Greek History - Alexander etc.

[Scythian_Jatt]

Hi guys,

Some would say Greek history is over exaggerated? For example, Alexander when he tried to invade Punjab, he faced off with the Malhi and Kang Jatts of Multan(The city of Multan is named after the Malhi, pronounced Mulli, clan of Jatts) where he almost died...later on when he was released fatally wounded by the Jatts he pushed towards Eastern Punjab where he encountered Porus, never before had the Greeks faced such a ferocious enemy who gave them an equal fight like King Porus did (who was also possibly Jatt).

Now many historians say that Alexander beat Porus but kept his freindship etc. because he was impressed by Porus...but, on the other hand, argument is that Alexander got his ass handed to him, and he didn't have sufficient forces to continue on, so he had to turn back.

regards,

 

[Verbose]

Of course the Greek version is that Alexander's troops were fed up by then and refused to invade India.

What indicates the Greek were at least reasonably successful is that for a couple of centuries afterwards there were rulers even in the Punjab bearing Greek names, minting Greek coins, with Greek sculpture heavily influencing contomporary buddhist Indian sculpture, etc.

 

[~Corsair#01~]

Judging by your username/sig and other posts, I get the impression that your sources are Jatt revisionists...

The indians were fairly strong I suppose, but that's not why Alex turned back.

 

[Scythian_Jatt]

Hi Corsair,

Sorry if it sounds that way; I'm lookin to get to the truth, whether it be good, bad or ugly. Theres no question about the Malhi Jatts were the ones facing off against Alexander's troops, most historians refer to the inhabitants of Multan as the Malhi 'people'.

The indians were fairly strong I suppose, but that's not why Alex turned back.

Please dont use the term "Indian", Punjab was a country on its own during that time, and its rulers/armies were mainly composed of Jatts, a people who have no relation to the "Indians".

What indicates the Greek were at least reasonably successful is that for a couple of centuries afterwards there were rulers even in the Punjab bearing Greek names, minting Greek coins, with Greek sculpture heavily influencing contomporary buddhist Indian sculpture, etc.

Hi Verbose,

This is interesting, to the best of my knowledge, that was more in present day Afghanistan etc. not Punjab?

regards,

 

[Verbose]

Punjab straddles the India Pakistan border. How far into modern India the Indo-Greek kingdoms might have reached I don't know. It would have been on the extreme border of their expansion in any case.

But the Greek influence stuck around for centuries before being totally assimilated into Indian culture.

 

[Mongoloid Cow]

The Hellenestic Empire of Bactria spanned from Uzbekistan to India. There was no immediate impact of Alexander's invasion, but the Bactrian Empire under Menander the Great conquered an empire and completely changed the culture of the northwest of the subcontinent. The Kushans, the next great empire to emerge in the region, only continued the process and also added Sacan elements to the culture.

 

[storealex]

No doubt did the Indians/Jatts put up a good fight, but Alexander did beat them none the less. In the end he was forced to turn back, partly due to losses inflicted by enemies, partly because of plauge and such. Besides, the weather kinde sucked. He realised that India was just not worth the effort, and dicided to go back and conquer Charthage instead. And then he died.

 

[Plotinus]

It seems a bit harsh, to me, to suggest that "Greek history is over exaggerated" purely on the basis that Alexander fared more poorly at the hands of Porus than we might suppose. Surely you mean only that Alexander is over-exaggerated, not Greek history in general!

 

[Scythian_Jatt]

Hi storealex,

No doubt did the Indians/Jatts put up a good fight, but Alexander did beat them none the less. In the end he was forced to turn back, partly due to losses inflicted by enemies, partly because of plauge and such. Besides, the weather kinde sucked. He realised that India was just not worth the effort, and dicided to go back and conquer Charthage instead. And then he died.

Wow, cmon, Punjab was probably one of the, if not, the most fertile land that Alexander had invaded in all his conquests!

It seems a bit harsh, to me, to suggest that "Greek history is over exaggerated" purely on the basis that Alexander fared more poorly at the hands of Porus than we might suppose. Surely you mean only that Alexander is over-exaggerated, not Greek history in general!

I concur.

regards,

 

[storealex]

And Punjab was located at the very far end of his Empire. What good would it bring him? Alexander already controlled Babylon and Egypt, two immenesly fertile regions. Are you suggesting that he went to Punjab to conquer crops? Of all things, I find it highly dubious that he ventured so far, just to conquer what he already had in excess.