Magadha emerged as a formidable power in northeast India, and gradually smaller principalities and republics merged within it. Disunity prevailed within the small northwestern principalities like Kambojas, Gandharas, and Madra and they fought against one another. Under such circumstances, the fertile land and easy mobility through the Khyber and Bolan pass attracted the attention of its neighbors.
The Achaemenid King Cyrus (558-529 BCE) was the first ruler to invade the sub-continent. According to Pliny, He destroyed the city of Kapisha/Begram (lying southeast of the Hindu Kush mountains).
Later, Persian King Darius (516 BCE) annexed Punjab, west of the Indus and Sindh. The Greek historian Herodotus (Father of Western History) mentions Gandhara and says that ‘this area was the twentieth satrapy (province) of the Persian empire, and paid the tribute of 360 talents of gold, which was more than that from all other 20 provinces put together.
The Darius inscription at Persepolis, Behistun, and Hamadan reflect his relationship with India. Darius was succeeded by his son Xerxes I. The defeat of Darius III in the Battle of Arbela, Iraq (331 BCE) at the hands of Alexander brought an end to the Persian empire as well as the Persian control over the Indian provinces.
Persian Impact on India
Paved the way for the future invasions of the Greek, Indo-Greek, Parthians, Kushans, and the Hunas.
The new form of writing known as Aramaic, written right to left was brought by Iranians. From this, the Kharosthi script was developed. Some of the Ashokan inscriptions in North-western India were written in both Aramaic and Kharosthi.
Persian sigloi-type coins were copied in India.
According to R.D. Banerji, the monuments of Ashoka’s time, especially the bell, bull, and lion-shaped capitals are similar to the Iranian models. Some scholars have highlighted the differences between the two such as:
The stone columns of the Mauryan pillared hall were without capitals whereas the columns of the pillared halls of Persepolis have elaborate capitals.
Achaemenian columns stand on bases, either shaped like an inverted lotus or plain rectangular or circular blocks. While the independent Mauryan columns have no base at all.
The Mauryan type of abacus and the placing of independently carved animal motifs on the top of the abacus is absent in the Achaemenian context.
Alexander’s Invasion (327-326 BCE)
Herodotus and other Greek writers painted India as a fabulous land, which tempted Alexander to invade it. He also had a strong passion for geographical inquiry and natural history. He had heard that the Caspian Sea continued on the eastern side of India. He also wanted to solve the problem of the oceans, the limits of which were a puzzle to Greek geographers. No major united and strong resistance was put across to Alexander. Indians possessed no awareness of the importance of the borders. Alexander entered India through the Khyber Pass in 326 BCE. King Ambhi of Taxila and all other Kings except (who fought the Battle of Hydaspas at Jhelum) surrendered to Alexander. Greek sources mention the defeat of King Puru (but this is debatable as to who defeated whom). When Alexander reached Beas, his soldiers being terribly homesick and diseased, refused to go further. Alexander was forced to retreat, and his dream of an eastern empire remained unfulfilled. On the way back, there were military encounters with ganas such as Malavas and Shibi. Alexander finally reached the Indus Delta from where he took the land route toward Babylon through Gedrosia. He died in Babylon in 323 BCE.
Effects of Alexander’s invasion.
He paved the way for the unification of India under Chandragupta Maurya.
Establishment of the cosmopolitan school of arts at Gandhara.
He exposed India to Europe by opening four distinct lines of communication -three by land and one by sea.
Established direct contact between India and Greece in different fields.
References:
A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, Upinder Singh
Ancient and Medieval India, Poonam Dalal Dahiya
Higher Secondary First year, Tamil Nadu Board
Prateek Nayak Notes
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