MORE ABOUT PORUS AND HIS TIMES

 

MORE ABOUT PORUS AND HIS TIMES  

            The ancient history of India about which some written or oral record is available starts with King Manu, the originator of the solar Dynasty.  He is said to have begotten nine sons.  But for our purposed his daughter is more important who mothered a son called Pauruvavas Alia whose progeny created independent principalities at Kannaul and Banares (now known s Varanasi). There was at that time another conqueror Yayati who ruled over a large kingdom and had it divided among his five sons --- Yadu, Druhyu, Andu, Yadu and Puru. This Puru got as his share the territory which lay between the Jhelum and the Chenab. He is known as Porus in Greek history.  Mythologically, if not historically, Porus belonged to the tribe of the Vedic Purus.

            Ancient history also mentions another famous king Kuru who extended his realm from Prayaga to Kurukshetra and whose successors were  known as Kurus.  There seems to be an unauthentic link of togetherness among the Kurus and the Purus who ruled over the North-West, the Panjab, and  the then United provinces (now Uttar Padesh) right up to Prayaga.

            In the annals of that time there is also the mention of one Darius III, who was the last king of the Achaemenid of Persia from 336 BC to 330 BC.  According to a legend this Persian king was hunted down by Alexander after the battle of Gaugamela in which he had been wounded by an arrow and later passed away in 486 of failing health.

            The un-researched contemporary history of that time also mentions a reigning king called by the Greeks as Assakenos.  There is also a mention of a small hill-state known as Nysa at the foot of Mt.Meros between the Kabul river and the Indus. If we go by the record left by the Greek historian Arrian the Nysaeans did not belong to India.  They had descended from the migrants who had come to India with Dionysius, the Greek historian and rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Caesar Augustus.

            For our purpose, the most important place in the time of Porus was Taxila (Takshasila).  It lay between the Indus and Jhelum. Taxila was a well-ruled large city.  It formed the eastern part of the old kingdom of Gandhara.  In 327 B.C. its throne was occupied by Hyparch or Basileus whom the Greeks called Taxiles. The ruler of this kingdom was invited by Alexander who came not with any hostile feelings but those of friendship and honoured Alexander with precious  gifts.

            One more contemporary was Abhisara whose kingdom lay amidst the mountains of the Taxila territory and touched even Punch (in Kashmir) and the Hazara district of North-West Frontier Province. This ruler is believed to have offered his support to Alexander, but did not  do so and sided with Porus.

            The territory of Maharaja Porus lay between the Jhelum and the Chenab, covering the modern districts of Gujarat and Shahpur. According to the Greek historian, geographer and philosopher Strabo 63 B.C.---23 A.D. Porus had 300 cities under his conrol and his army comprised more than 50,000 soldiers, about 3,000 horses, above 1,000 chariots and 130 elephants.

            There were quite a few more kings ruling over their respective territories (see the annexed maps) whom we can safely leave out because our aim is to enlighten our readers about the unique bravery and patriotism of Maharaja Porus at the time of Alexander’s invasion.  We also want to emphasize  that most of  the contemporaries of Maharaja Porus were self-centred and  were  interested only in  their own safety and the security of their kingdoms and for that matter they did not hesitate even to shake hands with Alexander and please him with all sorts of gifts and honours.

            An important part  of our aim is  to highlight the fact that Maharaja Porus was a Sabharwal Kshtriya and he performed his duties as a true  Kshtriya with full loyalty as are spelled out  in the history of Hinduism and the holy Gita which came right from the lips of Lord Krishna himself  in the battle of the Mahabharfata.

            For the enlightenment of our readers, we close this chapter with the listing of the salient duties of a true  Kshtriya which Maharaja Porus was and will always be remembered like that  : ----

A true  Kshtriya is the guardian of society, its protector and preserver. He is the soldier who fights for the freedom of the race and the prefect who keeps the peace of the land.  He has to save the social polity from alien domination and internal dissentions. His duties are: heroism, vigour, firmness, resourcefulness, dauntlessness in battle, generosity and majesty.