The Worst Withdrawal from Afghanistan? (330 BC)

[dexter]

Afghanistan has a long history of foreign invasions and withdrawals. Today we explore the first of these chapters with the campaigns of Alexander the Great.

As the last chapter of the US war in Afghanistan appears to draw to a close, the world watches armed and civilian forces alike conduct their final evacuations. However, in these moments, we hear echoes of the past. The history of the so-called “Graveyard of Empires” is filled with many chapters that tell of yet another major power that has been forced to withdraw after years of spilled blood and treasure. The most well-known instances have occurred in recent memory. However, the pages of Afghan history go back thousands of years. Today I wanted to take a look at one of these first major military withdrawals that may just be the most FUBAR one on record; The evacuation of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian army from Afghanistan.

In order to contextualize this conflict, we first begin with a quick overview of the history of Afghanistan. No country existed by that name or with those borders in antiquity and it was instead made up of a variety of tribal coalitions and minor kingdoms for much of its early history. However, it would first see foreigners begin to claim its lands with the rise of the Median Empire and the succeeding Achaemenid Empire. The lands of modern Afghanistan would now be carved into a series of Satrapies such as Bactria, Gandara, Arakhosia, Drangaian, and Areia.

Following the Ionian Revolt and the Greco Persian Wars, the Kingdom of Macedon would rise to power and take on this ancestral conflict as a way to unify the Hellenic world behind its rule. Phillip II first began to plan an invasion of the Achaemenid Empire but it would be Alexander the Great who carried out this vision. He would campaign for several years through Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, consuming vast swaths of the enemy's domains. However, King Darius would escape to the east. Alexander initially pursued the Great King but when he was killed by his own Lieutenant, Bessus, Alexander set off against this traitor.

In this chase, Alexander the Great would be sucked into a multi-year war to subdue the eastern satrapies that made up modern Afghanistan. We cover the most significant events of this campaign, the establishment of occupying forces, and the eventual withdrawal of the army following the death of Alexander the Great. The ensuing settler revolt would make it (in my eyes) one of the most FUBAR Afghanistan withdrawals in history that would certainly be worthy of a Vice News documentary had it existed.

Sources:
"The Campaigns of Alexander the Great" by Arrian
"In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great" by Michael Wood
“Alexander the Great and Bactria: The Formation of a Greek Frontier in Central Asia” by Frank Holt
“The Greeks in Bactria and India” by W. W. Tarn
“On the revolt of the Greek settlers” by Diodorus

 

[Hakikat ve Hikmet]

You just can't ignore or forget Afganistan!! It comes back to your nightmares every night you go to sleep to haunt and drive you crazy!!! Not all the depression medication of the world can cure your PTSD...

''All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.'' - William Shakespeare (Macbeth)​

What Is PTSD – Stay Safe Foundation – A Veteran / LEO 501c3 Non-Profit

www.staysafefoundation.org

 

[mwaraitch]

The very basic nature of the tribes, coupled with difficult terrain and warrior internal environment made it possible for them.

 

[-blitzkrieg-]

Afghanistan has a long history of foreign invasions and withdrawals. Today we explore the first of these chapters with the campaigns of Alexander the Great.

As the last chapter of the US war in Afghanistan appears to draw to a close, the world watches armed and civilian forces alike conduct their final evacuations. However, in these moments, we hear echoes of the past. The history of the so-called “Graveyard of Empires” is filled with many chapters that tell of yet another major power that has been forced to withdraw after years of spilled blood and treasure. The most well-known instances have occurred in recent memory. However, the pages of Afghan history go back thousands of years. Today I wanted to take a look at one of these first major military withdrawals that may just be the most FUBAR one on record; The evacuation of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian army from Afghanistan.

In order to contextualize this conflict, we first begin with a quick overview of the history of Afghanistan. No country existed by that name or with those borders in antiquity and it was instead made up of a variety of tribal coalitions and minor kingdoms for much of its early history. However, it would first see foreigners begin to claim its lands with the rise of the Median Empire and the succeeding Achaemenid Empire. The lands of modern Afghanistan would now be carved into a series of Satrapies such as Bactria, Gandara, Arakhosia, Drangaian, and Areia.

Following the Ionian Revolt and the Greco Persian Wars, the Kingdom of Macedon would rise to power and take on this ancestral conflict as a way to unify the Hellenic world behind its rule. Phillip II first began to plan an invasion of the Achaemenid Empire but it would be Alexander the Great who carried out this vision. He would campaign for several years through Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, consuming vast swaths of the enemy's domains. However, King Darius would escape to the east. Alexander initially pursued the Great King but when he was killed by his own Lieutenant, Bessus, Alexander set off against this traitor.

In this chase, Alexander the Great would be sucked into a multi-year war to subdue the eastern satrapies that made up modern Afghanistan. We cover the most significant events of this campaign, the establishment of occupying forces, and the eventual withdrawal of the army following the death of Alexander the Great. The ensuing settler revolt would make it (in my eyes) one of the most FUBAR Afghanistan withdrawals in history that would certainly be worthy of a Vice News documentary had it existed.

Sources:
"The Campaigns of Alexander the Great" by Arrian
"In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great" by Michael Wood
“Alexander the Great and Bactria: The Formation of a Greek Frontier in Central Asia” by Frank Holt
“The Greeks in Bactria and India” by W. W. Tarn
“On the revolt of the Greek settlers” by Diodorus

Alexander /Selucid never controlled the satagadiya (punjab) and sindh region .There is no record that states the Seleucid collected taxes from local kings there.The land was controlled by Porus and several other kings who pushed Alexander away which the narrator conveniently didnt even mention..But he did mention that Alexander died there so is he buried there as well?
Also Mauriyans were not "Indian Army" as the silly animation shows. Mauryans were people from gandhara area between chitral swat and attock..
-Sindh being shown as India which is wrong , even greeks called it Indos not india..the original name was sindha.

 

[fitpOsitive]

Afghanistan has a long history of foreign invasions and withdrawals. Today we explore the first of these chapters with the campaigns of Alexander the Great.

As the last chapter of the US war in Afghanistan appears to draw to a close, the world watches armed and civilian forces alike conduct their final evacuations. However, in these moments, we hear echoes of the past. The history of the so-called “Graveyard of Empires” is filled with many chapters that tell of yet another major power that has been forced to withdraw after years of spilled blood and treasure. The most well-known instances have occurred in recent memory. However, the pages of Afghan history go back thousands of years. Today I wanted to take a look at one of these first major military withdrawals that may just be the most FUBAR one on record; The evacuation of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian army from Afghanistan.

In order to contextualize this conflict, we first begin with a quick overview of the history of Afghanistan. No country existed by that name or with those borders in antiquity and it was instead made up of a variety of tribal coalitions and minor kingdoms for much of its early history. However, it would first see foreigners begin to claim its lands with the rise of the Median Empire and the succeeding Achaemenid Empire. The lands of modern Afghanistan would now be carved into a series of Satrapies such as Bactria, Gandara, Arakhosia, Drangaian, and Areia.

Following the Ionian Revolt and the Greco Persian Wars, the Kingdom of Macedon would rise to power and take on this ancestral conflict as a way to unify the Hellenic world behind its rule. Phillip II first began to plan an invasion of the Achaemenid Empire but it would be Alexander the Great who carried out this vision. He would campaign for several years through Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, consuming vast swaths of the enemy's domains. However, King Darius would escape to the east. Alexander initially pursued the Great King but when he was killed by his own Lieutenant, Bessus, Alexander set off against this traitor.

In this chase, Alexander the Great would be sucked into a multi-year war to subdue the eastern satrapies that made up modern Afghanistan. We cover the most significant events of this campaign, the establishment of occupying forces, and the eventual withdrawal of the army following the death of Alexander the Great. The ensuing settler revolt would make it (in my eyes) one of the most FUBAR Afghanistan withdrawals in history that would certainly be worthy of a Vice News documentary had it existed.

Sources:
"The Campaigns of Alexander the Great" by Arrian
"In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great" by Michael Wood
“Alexander the Great and Bactria: The Formation of a Greek Frontier in Central Asia” by Frank Holt
“The Greeks in Bactria and India” by W. W. Tarn
“On the revolt of the Greek settlers” by Diodorus

Invaders see brown eyes and black hair from distance. But when they reach Afghanistan suddenly green eyes and blond hair begin to pop from all sides. And then a voice "surprise".

BTW, Afghan green eyes are the most beautiful shade of eyes.

 

[waqar911]

Alexander /Selucid never controlled the satagadiya (punjab) and sindh region .There is no record that states the Seleucid collected taxes from local kings there.The land was controlled by Porus and several other kings who pushed Alexander away which the narrator conveniently didnt even mention..But he did mention that Alexander died there so is he buried there as well?
Also Mauriyans were not "Indian Army" as the silly animation shows. Mauryans were people from gandhara area between chitral swat and attock..
-Sindh being shown as India which is wrong , even greeks called it Indos not india..the original name was sindha.

Yeah, there was no mention of Raja Porus and the battle of Hydaspes. I believe Alexander lost his horse, Bucephalus in the same battle such was the fierce nature of that conflict.

 

[jamahir]

BTW, Afghan green eyes are the most beautiful shade of eyes.

Like Sharbat Gula ?

---

@Foinikas, what are the ideas in your Greece about the people of Afghanistan of 2330 years ago ?

 

[Foinikas]

@Foinikas, what are the ideas in your Greece about the people of Afghanistan of 2330 years ago ?

No ideas on that,just that there are the Kalas now in Afghanistan who are considered the descendants of Alexander's soldiers and of Greeks who mixed with the locals there.

 

[fitpOsitive]

No ideas on that,just that there are the Kalas now in Afghanistan who are considered the descendants of Alexander's soldiers and of Greeks who mixed with the locals there.

They are Pakistanis now.

 

[Foinikas]

They are Pakistanis now.

I prefer them to be under Pakistan than under Taliban Afghanistan.

 

[Path-Finder]

No ideas on that,just that there are the Kalas now in Afghanistan who are considered the descendants of Alexander's soldiers and of Greeks who mixed with the locals there.

there are said to be some stranded near Multan too.

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi,

Alexander and his armies got the thrashing of a lifetimes at the hand of Raja Porus and his army.

Alexander;s defeat was so devastating that he chose to escape thru the river route on boats in high high flood season.

At or around then town of Tulambah---he got shot thru the chest by an arrow launched from combatants hiding amongst the reeds of the rivers.

That was the fatal blow that brought an end to Alexander invasion.

His death also popped up different stories of his death and final days.

The greeks---who were the most literate of the nations of that times---did not want to disgrace Alexander's name with the defeat at the hands of Porus---so they spun a fairy tale of how Alexander treated Porus after the so called defeat of Raja Porus and the world has fallen over for that tale---.

 

[jamahir]

At or around then town of Tulambah---he got shot thru the chest by an arrow launched from combatants hiding amongst the reeds of the rivers.

That was the fatal blow that brought an end to Alexander invasion.

His death also popped up different stories of his death and final days.

What I read and heard is he died of Malaria and in Iraq / Babylon. Nothing to do with any Indian arrow or India.