भारतीय इतिहास के ६ स्वर्णिम पृष्ठ (वीर सावरकर - विदेशी आक्रान्ताओं पर विजय गाथा)

precipitate haste, he crossed the river and with his fine cavalry, dashed against the forces of King Porus. This disturbed the whole plan of Porus. Still, he fought on a fierce battle. But the rains had turned the field muddy, rendering utterly useless Porus’s two great instruments of war, namely chariots and elephants. He could not, therefore, successfully check the brisk and energetic attacks of Alexander’s horsemen. In the thick of the battle, Porus seated on his elephant and desperately fighting was grievously wounded and fell into the hands of the enemy. Thus, partly because of Porus’s misfortune and partly because of Alexander’s military skill on the battlefield, the Greeks were crowned with success. Victory—Shrewd Political Strategy 25. When Porus was taken as a captive before Alexander, the latter asked the Indian King, ‘How should I treat you?’ Porus promptly replied, ‘Like a King’. This apt reply evoked the comment of European as well as our own historians, that impressed by this bold reply, Alexander returned to Porus his territory making him a governor under him, instead of putting him to death. But this interpretation of Alexander’s treatment of Porus is wrong, and therefore, such platitudes should be avoided in school textbooks. 26. Obviously, Alexander was not like the artless simple Indian King, Harishchandra, who gave away his kingdom in his wakeful hours in order to fulfil a promise made in a dream. He knew if he killed Porus or liquidated his kingdom, placing in his place some Greek Satrap, the high-minded people of the state would be aflame with rage and hatred towards the Greeks. Now Alexander wanted to fight his way all along to the chief Capital of India, namely Pataliputra! Could he ever do so with the sole support of his own Greek army? On the other hand, it was far more profitable to win over Porus with apparent magnanimity and kindness, as he had done to King Ambhi of Taxila (Takshashila) and enlist his active support in order to facilitate the accomplishment of his daring plan of the conquest of India. It is, therefore, not for the sake of appreciating the bold rejoinder of Porus but as a clever political strategy, that the arch diplomat Alexander returned to Porus his Kingdom. He even annexed the smaller neighbouring states, which he had conquered immediately before or after his clash with Porus to the latter’s Kingdom. He had appointed him his satrap (governor) of this vast Indian Province. Porus too gave his assent to Alexander’s proposals simply to wait for his time, for fortune had played foul with him. Porus had done his duty, as a Kshatriya warrior would do of