BATTLE%20OF%20HYDASPES%20326%20BC

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BATTLE OF HYDASPES326 BC

• Alexander the Greats
• Last Great Battle

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BEFORE THE BATTLE

• crossing the river posed
  many problems for
  Alexander
• flooded with monsoon rain,
• it was too deep for horses to
  cross,
• Porus stood on the opposite
  bank with 200 elephants
  waiting for
  Alexander
• elephants scared the men
  and horses,
• the horses also didnt like
  the smell of the
  elephants.
• Alexander needed a plan

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ALEXANDERS CUNNING PLAN
MAKE THE ENEMY THINK I
WONT CROSS THE RIVER

• Alexander made many fake attempts to cross.
• each time the Indians came to meet him.
• finally Porus gave up waiting and went back to
  his tent
• messengers were to tell him when Alexander was
  infact crossing.

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SO HOW DID HE CROSS THEN?

• Alexander waited for a stormy night to
  conceal his movement.
• he left behind Craterus with a
  small force pretending to be the army
• light campfires,
• make as much noise
  as they could.
• all to distract Porus from Alexanders upstream
  move.

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PROBLEMS FOR ALEXANDER

• part way up river he drops of Meleager with a
  small force.
• Alexander the bulk of the army travel further
  upstream.
• they cross at what they thought was a narrowing
  of the river
• but what was really an island in the middle of
  the river!
• Alexander acts quickly and finds a ford (neck
  deep in places!!!) and finally crosses to the
  other side.

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• River Hydaspes.
• Admana Island.
• Alexanders army.
• Porus army.
• Alexander moves and crosses to island.
• Porus son meets Alexander and dies.
• Porus moves forward while Meleager crosses with
  rest of Alexanders army.
• battle rages while Craterus crosses and attacks
  from the rear.

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FIRST PART OF THE BATTLE

• Alexander is seen crossing the river.
• thinking Alexander and his main army are still
  across the river, Porus sends only a small force
  of chariots.
• Porus places his son in charge.
• Alexanders cavalry
  easily deal to the
  chariots which get
  stuck in the mud.
• Porus son is killed.

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THE MAIN PART OF THE BATTLE

• when Porus found out his sons force had been
  defeated he quickly advanced to meet Alexander.
• Alexanders cavalry manoeuvres allow Meleager and
  his army to cross the river and form up safely.

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ALEXANDERS BATTLE LINE

• wanted to elimate Porus cavalry first, THEN the
  infantry.
• placed most of cavalry on his right hand side.
• BUT he hid the remainder of his cavalry on the
  left under the command of Coenus.
• his orders were to ride around the Indian line
  and attack from the rear.

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• Alexander
• Companions
• Cavalry
• Hypaspists
• Phalanx
• Light troops
• Coenus cavalry

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PORUS BATTLE LINE

• battle-ground suited Porus.
• infantry in the centre behind the elephants.
• the cavalry was placed on the wings behind the
  chariots.

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• Porus
• Elephants
• Chariots
• Cavalry
• Infantry

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• 1. Porus shifts ALL of his cavalry to his left.

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• 2. Alexander is first to attack when he sends his
  visible cavalry against Porus cavalry.

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• 3. Porus takes the bait and sends in ALL his
  cavalry, just as Alexander had hoped.

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• 4. Alexanders hidden cavalry on his left move
  in behind Porus cavalry.

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• 5. Surrounded the Indians cavalry retreats
  behind the
  elephants.

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• 6. Alexander gives the orders for his infantry
  to advance.

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• 7. Porus sends his elephants who charge through
  Alexander
  infantry.

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• 8. Seeing this the Indian
  cavalry are encouraged
  and charge again but
  are forced back again.

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• 9. Alexander encircles Indian cavalry.

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• 10. The Indian elephants become confused and
  begin to attack their own, killing many.

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• 11. Some Indians begin to flee through a gap in
  the Greeks line.

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• 12. Craterus and his men are
  now in position behind the Indians
  and they clean
  up the fleeing Indians.

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• 13. Porus remains with his army and fights
  bravely until he is wounded.

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• 14. Porus retires from the battlefield on his
  elephant and then reluctantly surrenders.

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FINAL SCORE IS

• according to Diodorus
• 12,000 Indians were killed versus
• the 1,000 Macedonians (!?!)
• according to Arrian
• Indians lost 23,000 men to the
• Macedonians 310 men (again !?!)

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AFTER THE BATTLE

• Alexander was impressed with Porus.
• ALEXANDER What do you wish
• that I should do
  
• with you?
• PORUS Treat as a King should
• be.
• soAlexander restored Porus as King and even gave
  him more land.

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ON A SAD NOTE

• Bucephalas died.
• Alexander founded
  a city near the battle
  site and named it
  Buchephala in
  honour of his horse.
• another city was also
  founded nearby.