Battle of the Hydaspes

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Battle of the Hydaspes
Part of: Alexanderzug
Poros before Alexander (fantasy, around 1900)
Poros before Alexander (fantasy, around 1900)
date 326 BC Chr.
place Nikaia am Hydaspes ( Pakistan )
output Macedonian victory
Parties to the conflict

Macedonians

In the

Commander

Alexander the Great

Porous

Troop strength
approx. 40,000
including 7,000 riders 		over 30,000
including 4,000 riders
300 chariots
85–200 elephants
losses

310-1,000

unknown

Battles of the Alexanderzug

The battle of the Hydaspes took place in May 326 BC. Between the troops of Alexander the Great and those of the Indian king Poros on the Hydaspes river , near the city of Nikaia on the Hydaspes . It was Alexander's last and most costly battle.

Starting position

The battle was untypical for Alexander. The army of Poros used elephants against which Alexander had already gained experience at the battle of Gaugamela . These elephants were a weapon of war for Poros that could hardly be overestimated psychologically. Poros also knew how to “command” the elephants in groups, which was an additional advantage of the Indian king in addition to the area unfamiliar to the Greek troops. Poros secured the river side by the elephants, which made it impossible for the Greek cavalry to cross the river; According to the historian Arrian , horses shied away from elephants.

preparation

Alexander divided his army into two groups. The first, small group was commanded by koinos . Koinos feigned numerical superiority by lighting so many bonfires before the battle that Porus had to assume that Alexander's entire army was still across the river. Alexander's group crossed the Hydaspes river, after which the battle is named, under the most difficult conditions. Porus only guarded the side of the river on which he was waiting for Alexander's troops, without knowing that Alexander had already crossed the river about 27 km above Haranpur. Poros had the river on one side, which he and all his elephants could not cross, and Alexander's group on his side. Alexander knew that elephants could also be dangerous for the Indian troops in battle.

Course of the battle

Some of Alexander's cavalry hid behind the infantry . The rest of the cavalry split into two. One was sent with the infantry, the other part swung far to the right of the main army. As a result, two cavalry troops were imperceptible to Poros. The infantry were ordered not to attack but to wait at a safe distance. The flanks of the infantry were reinforced by armaments with thrown weapons. Poros assumed that Alexander would try to encircle him with the part of the cavalry accompanying the infantry that was visible to Poros, and therefore reinforced his left wing to prevent a breakthrough there. Seeing that the troop strength of Alexander's cavalry wing was very small, Porus sent his cavalry there. He thought he could fight the cavalry quickly and get his cavalry back to protect his main troops with the elephants. All parts of the Indian cavalry were now on the left wing. Alexander's cavalry, which previously swung far to the right, as well as those hiding behind the infantry, now attacked the left wing with the remaining cavalry from three sides and thus destroyed the cavalry of Poros. The infantry then attacked. Alexander's troops were ordered to mainly attack the elephants. The main targets were the elephant handlers, who were hit with targeted javelin throws. It worked out. The elephants panicked without a leader and were driven back into the Indian infantry formation.

With this turn, the Indian infantry positions dissolved and the battle was won for Alexander. Alexander, who admired the courage of Porus, left him not only his territory, but also the claim to several other cities. In return, Porus had to recognize the supremacy of Alexander.

Allegedly, Alexander's favorite horse, Bucephalus, died in the nearby Hydaspes River during the battle. Alexander then named a city Alexandreia Bukephalus after Bucephalus. Another city called Nikaia on Hydaspes was founded in memory of the victory on the spot where the battle was fought. Furthermore, Alexander had coins minted that stylized him as a winner. The battle is often viewed as one of Alexander's greatest victories, although there are also skeptical voices in modern research who rate the Indian campaign as negative (according to Albert Brian Bosworth).

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