The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s4.t3.23

c5.s4.t3.23

We have now to examine how the river and the country about Jalâlpur will agree with the recorded accounts of Alexander’s operations in his passage of the Hydaspes and subsequent battle with Porus. According to Arrian* “there was a high wooded promontory on the bank of the river, 150 stadia, or just 17¼ miles above the camp, and immediately opposite to it there was a thickly-wooded island.” Curtius† also mentions the wooded island as “well fitted for masking his operations.” “There was also,” he adds, “not far from the spot where he was encamped, a very deep ravine (fossa præalta), which not only screened the infantry but the cavalry too.” We learn from Arrian‡ that this ravine was not near the river because “Alexander marched at some distance from the bank, lest the enemy should discern that he was hastening towards the promontory and island.” Now, there is a ravine to the north of Jalâlpur which exactly suits the descriptions of both historians. This ravine is the bed of the Kandar Nala, which has a course of 6 miles from its source down to Jalâlpur, where it is lost in a waste of sand. Up this ravine there has always been a passable but difficult road towards Jhelam. From the head of the Kandar, which is 1080 feet above the sea, and 345 above the river, this road proceeds for 3 miles in a northerly direction down another ravine called the Kasi, which then turns suddenly to the east for 6½ miles, and then again 1½ mile to the south, where it joins the Jhelam immediately below Dilâwar, the whole distance from Jalâlpur being exactly 17 miles. I marched along this ravine road myself, for the purpose of testing the possibility of Alexander's march; and I satisfied myself that there was no difficulty in it except the fatigue of making many little ascents and descents in the first half, and of wading through much heavy sand in the latter half. The ravine lies "at some distance from the bank" as described by Arrian, as the bend in the Kasi is 7 miles from the Jhelam. It is also "a very deep ravine," as described by Curtius, as the hills on each hand rise from 100 to 250 and 300 feet in height. Therefore, in the three leading particulars which are recorded of it, this ravine agrees most precisely with the accounts of the ancient historians.*