Alexander, not so Great?

• Author: Khan, Arshad
• Position: FROM READERS - Letter to the editor

In your recent "Life Cycle Studies--Bananas" (March/April 2008), the phrase "Alexander the Great's conquest of India" drew my attention. A remnant of colonial beliefs of the superiority of Western man is both offensive to Indians and most certainly false. First, Alexander did not set foot in modern India. His route took him through Pakistan, down the river Indus to the sea.

Second, he defeated Porus in a close-fought battle which could have gone either way. Porus was a raja, a semi-autonomous ruler of a very small area, one of scores who were allowed to rule their little principalities as long as they owed fealty to the Emperor. The emperor, Chandragupta Maurya, was not only an extremely able general but the founder of the Maurya dynasty. Fielding a powerful army, Chandragupta gave chase, and Alexander, instead of meeting him in battle, chose to escape by sailing down the Indus to the sea. His army was constantly harassed by local rajas...