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

annexing them permanently to his vast empire like those of Syria, Persia, Babylon and others. 76. Alexander declared the annexation of the region from Hindukush and Gandhar to Taxila (Takshashila), half of the Panchanad up to the river Vyas, and that from the confluene of the Vitasta with the Indus to the sea. He appointed the Indian King Ambuj or Ambhi of Taxila his governor (satrap) of the Hindukush region, and King Porus as his governor of the Panchanad. To the third but narrow strip of land along the Indus were appointed his two trusted Greek generals, Philip and Nicanor, under whom he placed the mobile force of Greeks. He established in India some townships too, one of which was Alexandria in the direction of Taxila. Alexander’s Death 77. Before Alexander decided to stabilize things in the Indian territory he had recently captured, he learnt that the local democratic institutions refused to accept his overlordship. Even while Alexander was in Sind, he received intelligence of a revolt by the Indian subjects in Gandhar. He was about to send a fresh and large Greek army to Gandhar. But in quick succession followed another disturbing news of a fresh conspiracy being hatched in Punjab (Panchanad) to overthrow Alexander completely. But Alexander could at that time do nothing to thwart any such attempts at revolt. During his campaign against India not only his army but he himself was completely exhausted. To add to it, his addiction to drinking had grown beyond all limits of safety; he suddenly took ill and died in B.C. 323. That is to say, hardly within a-year-and-a-half of his return from India with all his army, the great Greek (Macedonian) Emperor breathed his last at Babylon. Indian Politicians Conspire 78. As has already been told, as soon as Alexander began to retreat along the Indus, some of the Indian politicians began hatching out a secret plan against the Greeks in Punjab to win back their lost freedom. But it was not merely aimed at the recovery of the lost territory. It was essentially to overhaul and revolutionize the whole gamut of the political life of India and to bring about a sweeping change in the internal life of the country. Even if Alexander had not died so soon, the deep-laid Indian plot was destined to achieve this daring political revolution. This sudden death of Alexander, however, gave Indian political workers an unexpected golden opportunity