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

the Malava-Shudrak army, instead of dictating his usual arrogant terms. For ceasefire talks, a hundred representatives of the joint Malava-Shudrak republic were elected, and for them, Alexander held a grand reception ceremony in his camp. Detailed and very entertaining descriptions of this reception are available in the books of Greek historians. But for want of space, we have to satisfy ourselves with a brief reference to it. The hundred representatives were, even according to the Greek standards, of uncommon height, heavily built, having handsome muscular bodies. They were clad in valuable embroidered clothes and had worn beautiful ornaments of gold and pearls and precious stones. Everyone of them went to the Greek camp in his well-decorated and well-equipped golden chariot. They had with them elephants, too, with costly and beautiful outfits. The Greeks had always felt a special fascination for the elephants. 61. Although rankling in his mind was the fact that these very representatives of the Malava-Shudrak joint republic had brought upon him, a little while ago, a mortal danger, Alexander showed his magnanimity in that reception ceremony and paraded his own imperial splendour. For every one of those hundred representatives, there was a special golden seat. The banquet given in their honour was attended with costly wines and excellent savoury dishes. The grand banquet was followed by various field games and tournaments, music and dancing. In the end, a treaty was signed by the Malava-Shudrak representatives and Alexander. 62. The divergent accounts given about this treaty by various Greek writers of the time have, at least, this much in common to tell. The Greeks and the Indians had jointly agreed to put a stop to their hostilities and that the Malava-Shudrak republic was not to cause any harassment to the retreating army of Alexander, while it was progressing on its way home along the Indus. Of these, two valiant republics, the Malavas will be referred to later on, when I shall be describing the wars with the Sakas, the Yucchis and other Mlenchha powers. The fact that this Malava republic had been prosperous and strong for many centuries to come, therefore, need not be specially proved. 63. Even the Greek writers could not help recording some more acts of valour during the Indian resistance to the Greek onslaught, although the details of the time and place of their happenings are not available. Two of them are cited here to serve as specimens. The Treacherous attack of Greeks on Masaga Tribe