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

‘Brahmanak janapad’ made up its mind to cross swords with, rather than submit to Alexander. This was the same ‘Brahmanak janapad’, that is referred to by Panini, says Dr. Jayaswal. It is already told how, while fighting in the Panchanad (the Punjab) Alexander had wreaked his rancorous revenge against the clan of philosophers, especially the Brahmins. When Alexander learnt that it was the same clan of Brahmins, this small state belonged to, he decided to whack his malicious stroke upon it with all his might. Plutarch (McCrindle ‘Invasion of India by Alexander’ p. 306; V.A. Smith E.H.I. p. 106) writes in his ‘Life of Alexander’, “These philosophers were specially marked down for revenge by Alexander as they gave him no less trouble than the mercenaries. They reviled the princes who declared for Alexander and encouraged free states (in India) to revolt against his authority. On this account, he hanged many of them”. (ChLIX) 69A. That little ‘Janapad’ too fought to the last with these Greeks for the sake of its national honour and independence. Pattanprastha 70. What now is called by the Muslims, Sindh Hyderabad, was at that time known as Pattanprastha. In Sanskrit language, the cities along the seashore, or at the mouths of rivers, were mostly called ‘Pattan’. Pattan is equivalent to the English word ‘port’. Perhaps the English word ‘port’ might have been a corruption of the Sanskrit ‘Pattan’. When Alexander neared the sea, this small state of Pattranprastha was confronted with a dilemma: to surrender to the enemy was most hateful to the ‘Pattanprasthis’, but they knew fully well that they would never be able to fight with the powerful Greek army on equal ground. So they resolved the dilemma by forsaking, collectively their native country, their homes and landed property and motherland with sad hearts. Alexander’s Homeward Voyage 71. That part of the ocean, where the Indus flows into it, should really be called Sindhusagar. Sindhusagar, a name for the sea to the west of India, is a fitting counterpart for the Gangasagar, a traditional name for the eastern sea. 72. On first reaching the sea, Alexander divided his army into two parts. The first batch he sent back to Iran (Persia) by a land route through what now goes by the name of Baluchistan. The whole of Alexander’s army had been thoroughly exhausted in this expedition to India. Moreover, Baluchistan at that time, was full of impregnable forests, thoroughly unknown to the Greeks. So, the Greek division, sent this way, somehow