The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c25.156

v1.c25.156

But the Europeans in this region had more implacable enemies than the native princes. The power behind the throne was the Brāhman community, and here for the first time we come upon an opposition inspired by the conception of a national religion, the only germ to be found in ancient times of the idea of Indian nationality. It was the 'philosophers' (i.e. the Brāhmans) who denounced the princes, if they submitted to the foreigner, and goaded the free tribes into revolt¹. A 'city of Brāhmans'² had to be stormed, whilst the operations against Sambus were going on³. Musicanus now was induced to throw off allegiance. But it was the day of the Yavana's power. The newly-appointed governor of Sind, Pithon, swept down upon him, and brought him a prisoner to the king. He was treated as rebels were treated by the custom of the old Persian kings, on whose seat Alexander sat. His body was hanged on a gibbet in his own land. The Europeans knew, however, who were their worst enemies, and their hand fell heavily upon the Brāhmans. They were put to death wholesale; their bodies too were hung up for the kites and vultures by the roads—to the unspeakable horror, we may believe, of the people of the land.