Persian invasion of India

Many Persian Invaders invaded India, mainly the North-western parts of undivided India. But we
will learn about some important invaders from Persia. The Achaemenid rulers of Persia benefited
from the disunity of the Indian kings and rulers, and attacked them several times. They invaded
India between 600 BC and 400 BC. Cyrus the Great and Darius I were the Achaemenid empire
rulers who invaded India.

Cyrus’ invasion of India

Cyrus was the first ruler and founder of the Achaemenid empire. Between 558 and 530 BC,
Cyrus commanded campaigns to the east of Iran. He most likely penetrated the Indian borderland
during his wars.
Cyrus invaded as far as the Indus valley and gained victory over the Gandhara kingdom. During
this period, small kingdoms such as Gandhara, Madra and Kamboja were busy fighting between
themselves, and Cyrus took full advantage of it and invaded Northwest India.
Some historians believe that an Indian monarch sent an embassy to Cyrus to give him tribute. On
this premise, it is thought that Cyrus conquered the Indian-Iranian borderland and received a
compliment from some Indian rulers. This information about Cyrus can be found in the Behistun
inscription.

Darius I’s invasion of India

Darius I was the successor and grandson of Cyrus. He started the invasion of the northwest part
of undivided India in 516 BC.
The conquest of Darius I is mentioned in the Hamadan (gold and silver) inscription. Darius
invaded India and won the Punjab and Sindh region. He also occupied some parts of the Jhelum
river valley.
Gandhara is mentioned in the Behistun inscription as a region of Darius’ empire, which he may
have acquired from Cyrus. This is further supported by Darius’s Susa Palace inscription, which
states that teaks were brought from Gandhara for the emperor’s palace construction. Gandhara
refers to Pakistan’s contemporary cities of Peshawar and Rawalpindi.
Darius I also invaded some parts of west Punjab, and during his time the Persian empire
expanded the most.

Xerxes’ invasion of India

Xerxes was the successor and son of Darius I. He kept the kingdoms of India under his empire,
but did not expand the Persian kingdom any further into the Indian mainland.
Xerxes used large numbers of Indian troops, including cavalry, and weapons, for the invasion of
Greece.

The downfall of the Persian empire

The Persian dominance in India declined due to Xerxes’ defeat in Greece. However, the
Achaemenid dynasty ruled India until 330 BC. Darius III, the last of the Achaemenid rulers,
called on Indian soldiers to oppose Alexander the Great in that year. The Persian rulers that came
after Darius III were not as strong and had no interest in further invading India.
Effect on India after the Iranian invasions
Politically, socially, economically and culturally, India underwent a lot of changes due to the
Iranian invasions. These invasions lasted for roughly 200 years. The effects of these invasions
are as follows:
 The Iranians introduced a brand new writing pattern known as the Kharosthi script. The
kharosthi script is similar to the Arabic script, which writes right to left
 The Iranian/Persian form of sculpture-making is visible in Mauryan architecture. The
Persian model inspired the bell shape of Ashoka’s monuments. Indian emperor Ashoka
adopted the use of refined and polished stone pillar architecture from Persia
 The sea route from Persia to India was discovered during this time. The trade between
Iran and India commenced at this time, with cotton, indigo, silk, and valuable metals
being traded
 A vast number of foreigners settled on Indian soil
 Indian philosophers, poets, scholars and intellectuals went to Persia to spread Indian
culture
 The Persian silver coin was beautifully designed, and Indian kings also adopted a similar
type of artistic coin as currency
  The Indian people adopted certain rituals and ceremonies from Persia after the invasions
 Some positive and negative changes happened in India after the Iranian invasions

Conclusion
The Indian subcontinent was vulnerable to Western invasions throughout its early history. The
invasions started in ancient times around the sixth century BC and ended in the fourth century
BC.
India’s wealth and fertile land attracted a prominent number of Western invaders, including the
Persians. Many Persian kings and tribal leaders invaded India; of these, the major rulers were
Cyrus, Darius I, Xerxes and Darius III. Due to these multiple invasions, India was affected
socially, politically, culturally and economically.
 Greek Invasion of India
India has always been a trading centre. Alexander the Great made his way there in 327 BC.
Invading the mysterious country of riches was the next step after conquering Syria, Egypt,
and Persia. The fourth-century BC was a time of great conflict between Greece and Iran. Greeks
eventually defeated the Iranian empire, thanks to Alexander, in Macedonia. In addition to Asia
Minor and Iraq, Alexander the Great also conquered Iran. He made his way from Iran to India,
apparently swayed by the country’s enormous riches. Herodotus and other Greek authors
encouraged Alexander to attack this nation by painting India as a fantastical kingdom. The study
of geography and natural history were among two of Alexander’s many interests.
Alexander’s Journey to India
His ideas were well-suited to the political climate in north-western India. Independent
kingdoms and tribal republics governed the region, all deeply rooted in the land and devoted to
their principalities. Each of these states was very straightforward for Alexander to conquer.
Ambhi, the prince of Taxila, and Porus, whose dominion was between the Jhelum and the
Chenab, were two of the kings of these regions. Together, they may have thwarted Alexander’s
progress. A united front could not be established, and the Khyber Pass was left unprotected.
After conquering Iran, Alexander marched on to Kabul, from whence he crossed the Khyber Pass
into India and arrived at the Indus River. These were the effects on India after the Iranian
invasion. As soon as the invaders arrived, Ambhi, the king of Taxila, quickly surrendered and
bolstered his forces. Alexander encountered the first and toughest opposition from Porus as he
crossed the Jhelum River. Despite Alexander’s victory over Porus, the boldness and courage of
the Indian prince caught his attention. As a result, he returned his kingdom to him and made him
an ally. After that, he continued his journey until he arrived at the River Bees. To the east, he
wished to go, but his troops refused to join him. War-weary and disease-ridden, the Greek army
surrendered. They were homesick after ten years of fighting in India’s sweltering heat. On the
banks of the Indus, they had also received a taste of Indian combat prowess, which prompted
them to halt their march.
Alexander’s Expedition in India
When it came to military prowess, the Indians ruled the roost in the region. The Ganga had a
great deal of power, particularly valid for the Greek warriors. The Nandas, rulers of Magadha,
had an army that dwarfed even Alexander’s in size. So, despite Alexander’s repeated pleas to go
forward, the Greek warriors remained steadfast. To the king, who had never before suffered
defeat at the hands of his adversaries, this was the first time he had ever had to accept defeat. To
no avail were his hopes for an eastern empire realised.

Alexander conquered several tiny republics and made his way back across the Indian
subcontinent. The 19 months he spent battling in India (326-325 BCE) were some of the most
trying. He hardly had time to plan his conquests before they were launched. Despite this, he
made some plans of his own. Most of the states he conquered were returned to the king’s rule,
who gave in to his will. However, his territory was split into three pieces, each of which was
administered by a different Greek governor. As a result of Alexander’s conquests, ancient Europe
and India had their first encounter for all time. It had several significant outcomes.
Alexander’s invasion of India was a resounding success. However, the Greek lands in India were
soon taken over by Maurya dynasty rulers, who added a vast Indian province to their empire.

Impact of Alexander’s Invasion in India

During Alexander’s invasion, ancient Europe and ancient South Asia came into touch for the first
time. The Indian expedition of Alexander the Great was a resounding success. The Indian region
he annexed to his kingdom was much more significant than the one Iran had conquered.
Although the Maurya dynasty eventually seized control of India, the Greeks nevertheless had a
presence in the country. Direct interaction between India and Greece was one of the most
significant outcomes of this invasion. Alexander’s war opened up four unique land-and-sea
routes for Greek traders and artisans, allowing them to expand their trading networks.
Some Greeks may have lived in the northwest before Alexander’s conquest, but this region saw
an explosion of Greek enclaves. Major players were Alexandria in Kabul’s territory, Boukephala
on the Jhelum, and Alexandria in Sindh’s region. While Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka
Maurya controlled the whole country, the Greeks remained in the territory under both rulers.
Alexander was fascinated by the ocean’s topography when he first saw it near the entrance of the
Indus River. He sent a new fleet, led by his friend Nearchus, to explore the coast and hunt for
harbours from the Indus River to the Euphrates River’s mouth.
Consequently, Alexander’s historians have left us with detailed maps and dates of Alexander’s
expedition, allowing us to build a comprehensive Indian chronology for later events. The
historians of Alexander’s reign have also left us with a wealth of knowledge about the time’s
political and social climate.
There is a tragic system in which girls are sold in markets by impoverished parents, and there is
also a magnificent breed of oxen in the northwest region of India. Alexander dispatched 200,000
oxen to Macedonia, where Alexander used them in Greece. Indian carpentry flourished to the
extent that it was used to construct chariots, ships, and even boats.
Alexander’s invasion cleared the ground for establishing the Mauryan empire in north-western
India by removing the authority of small kingdoms. By tradition, the founder of the Mauryan
empire, Chandraguptana, saw part of Alexander’s military machinery in action and gained some
expertise that helped him defeat the Nandas.

Conclusion
Alexander had barely crossed into India from the north. When Alexander died, the people swiftly
rebelled against Macedonia’s control, even though he had left behind Greek garrisons and Greek
governors. As a result, Alexander’s legacy in India quickly faded away. His shrines have been
demolished, and the names of the towns he established have been altered. However, Indians had
long remembered the great “Secunda,” as they called him, and it wasn’t until Alexander the
Great’s time that the West learned about the lovely country in the east that they had dealt with for
generations.