Persian Invasion
➢ Cyrus (558 – 530 B.C)
○ Cyrus the Great was the greatest conqueror of the Achaemenid Empire
○ first conqueror who led an expedition and entered into India and captured the Gandhara region.
➢ Darius I (522 – 486 B.C.)
○ Darius I, the grandson of Cyrus, conquered the Indus valley in 518 B.C. and annexed the Punjab and Sindh.
○ This region became the 20th province of his empire.
○ It was the most fertile and populous province of the Persian Empire.
○ Darius sent a naval expedition under Skylas to explore the Indus.
Effects of the Persian Invasion
➢ Trade between India and Iran grew.
➢ The Kharosthi script was brought to northwest India by the Persians.
➢ Some inscriptions of Ashoka were written in the Kharosthi script in these parts.
➢ Kharosthi script is derived from the Aramaic script and is written from right to left.
Alexander Invasion
- Alexander (356 BC – 323 BC) was the son of Philip of Macedonia. He became king in 336 BC.
- He had annexed the whole of Persia by defeating Persian King Darius III in the Battle of Arbela (330 BC).
- Alexander invaded India in 326 BC.
- Battle of Hydaspes:
- In 326 BC, the Battle of Hydaspes was fought between Alexander the great and Porus along the banks of Hydaspes river( Jhelum river) in Punjab.
- Porus, the King of Paurava, ruled the area between the rivers Hydaspes (modern Jhelum) and Acesines (Chenab).
- Though, Porus was defeated, Alexander was impressed by Porus’s might so asked Porus to rule his dynasty under his name.
➢ Generally, it is agreed that Seleucus was defeated in this war an had to cede 4 important territories to Chandragupta Maurya.
➢ Eudamas was the last General of Alexander in India.
Effects of Alexander’s invasion
➢ Alexander’s invasion augmented political unification in northern India under the Mauryas.
➢ After the invasion, there was direct contact between India and Greece.
Muslim Invasions
Muhammad Bin Qasim
➢ Al-Hajjaj, the Governor of Iraq sent Muhammad -bin-Qasim to India
➢ He Conquered Sind with the permission of Caliph Walid
➢ Battle of Rewar:
➢ Fought between Muhammad-bin-Qasim and Dahir the ruler of Sind
➢ Dahir was defeated. Sind and Multan was captured.
➢ Muhammad-bin-Qasim called Multan as ‘The City of Gold’
➢ Sind and Multan were divided into number of Iqtas or districts by Muhammad-bin-Qasim and Arab military officers headed the Iqtas.
Mahmud of Ghazni
➢ He was the first Turkish to invade India in (1000 AD)
➢ He led 17 expeditions to India.
➢ The initial raids were directed against the
Hindusahi rulers who at the time held Peshawar
and the Punjab.
➢ Important expeditions:
2nd Expedition , 1002 AD:
○ against King of Hindushahi Dynasty - Jayapala
○ First Battle of Waihind took place between them.
○ Jayapala was defeated
6th expedtion, 1008 AD :
Against Anandpala , son of Jayapala
Ghazni defeated Anandpala in “Second Battle of Waihind”
16th Expedition, in 1025 A.D: Mahmud’s significant invasion in Hindustan was against the Somnath temple
Muhammad of Ghori
- He was 2nd Turkish and 3rd Muslim invader.
- He first invaded India in 1176 A.D.
- First Battle of Tarain (1191 A.D.) :
- He seized the fortress of Bhatinda in 1189 A.D. and then progressed into the kingdom of Prithviraj Chauhan.
- Muhammad of Ghori was defeated by Prithviraj in the first Battle of Tarain in 1191 A.D.
- ➢ Second Battle of Tarain (1192 A.D.):
○ Prithviraj was held as a prisoner and later put to death.
○ The Turkish rule began for the first time in Indian history
○ Qutb-ud-din Aibak was appointed as the commander by Muhammad of Ghori .
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