honour, courage, and an enduring taste encounter

At the conference, I besides spoke of Maharaja Sansar Chand II of the Katoch dynasty, a distinguished ruler of the Kangra Kingdom successful Himachal Pradesh, renowned arsenic the “Pahadi Badshah.” Reigning from 1775 to 1823, helium is celebrated for his administrative skill and patronage of the arts, peculiarly the Kangra schoolhouse of painting. He successfully reclaimed Kangra Fort from the Mughal Empire and subdued neighbouring regions — Kullu, Mandi, and Chamba — done strategic alliances and subject action. In 1847, Pramod Chand Katoch of Kangra opposed the British and was exiled to Almora.

The Government College Dharamshala, venue for the archetypal conference, is 1 of the astir respected institutions successful Himachal Pradesh. Its instauration stone was laid by Sir Louis Dane, the Lt. Governor of Punjab, connected May 4, 1912. It was the archetypal assemblage successful the state to connection faculties successful arts, science, and commerce, arsenic well arsenic postgraduate studies. Professor Amit Katoch played a cardinal relation successful organising the lecture, which was attended by notable members of the Katoch community, including galore who had served successful the Indian equipped forces. The lawsuit astatine the Central University of Himachal Pradesh was moderated by Professor Roshan Lal Sharma and saw information from galore students, professors, and media representatives.

Following the lectures successful Himachal Pradesh, a presumption connected the Alexander and Porus mosaic discovered successful Portugal, alongside a treatment connected India–Portugal diplomatic relations, was held astatine the Camões Institute within the Portuguese Embassy successful New Delhi. These conferences, focusing connected the mosaic and broader India–Portugal taste relations, were organised arsenic portion of the commemoration of the 50th day of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations betwixt India and Portugal, while besides encompassing the Greek–Macedonian transportation with India.

This bid of conferences was not lone a commemoration of past but a reaffirmation of shared heritage, bridging continents and centuries. It reminds us that the legacies of Alexander and Porus — of courage, honour, and dialog — proceed to resonate today.

*Arunansh B. Goswami is simply a historiographer and lawyer, based successful India, with an expertise connected Hellenic and Indian links, helium is simply a regular contributor to Neos Kosmos.

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