2/1/2015

CompetitiveExams:TheConquestofAlexanderExamrace

In331BC,AlexandertheGreatofMacedonbeganoneofthegreatestconquestsinhumanhistory.AfterconqueringEgyptand
defeatingthePersianEmpireAlexanderhadpushedhisarmytotheverylimitsoftheworldastheGreeksknewit.Buthewantedmore
hesawthattheworldextendedfurther.ByconqueringtheancientlandsoftheMesopotamians,hecameintocontactwithculturesto
theeast,suchasPakistanandIndia.Afteralmostamilleniumandahalf,fromtheperiodofHarappa(25001750BC),totheendof
theBrahmanicperiod,thepeoplesofIndiaenteredintonocommerceortradewiththeMesopotamians.Butstartingaround700BC,
theIndiansbegantotradeagainwiththeMesopotamiancities,andbythetimeofAlexander,thattradewasdyanmic.Partlyoutof
curiosity,andpartlyoutofadesiretoconquertheenitreworldwithintheboundariesoftheriverOcean(theGreeksbelievedthata
greatriver,calledOcean,encircledallthelandoftheworld),Alexanderandhisarmypushedeast,throughnorthernIranandallthe
waytoPakistanandIndia.HehadconqueredBactriaatthefootofthewesternHimalayas,gainedahugeBactrianarmy,andmarrieda
Bactrianprincess,Roxane.ButwhenhetriedtopushonpastPakistan,hisarmygrewtired,andheabandonedtheeastwardconquest
in327BC.
AlexanderonlymadeitasfarastheregionofGandhara,theplainwhichliesdirectlywestoftheIndusRiver.Alexanderhimselfseems
tohavehadliterallynoeffectonIndianhistory,forheleftassoonashereachedtheIndus.Twoimportantresults,however,arose
becauseofAlexander'sconquests:First,fromthispointonwardsGreekandIndianculturewouldintermix.Butmostimportantly,the
conquestofAlexandermayhavesetthestageforthefirstgreatconquerorofIndianhistory,ChandraguptaMaurya(reigned321297
BC),who,shortlyafterAlexanderleft,unitedallthekingdomsofnorthernIndiaintoasingleempire.
practicesoftheHarappans,soitisnotpossibletoreconstructHarappanreligionthroughthereligionoftheVedicpeoples,thatis,the
IndoEuropeanswhoconstructedtherudimentaryIndianreligionrepresentedbytheVedas.
Rightattheheartofthemystery,likeapersonspeakingbehindsoundproofglass,arethenumerouswritingsontheartifactsthathave
beenunearthed.Harappanwritingwasapictographicscript,oratleastseemstobeasofyet,however,noonehasfiguredouthowto
decipheritorevenwhatlanguageitmightberendering.ThelogicalcandidateisthattheHarappansspokeaDravidianlanguage,but
thatconclusion,whichmaynotbetrue,hasnothelpedanybodydecipherthescript.LiketherestofHarappancivilization,thewriting
waslosttohumanmemoryafterthedisappearanceoftheHarappans.
Andfinallytheydisappeared.Andtheydisappearedwithoutatrace.SomebelievethattheywereoverrunbythewarlikeAryans,the
IndoEuropeanswho,likeastorm,rushedinfromEuroAsiaandoverranPersiaandnorthernIndia.Somebelievethattheperiodicand
frequentlydestructivefloodingoftheIndusfinallytookitstollontheeconomichealthofthecivilization.Itispossiblethattheperiodic
changesofcoursethattheIndusundergoesalsocontributedtoitsdecline.Allweknowisthatsomewherebetween1800and1700BC,
theHarappancitiesandtownswereabandonedandfinallyreclaimedbytherichsoiltheyhadsprungfrom:
In331BC,AlexandertheGreatofMacedonbeganoneofthegreatestconquestsinhumanhistory.AfterconqueringEgyptand
defeatingthePersianEmpireAlexanderhadpushedhisarmytotheverylimitsoftheworldastheGreeksknewit.Buthewantedmore
hesawthattheworldextendedfurther.ByconqueringtheancientlandsoftheMesopotamians,hecameintocontactwithculturesto
theeast,suchasPakistanandIndia.Afteralmostamilleniumandahalf,fromtheperiodofHarappa(25001750BC),totheendof
theBrahmanicperiod,thepeoplesofIndiaenteredintonocommerceortradewiththeMesopotamians.Butstartingaround700BC,
theIndiansbegantotradeagainwiththeMesopotamiancities,andbythetimeofAlexander,thattradewasdyanmic.Partlyoutof
curiosity,andpartlyoutofadesiretoconquertheenitreworldwithintheboundariesoftheriverOcean(theGreeksbelievedthata
greatriver,calledOcean,encircledallthelandoftheworld),Alexanderandhisarmypushedeast,throughnorthernIranandallthe
waytoPakistanandIndia.HehadconqueredBactriaatthefootofthewesternHimalayas,gainedahugeBactrianarmy,andmarrieda
Bactrianprincess,Roxane.ButwhenhetriedtopushonpastPakistan,hisarmygrewtired,andheabandonedtheeastwardconquest
in327BC.
AlexanderonlymadeitasfarastheregionofGandhara,theplainwhichliesdirectlywestoftheIndusRiver.Alexanderhimselfseems
tohavehadliterallynoeffectonIndianhistory,forheleftassoonashereachedtheIndus.Twoimportantresults,however,arose
becauseofAlexander'sconquests:First,fromthispointonwardsGreekandIndianculturewouldintermix.Butmostimportantly,the
conquestofAlexandermayhavesetthestageforthefirstgreatconquerorofIndianhistory,ChandraguptaMaurya(reigned321297
BC),who,shortlyafterAlexanderleft,unitedallthekingdomsofnorthernIndiaintoasingleempire.

data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cp%20style%3D%22margin%3A%205px%200px%200px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20verticalalign%3A%20baseline%3B%20fontsize%3A%2014px%3B%20lineheight%3A%2020px%3

1/1