The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c25.30

v1.c25.30

Encamped in the Kābul Valley at some place not named the rāja of Takshaçilā saw the host destined for the invasion of his mother-land. It numbered, at the lowest estimate, from twentyfive to thirty thousand men¹—a strangely compounded army, which can only be called European with qualification. Its strength indeed consisted in the Macedonian regiments, stout yeomen and peasants carrying the long spear of the heavy-armed foot-soldier, and troops of splendidly disciplined cavalry drawn from the aristocracy of the country, the 'Companions' of the national King. European too were the thousands of soldiers from the Greek cities, serving as mercenaries, on foot or mounted, and the contingents of semi-barbarous hillmen from the Balkans, Agrianes and Thracians, serving as light troops—slingers, javelineers, and bowmen—invaluable for mountain warfare. But mingled with the Europeans were men of many nations. Here were troops of horsemen, representing the chivalry of Irān, which had followed Alexander from Bactria and beyond², Pashtus and men of the Hindu Kush with their highland-bred horses³, Central-Asiatics who could ride and shoot at the same time⁴; and among the camp-followers one could find groups representing the older civilisations of the world, Phoenicians inheriting an immemorial tradition of ship-craft and trade, bronzed Egyptians able to confront the Indians with an antiquity still longer than their own.