________________
OCTOBER, 1918) THE STRATAGEM USED BY ALEXANDER AGAINST PORUS
245
THE STRATAGEM USED BY ALEXANDER AGAINST PORUS
ALLUDED TO IN THE AIN-I-AKBARI.
BY VINCENT A, SMITH. MR. H. BEVERIDGE has drawn my attention to two passages in the Hin-i-Akbari as M translated by Jarrett (vol. iii, pp. 330, 392), which allude to a stratagem practised by Alexander against Porus. Neither passage specifies the nature of the operation. The earlier one states that Alexander by stratagem put him (Porus) to rout. The second, an allusion in Akbar's 'Happy Sayings', intimates that Akbar did not believe the story, his words being reported as : The legend of Alexander's stratagem against Porus does not carry the appearance of truth.' Evidently the tale must have been of a marvellous, incredible character. Jarrett, commenting on the later passage, suggests that the allusion must be to the ruse by which Alexander eucoeeded in crossing the Hydaspes. That suggestion cannot be correct, because the Persian and Muslim traditions treat the Macedonian invariably as a legendary personage. They never betray the slightest knowledge of the authentic accounts of the Indian campaign, except in so far as that the name 'För' may be taken as the equivalent of Porus. I have looked through Captain H. Wilberforce Clarke's transla. tion of Nizâmi's Sikandar-náma (London, Allan, 1881), which gives the Sikandar legend at immense length in cantos xlvi-xlviii. Alexander is there represented as having invaded China through Tibat', and as having advanced even into Russia. Those absurd stories are supported by a mass of fiotitious correspondence, but the poem does not mention the stratagem' which forms the subject of this note.
Mr. Beveridge holds that the allusions in the Sin refer to the tale related by 'Abdullah bin al Moqaffa in his preface to the Arabic version of Katila and Dimna, and mentions that Silvestre de Sacy pointed out at p. 49 of his edition of that work (Paris, 1810) that it had been used by Abu-l Fazl. Silvestre de Sacy's book apparently is wanting in the Oxford libraries, but is in the library of the Royal Asiatic Society. Mr. Beveridge has been good enough to communicate the French text from page 15. It is unnecessary to print that extract, because I have found in the Monier Williams collection at the Indian Institute at Oxford a rare English work which serves the purpose more conveniently and seems to be little known. The title is :
Kalila and Dimna, or the Fables of Bidpai, translated from the Arabic by the Rev. • Wyndham Knatoh bull, A.M., Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and Rector of Westbeere in the Country of Kent. Oxford, printed by W. Baxter, for J. Parker; and Messrs. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London. 1819.' Knatohbull was a pupil of de Saoy. Page 1 gives The Preface of Ali, the son of Alschah Faresi [i.e., Alshah Farisî, the Persian ; also
known as Bahnud sisu son of Sahwân). Alexander, having overcome the kings of the West, turned his arms toward the East...... Afterwards directing his course towards China, he in his march summoned. Four, at that time King of India, and renowned for his wisdom and great power, to declare himself his vassal; but Four on the contrary made immediate preparations for resistance...... Alexander....determined to call to his aid the experience which he had acquired, and to employ stratagem to secure his success. For this purpose
