The Early History of India, from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan Conquest, including the Invasion of Alexander the Great c17: Chronology of the Indian Campaign of Alexander the Great
The Early History of India, from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan Conquest, including the Invasion of Alexander the Great c17
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Chronology of the Indian Campaign of Alexander the Great
c17.1
From May, 327, to May, 324 b. c.
c17.2
| date b. c. | event. |
| **327** | **The Advance.** |
| Early in May . | Passage of Hindū Kush mountains over the Khāwak and Kaoshān passes. |
| June . . . . | From Nikaia (probably Jalālābād), Alexander with picked force proceeds to the subjugation of the mountains; Hephaistion with rest of army advancing to the Indus, probably through the valley of the Kābul river. |
| August . . . | Capture of stronghold of Astes (Hasti) by Hephaistion after thirty days' siege. |
| September . . | Alexander subdivides his force, advancing in person against the Aspasians; he crosses the Gouraios (Panjkora) river, captures Massaga of the Assakenians, and massacres 7,000 Indian mercenaries. |
| November . . | Siege of Aornos. |
| December . . | Capture of Aornos. |
| **326** | |
| January . . . | Arrival of Alexander at bridge-head at Ohind. |
| January to February | Halt of army for thirty days. |
| February or March | Passage of Indus 'in beginning of spring'; halt at Taxila. |
| April . . . | Advance eastward. |
| May . . . | Arrival at the Hydaspes (Jihlam) river. |
| Beginning of July | Battle of the Hydaspes; defeat of Pōros. |
| July . . . . | Foundation of Nikaia and Boukephala; passage of the Akesinēs (Chināb) river near the foot of the hills. |
| August . . . | Passage of the Hydraōtes (Rāvī) river, and conflict with the Kathaeans. |
| September . . | Arrival at the Hyphasis (Biās) river; refusal of army to proceed farther. |
| | **The Retreat.** |
| Sept.–October . | Retirement to the Hydaspes (Jihlam) river. |
| End of October . | Commencement of voyage down the rivers, and of march of army escorting the fleet. |
| **325** | |
| January . . . | Collapse of the Mallian power. |
| Till September . | Voyage continued, fighting with the Sogdoi, Sambos, Mousikanos, &c. |
| Beginning of October | Departure of Alexander to march through Gedrosia. |
| End of October . | Nearchos starts on voyage to the Persian Gulf. |
c17.3
| DATE B. C. | EVENT. |
| **324** | |
| Early in January | Arrival of Alexander at Poura (Bāmpur), the Gedrosian capital, sixty days distant from Ora. |
| January . . . | Halt of army at Poura. |
| February . . . | March through Karmania, about 300 miles. |
| End of April or beginning of May | Arrival at Sūsa in Persia, after about 500 miles of marching from western frontier of Karmania. |
| **323** | |
| June . . . . | Death of Alexander at Babylon. |
c17.4
NOTE.—The time spent by Alexander in India proper, from his passage of the Indus in March, 326, until his departure for Gedrosia in the end of September or the beginning of October, 325, was about nineteen months. The voyage down the river occupied about ten months out of this period, and the march from India to Sūsa was effected in about seven months. The march from the Bactrian frontier, that is to say, the Hindū Kush, to the Indus, and the subjugation of the mountain tribes on the north-western frontier of India were completed in ten months.
c17.5
I. May, 327, to February, 326, inclusive : march from Hindū Kush to Indus, about ten months.
c17.6
II. March, 326, to September, 325, inclusive : in India proper, nearly nineteen months.
c17.7
III. October, 325, to April, 324, inclusive : march to Sūsa, seven months.
c17.8
TOTAL DURATION OF EXPEDITION, THREE YEARS.