Topic started by Shakti (@ cache-2.sbo.ma.webcache.rcn.net) on Wed Aug 2 19:17:24 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

There is very popular myth that Alexander defeated Porus in 300 BC. This myth is propagated by the Western historians, mainly, British. The writings of Curtius, Justin, Diodorus, Arrian and Plutarch show that Alexander was defeated by Porus and was forced to make a treaty to save the lives of his soldiers. The Indian king in his "grand-pardoning" manner let Alexander go free. Alexander, as a matter of fact, was a coward and a cruel king. What do you guys think?

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: masahari (@ saliton.tam.cornell.edu) on: Mon Jan 3 21:03:58 EST 2005
  
  this link should shed some light on the myth of alexander.
  
  http://hinduwebsite.com/history/research/alexandermyth.htm
  
  
  
• From: Aman (@ inet-netcache2-o.oracle.com) on: Fri Jan 7 13:05:06 EST 2005
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Hydaspes
  
  
• From: Pravin (@ 203.200.211.65) on: Wed Jan 12 08:59:55 EST 2005
  
  
  even we don't have any evidance from Puru 's side becoz our scripts were torned and spoiled by outsiders during their attack for last 2000 Yrs and we lost our scripts.
  
  
  
• From: jarquin (@ 202.88.179.77) on: Sat Jan 15 18:16:05 EST 2005
  
  exactly,
  mughals, arabs and then the british.
  the mughals were responsible for burning down asias biggest university in modern day bihar. and the same in many other parts of india. so am sure the indians must have lost a huge deal of records and ancient scriptures.
  
  also that porus, lets say, indian kings never wanted to conquer the world and so never invaded another country for last 7000 years. so they never got the spotlight of being great indians.
  
  also the british rulers had suppresed the indian historian voices. all the research done was never published and whatever published was never considered by the world. so all the greeks had 3-500 years of time to make up theories and wrtie there own scriptures.
  
  
• From: Rishi from the Netherlands (@ socool.xs4all.nl) on: Mon Jan 17 06:18:51 EST 2005
  
  Lets stay to the facts,
  
  What is sure, is that the Macedonian army loses were tremendous.
  
  What is sure that he didn’t got to the Ganga planes were the might was centred on those days on the South Asian Continent.
  
  What is sure that Alexander the Great choose to take the dessert route out of India, why? That is not clear was he on the run or did he fear that his diminish army could be attacked by kings he defeated on the way in.
  
  Please lets not get emotional and don’t react with nationalistic waffle. If you want to be taken seriously don’t mix facts with fiction and keep frustration hidden (don’t mention frustratated muslim-hindi things)
  
  And to react on a previus remark:
  It’s totally not true that the Mughuls destroyed the great Buddhist University (Yes BUDHIST), the men of Muhammad of Gazni (or Gosh) done that, Most of India (except Radjastan and the Tamil kingdoms) were already under Muslim rule when Babar (the Moguls) conquered North India.
  
  
  
  
• From: Rishi from the Netherlands (@ socool.xs4all.nl) on: Mon Jan 17 12:22:47 EST 2005
  
  There isn’t much information from South Asia about Porus, but that is not strange because there isn’t much information about any king that wasn’t mentioned in the Ramayana or Mahabharata.
  
  In ancient Sout Asia there was never mush interest in historical writing except when used in philosophical of religious writings (Ramayana and Mahabharata). Even the Greatest Maharadjadhiradhja (Emperor) Ashoka was completely forgotten. The people in south Asia never cared much about what people would thing of us when we are already death for hundredths of years. The reason for this is maybe reincarnation moksa and so on, after death most of us would return to earth so there is no reason to make yourself immortal by being mentioned in famous writings. Another reason for a lack of sources is that paper (or paper like material) wasn’t widely available, the Arabs brought that to South Asia with their conquest (and of course the Arabs learnt al lot from South Asia too ).
  
  
• From: heman (@ 203.109.76.246) on: Mon Jan 17 17:11:04 EST 2005
  
  There is no doubt that the Great Alexander was given a tough fight by the army of King Porus due to which he and his army were too scared to move any further into India.Nanda dynasty which ruled Pataliputra in those times would certainly have shattered the myth of his Invincibility.The Myth of Alexander defeating porus and then returning back his Kingdom, is created by the westerners to emphasise the theory of their racial superiorty.But we would like to believe that it was our forefathers who had once stopped the Great Alexander and made him turn back.
  
  
• From: Laila (@ 203.121.0.18) on: Tue Jan 18 01:03:45 EST 2005
  
  Alexander wasnt the first to attack India. Previous to his arrival, Hercules, Dionysus, Cyrus and Queen Semeramis also did attack India. Their attempts were futile though they killed many Indians, which you will realize that they were very proud of doing when you read plutarch's writings on these personalities.
  
  But their impact was very very small and very insignificant. The Indians those days never listened to what the outside world, especially the yavanas(Greeks) had to say. They always knew they were better.
  
  
• From: Rishi from the Netherlands (@ socool.xs4all.nl) on: Fri Jan 21 08:33:33 EST 2005
  
  We are not that different!
  
  More and more research suggest that the Persians, Greeks and
  Indians where once one tribe. The languages have much in common and if you read Plato and Socrates you will find that the ancient -greek and Indians share much in philosophy. The Meno (a writing of Plato) mentioned reincarnation as an explanation for the gaining of knowledge.
  
  Hercules is a mystical person, probably the myth is based on a Hercules that really existed but it’s very doubtful that he ever reached India. Poets probably imagined that because India was the mythical land and were else can you fight mythical monsters and the sort then in India. Or do you Laila have read something that I should know.
  And Dionysus the God?
  
  And yes the Greek thought they were superior but that's a natural human error. Also these days there are enough nations who think they are superior it’s primitive but most of us are primitiv.
  
  
  

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