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257
NOVEMBER, 1905.]
ALEXANDER, PORUS, AND THE PANJAB.
Thanks to Colonel Deane and M. Foucher, the route of Alexander through Gandhara appears to have been determined almost beyond question. M. Foucher, however, assumes too much in supposing that this was the ancient road of commerce between India and the NorthWest. It is possible that the direct road from Peshawar to Attock is modern. But it must always be remembered that on this side of the Jihlam wheeled carriage is also modern, and that ancient roads went across ravines and along the sandy beds of nullahs. Both Attock and Khairâbâd were places of importance long before the first Muhammadan invasion. The hill at Khairâbâd, which in the opinion of Löwenthal was Aornos, is surmounted by the remains of a Buddhist castle attributed to Râjâ Hodi. And seeing that boat-bridges were understood in the time of Alexander, it is not likely that so good a position for one was neglected. At the same time the road from the Khyber and Peshawar used by Bâbar ran to the south of the present Grand Trunk Road, and crossed the Indus at Nilâb, 15 miles below Attock. Here there is a convenient ferry and some interesting tombs in the style of the earlier Muhammadans. This road has the advantage of avoiding the Haro as well as the Kâbul river, as the present writer once found by experience when detained for two or three days by a flood in the former stream. According to Strabo and the historians, Alexander was at Taxila in the beginning of spring 326 B. C., or perhaps about the middle of February, when native gentlemen pay complimentary visits in white clothes, and remark that the season has changed. He arrived at the Hydaspes a month or two later and defeated Porus at the commencement of the rainy season.
This distribution of the time allows several months for preparation in a friendly country, and only two or three for all that followed between the battle of the Hydaspes and the check upon the Hyphasis. Knowing these rivers at all times of the year, and under all conditions, I could not avoid the conclusion that the real date for the passage of the Hydaspes was, as stated by Arrian, the month of Monnychion in the archonship of Hêgêmôn, and that Mounychion in that year occurred as early as April rather than as late as June. It was a matter of prime importance to cross the river before it was in high flood, and no sufficient explanation is given of the supposed delay.
When Alexander reached the banks of the Hydaspes20 he found the army of Porus on the opposite side, and detachments of the enemy's forces guarding all parts of the river where a passage might be made. Arrian seems to say that he made raids across the river into the enemy's country, bat, however this may be, to get the bulk of his army across without being observed would have been impossible. What he actually did has been repeated by the Japanese during the last few months. By a rapid night march under favourable conditions of weather he moved a large force fifteen or twenty miles higher up the stream, and was across before Porus could prevent him.
The question now arises whether this manoeuvre could have been carried out in July when the river was in high flood. Burnes gives an amusing account of his adventures when crossing the Biâs on his journey from Amritsar to Lûdiâna in August 1831. The river was swollen to a mile in width from rain. The current exceeded five miles an hour. They were nearly two hours in crossing, and landed about two miles below the point from which they started. The boats are mere rafts with a prow; they bend frightfully, and are very unsafe, yet elephants, 'horses, cattle, and guns are conveyed across on them. They passed in safety, but an accident occurred on one of the small channels which might have proved serious. They attempted the passage on an elephant, but no sooner had the animal got out of his depth than he rolled over, wheeling round at the same time to regain the bank. After this they crossed on inflated skins supporting a frame-work.21
19 When Burnes was with Ranjit Singh at Lahore the festival of spring was celebrated with legish magnificence on the 6th February.
20 Arrian, Anab. V. ch. 9.
11 Burnes, III. p. 178.
