Most Indians know about Alexander (Alexander
III) because he fought with King Porus of Punjab in 326 BC and defeated him.
King Porus put up a gallant fight, and he was respected by Alexander who made
him one of his Satraps (Vassal Kings).
Alexander had to take on the Persian Empire before
he could battle with Porus. At that time, the Persian Empire was the largest
Empire the World has seen and was being ruled by Darius III. It consisted of 55
lac Sq.km of territory and stretched from the Balkans and Egypt in the West to
the Indus Valley in the East including Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Palestine,
Parts of Eastern Arabia and a large part of Central Asia.
Darius was then known as the King of Kings. Alexander
first consolidated his power in Greece and proceeded into Asia to conquer it
with 37.000 men (32000 infantry & 5000 cavalry) in 334 BC. He split the
army into two and at the battle of the Granicus river, Alexander defeated the
Persian forces. It was an impossible task as the Persians chose and waited on
the opposite river bank which was on higher ground and the lower bank which
Alexander had to climb was slippery with mud and slime.
The Persian army stood guard on the other side waiting for Alexanders army who did not have a footing to stabilise themselves for climbing the banks and give battle to the Persians. The hooves of their horses and the feet of the infantry skid on the slime on the steep banks of the river. To climb against enemy Javelins and arrows while their horses slipped in the wet slime is virtually an impossible task. Things looked hopeless for his soldiers, but then they were led by Alexander himself.
Alexander spoke to his men and rushed
to the frontline itself and led his army. In the front a soldier can easily be
cut down by the enemy, knocked over by a Javelin or an arrow. Alexander was
recklessly brave and was always ready to die fighting his battle. He rushed and
led his soldiers forward on the slimy banks of the river. In the process when
he gained purchase on the bank, an enemy commander attacked him and an axe cleft
his helmet into two, yet Alexander miraculously survived to claim further reverence
and wonder of his men. With him leading the way, the Persian army which had all
the advantage was obliterated in one day.
Then, at the battle of Issus Darius himself faced
Alexander with a large army, got defeated and fled East. Darius then raised another large army and met Alexander
at Gaugamela with about 250,000 men (some ancient historians put their number
at even 1 million). Alexander by his brilliant General ship has routed that
large host in just one afternoon and Darius again fled East to raise still another
army to confront Alexander again. Till then Alexander did not lose a single
battle he fought and was feared by many Kings who submitted to him without a
fight. Wherever he went the vassal Kings of Persia trembled at his name as they
believed he was unbeatable and was blessed by god himself.
Babylon and Susa submitted to Alexander without
a fight. At Susa Alexander got hold of a huge quantity of Gold and Silver in its
treasury. In fact it was 50,000 talents of it. A talent being equal to about 30
Kgs, that is about 1500 tons of those precious metals.
After Gaugamela, Alexander split his army into
2 portions, and sent the major portion of it through his General Parmenion
along with baggage and siege equipment on the Royal road towards Persepolis the
imperial capital. The second portion of
17,000 troops led by him was the best crack troops at Alexander’s disposal. 2000
of the troops were the Companion Cavalry comprising of the Greek aristocracy
which was well tested and feared in battle and was absolutely loyal to Alexander.
These troops he took on a path that is nearer
but on a critical snow covered mountain pass through the Zagreb Mountains. That
was January and winter was at its peak, and it was foolhardy to risk his best
troops in that fashion, but probably, the easy victory at Gaugamela against
great odds, and the subsequent lame submission of kingdoms seem to have made
Alexander rather reckless. Alexander had his eyes set on taking Persepolis, the
capital of the Empire.
To stall the advance of Alexander and give him
time to raise another army Darius appointed Prince Ariobarzanes, the Satrap of
Persis (his domain also included Persepolis the imperial capital). This guy did
not have much army left to defend against Alexander as he too fought Alexander
at Gaugamela and most of his army was slain in the battle.
Now Ariobarzanes had very few men under his
command, less than 2000 of them of which about 300 were horsemen, yet he is
very spirited and committed to the cause of defending his country against
Alexander. He stood no chance to confront Alexander directly so when Alexander
presented him with an opportunity by going through very difficult mountain
passes, Ariobarzanes who knew the terrain very well thought of using it against
his famous adversary to block him completely and give time to Darius to raise
another army. He had a valorous sister
named Youtab (Utab) who is well trained in warfare and she participated in his
campaign against Alexander.
On way through the mountains Kings and Tribes
submitted to Alexander because his great reputation preceded him. One hill
tribe named Axians who are fierce mountain warriors that defended the key
passes dared to defy him. Alexander led a lightning strike through their
territory, crushed their defences and forced their complete submission.
It was early January 330 BC when Alexander and
his men went deeper into the snow-clad Zagreb Mountains. The passes were narrow and treacherous covered
with ice and snow.
Ariobarzanes knew the power of the Macedonian
phalanx having seen it in action at Gaugamela. The entire Persian army of
250,000 men was torn to pieces in a single day, in fact in a single afternoon
and that was a lesson he would not and could not forget. He knew that the odds
were helplessly staked against him. If Alexander reached Persepolis without
being stopped, he knew that the Persian Empire would cease to exist.
His force was no match for the Macedonians but
he knew the terrain thoroughly and had a fanatical determination to fight for
his homeland unlike his Emperor who always chose to run from the battlefield
when defeated. He chose a place in the snow clad mountains where a small force
can stop an army and defend it. Its name was Persian Gates which is a narrow
mountain pass. It had snow clad cliffs rising on either side touching the sky
totally un-scalable with the track being only like a goat track in some places
and filled with slippery ice and snow.
Ariobarzanes made a defensive position at the
narrowest point of the pass and got his men to construct a wall blockade to the
entire pass after a turn in the pass. His men guarded the cliff heights on
either side of the pass and stored a large number stones of various sizes as
well as a large number of Javelins and arrows to ambush the army of Alexander
from above. Moreover there was ice and snow in the pass which made it very
slippery.
Alexander’s troops had a wall right in front of
them blocking the pass and the men of Ariobarzanes waited on either side on
cliffs. The moment Alexander’s men tried to do something to bring down the wall
they were attacked with Javelins, arrows & stones raining down from either
side. It was sheer suicide for Alexanders men and despite repeated attempts
Alexander only lost more men. Finally the first time ever in his life Alexander
had lost a battle and had to retreat some distance. Alexanders men made more
attempts on some nights again to breach the wall which proved futile as it was
well guarded by the men of Ariobarzanes.
Alexander lost his best men in the attacks from
the force named Companion Cavalry which numbered 2000 men and that was composed
of the Greek aristocracy which served as his personal bodyguards. They were the
veterans of many a battle and were extremely capable and a big asset in any
battle.
In fact this battle was lost by Alexander
because of poor intelligence. His advance scouts have failed to warn him of the
wall that was constructed and about the men of Ariobarzanes and Alexander fell
right into their trap.
Despite many attempts by Alexanders forces only
further numbers of men were lost and the defence could not be broken. He could
turn back and the take the circuitous path his General Parmenion has taken to
Persepolis, but that would have lost Alexander a lot of time. Moreover, to turn
back in defeat would have been utterly insulting for Alexander and would have
dealt a fatal blow to his undefeated image. Moreover his men trusted Alexander
with all their hearts and believed that he is undefeatable as he is blessed by
the Gods. So it would have been impossible for Alexander to turn back.
Luckily for Alexander fortune smiled on him after some days and nights of such futile attempts and losses. Some shepherds met his men and led them on a small mountain path in a dark and extremely chilly night. A step to the side would take them down the cliffs to certain death. Many of his men died that night by falling down the cliffs but without making a sound. Finally that passage made Alexander’s men bypass the men of Ariobarzanes and emerge in their rear. Despite being attacked from the rear and having only less than 2000 men, Ariobarzanes did not try to escape and had a hard fought battle with Alexanders men and they could go ahead only when all his men including Ariobarzanes were slain.
Ariobarzanes fought and died with
valour unlike his Emperor who ran away from battle the moment he lost it. Along
with Ariobarzanes died his valorous sister Utab fighting to the last.
