AMBHI WAS NOT A TRAITOR

ARUN NIGUDKAR

Spies of any country any time have been a matter of deep interest to me. Especially when in the midst of unusual circumstances and odds when they come out safely, my hats are off for them. Sometimes they remain unhonoured and unsung, projected wrongly by historians or their heads and the enemy as traitors. Many such men have gone to gallows or history never knows what happened to them thereafter.

The name of Prince Ambhi (Omhphis Taxilles)is one such name known to history as a traitor since Alexander the Great called him so. We learnt in our school days that he invited Alexander to avenge King Poru or Porus his arch enemy, and king of the land between the present Jhelum and Chenab rivers in Punjab. Ambhi’s territory lay from the northern bank of Jhelum right upto Khandhar of Afghanistan. His state was called as Gandhar when Alexander invaded India. There is no reason to believe what rivalry ensued between Ambhi and Puru as there are no records directly to believe in what the Greeks have recorded. On the contrary the Greeks mention that Ambhi and Puru were related matrimonially meaning thereby that Prince Ambhi (22-24)was probably the son in law of Puru. In India it was a tradition to enter into such alliance to avoid enmity. Punjab was a very fertile territory and Gandhar was a very rich kingdom, renowned since ancient times for world famous university of Takshshila or Taxilafor education, commerce ,arts and crafts and a network of roads conneting it with international trade route silk road. Takshshila occupied a place of importance in those days India and became a commercially rich capital of a rich state. Samrat Ambhi and his son also known to India as learned patronizes of the famous university.

Why then Alexander initially called Ambhi a trustworthy friend in February and a traitor in July326BC? and what trickery prince Ambhi played with Alexander is a mystery since no Greek has ever proved it. Arya Chanakya who was his Guruand Principal of Takshshila University has nowhere said any thing against Ambhi why?

1) Puru was never a priority of Alexander. He invaded India just to capture Sindh and a portion of Punjab which were captured by Persians (Darius I ) 250 years prior to Alexander’s. Since Alexander defeated Darius III, it became imperative for him to annex Sindh to his territory.

2) Alexander landed in Taxila all of a sudden with a huge army of 1.20 lakh and 15000 cavalry(Plutarch)

3) With a small force of just 5000,the Prince preferred to play cool and surrendered.

4) He probably awaited for an opportune time.

5) His steps proved very correctly as Alexander’s forces would have ruined the city and the ancient university as also raped the royal females and the women in the city and the state. Arya Chankya who was associated with Ambhi might have advised him to do so. He or any Indian record has no mention of Ambhi’s treachery.

6) For a petty rivalry a royal prince would invite a foreigner was most unlikely. Alexander was Macedonian, Ambhi an Indian , had there been any dialogue between the two should have used either the Macedonian or the Sanskrit in Brahmi script . No such record is mentioned in the Greek or Sanskrit literature

7) Because of Ambhi’s wisdom Takshshila University and the city continued to play its pivotal role of most ancient for next 800 years, till it was burned down by the White Huns in the 5^th century AD.

8) Under the guise of giving a very hospitable treatment to Alexander, his officials and the forces in general Ambhi very diplomatically prolonged Alexander’s stay from one month agreed upon till June i.e 5months further. All Indians knew that July is a month of heavy downpour and gusty winds which play havoc ; roads are muddy and slippery, communications get cut off, no transport . No wars were played during ancient times during rainy season of four months.

9) This is the only war in India between Indian Kings united under Puru and Alexander the Foreigner who was unaware of the topography and seasonal changes of the territory where he landed and brought his end nearer.

10) Puru got 5 months for his war preparations, chose a terrain naturally hostile to an invader , The battle field of Karri as described by Curtius 2000years ago and by Gen J. Abbotis a hard grown of quartz girdled by Karri and Mangal hills 5 x 5 miles . surrounded by unpredictable streams that pour waters into main course of Jhelum . Big boulders rumble down the Himalayan slope into Jhelum and cause whirlpools.

11) After the battle that was fought in the first week of July , Alexander had to leave India in about a month. Not by the Takshshila route but very hostile desert of SINDH. This route is 1000km long and took one year for Alexander and his remaining force to reach Babylon in April324BC. He died on 10^th June 324 in about two months

----------------- Arun Nigudkar

Arun.7g.usha@gmail.com,