Battle of the Hydaspes
| Battle of the Hydaspes | |||||||||
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| Part of Alexander's Indian campaign | |||||||||
Alexander the Great and Porus by Francesco Fontebasso | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
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Macedonian Empire Hellenic League Gandhara | Pauravas | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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| Strength | |||||||||
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45,000–47,000 total |
22,000–54,000 total
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
~1,000 total
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_and_Porus_(oil_on_canvas).jpg){kind=link}
559miles
The Battle of the Hydaspes also known as Battle of Jhelum, or First Battle of Jhelum, was fought between the Macedonian Empire under Alexander the Great and the Pauravas under Porus in May of 326 BCE. It took place on the banks of the Hydaspes River in what is now the Punjab province of Pakistan, as part of Alexander's Indian campaign. In what was possibly their most costly engagement, the Macedonian army secured a decisive victory over the Pauravas and captured Porus. Large areas of Punjab were subsequently absorbed into the Macedonian Empire; Porus was reinstated as the region's ruler after Alexander, having developed a newfound respect for the fierce resistance put up by Porus and his army, appointed him as a satrap.
Despite close surveillance by the Pauravas, Alexander's decision to cross the monsoon-swollen Hydaspes to catch Porus' army in the flank has been called one of his "masterpieces" in combat. The Macedonians' engagement with the Indians at Hydaspes remains a very significant historical event during the Wars of Alexander the Great, as it resulted in the exposure of Greek political and cultural influences to the Indian subcontinent, which would continue to affect Greeks and Indians for centuries to come.
After the battle, Alexander continued his eastward march into modern-day India, intending to cross the Ganges River. However, he stopped at the Hyphasis (now called the Beas) in 326 BC after his weary troops refused to advance further, having campaigned with him for nearly eight years. Arms and armor were also wearing out, and there was concern within the army that they could meet disaster in India. The Hyphasis marked the farthest advance of Alexander in India, and upon leaving he "left King Porus in charge of this easternmost territory."