Porus

King Porus
King of Paurava and dominions extending to Hyphasis.
King Porus fighting Alexander at the Battle of the Hydaspes River. An early 18th-century Russian lubok.
Reign	340 - 317 BC
Birthplace	unknown
Died	317 BC
Place of death	Punjab region
Malayketu
Successor	Malayketu (King Porus' son)
Royal House	Paurava Yaduvanshi Shoorsaini [1][2]

King Porus (also Rai Por) was the King of Paurava. The state falls within the territory of Punjab located between the Jhelum and the Chenab (in Greek, the Hydaspes and the Acesines) rivers in the Punjab and dominions extending to the Beas (in Greek, the Hyphasis).^[3] Its capital may have been near the current city of Lahore.^[4] Porus fought Alexander the Great in Battle of the Hydaspes River in 326 BCE.

King Porus was said to be "5 cubits tall", either the implausible 2.3 m (7½ ft) assuming an 18-inch cubit, or the more likely 1.8 m (6 ft) if a 14-inch Macedonian cubit was meant.

Dynastic background of Porus: a Shoorsaini Yadav king

There were no known Hindu textual sources regarding Porus indicating the tribe or ethnic group he belonged to. Several ethnic groups in the Indian subcontinent have tried to claim him as their own ancestor. However, the academic consensus seems to be that he was Yaduvanshi king from the once dominant tribe of Yadava kshatriyas. Col. Tod was the proponent of this view which was also held by Dr. Ishwari Prashad, another renowned historian. ^{[5] [2][6]}

Col. Tod went on further to specifically point out Shoorsainis (Sourasenoi in Greek) as the Puru tribe whose king was called Porus, the legendary Indian adversary of Alexander the Great:

More than one scholar have opined that king Porus, known for his legendary bravery, belonged to Shoorsaini tribe also based on the fact that his vanguard soldiers carried the image of Lord Krishna (Herakles as per Greeks) on their banners. Lord Krishna was both the ancestor and patron deity of Shoorsainis. ^{[7] [8][9][10]}

Conflict and comradeship with Alexander: differing opinions

Porus (left) and Alexander

Unlike his neighbour, Ambhi (in Greek: Omphis), King Porus chose to fight Alexander the Great in order to defend his kingdom, Paurava, and its people.

King Porus fought the Battle of the Hydaspes River with Alexander in 326 BC. According to Greek sources, after fierce fighting and very heavy casualties on both sides, he was defeated by Alexander in a Pyrrhic victory.^[11] The battle is often considered to be Alexander's hardest fought battle,^[12][13] so hard that it caused his army to mutiny against him afterwards.^[14] In a famous meeting with Porus — who had suffered many arrow wounds in the battle and had lost his sons, who all chose death in battle rather than surrender — Alexander reportedly asked him, "How would you like to be treated?" Porus replied, "As befits a king." Alexander was so impressed by the brave and admirable response of King Porus that he released him back to his Kingdom and gave him the captured land of a neighbouring Kingdom whose ruler had fled. ^[15]

Later, King Porus is reported to have participated in Alexander's conquests further east in India. During the attack and destruction of Sagala, Porus rallied Alexander and supplied elephants as well as 5,000 troops:

"At this point too, Porus arrived, bringing with him the rest of the elephants and some five thousand Indians" Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander, V.24.4

In recognition for his support, Alexander gave him the dominion over the territories he had conquered, as far as the Hyphasis:

"He added the territories as far as the river Hyphasis to Porus' dominion, and he himself began to return towards the Hydraotes." Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander, V.29.2

However, the above sequence of events is doubted by Dr. Buddha Prakash, a renowned historian from India ^[15] and some others. ^[16] —

Satrap

King Porus seems to have held the position of a Hellenistic satrap for several years after Alexander's departure. He is first mentioned as satrap of the area of the Hydaspes in the text of the Partition of Babylon on 323 BCE. His position was confirmed again in 321 BC at the Partition of Triparadisus.

Death

Indian sources record^{[citation needed]} that Porus was killed by mistake by the Amatya Rakshasa, who was trying to assassinate Chandragupta instead.

Greek historians, however, record that he was assassinated, sometime between 321 and 315 BC (317 BC accepted year), by the Thracian general Eudemus, who had remained in charge of the Macedonian armies in the Punjab:

"From India came Eudamus, with 500 horsemen, 300 footmen, and 120 elephants. These beasts he had secured after the death of Alexander, by treacherously slaying King Porus"

—Diodorus Siculus XIX-14

After his assassination, his son King Malayketu ascended the throne with the help of Eudemus. However, Malayketu was killed in the Battle of Gabiene in 317 BC.^{[citation needed]}

References

Literature

• Arrian, The Campaigns of Alexander, book 5.
• History of Porus, Patiala, Dr. Buddha Parkash.
• Lendring, Jona. Alexander de Grote - De ondergang van het Perzische rijk (Alexander the Great. The demise of the Persian empire), Amsterdam: Athenaeum - Polak & Van Gennep, 2004. ISBN 90-253-3144-0
• Holt, Frank L. Alexander the Great and the Mystery of the Elephant Medallions, California: University of California Press, 2003, 217pgs. ISBN 0-520-24483-4
• Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, By James Tod, Edition
• History of India: (from the earliest times to the fall of the Mughal Empire), Dr. Ishwari Prashad

External links

• Porus at Livius, by Jona Lendering