11 Facts About Porus

Michael Witzel conjectures that Porus was a king of the Purus, a Vedic tribe, who existed as a marginal power in Punjab after their defeat in the Battle of the Ten Kings.

Accordingly, Ishwari Prasad and a few other scholars argue that Porus was a Shurasena.

Porus ruled over the tracts between the rivers Hydaspes and Acesines ; Strabo noted the territory to contain almost 300 cities.

Porus had a hostile relationship with the neighboring polity of Taxila, having assassinated their erstwhile ruler Ambhiraj, his maternal uncle.

Porus took a defensive position in the plains, interspersing infantry units with elephants on the front lines and stationing the cavalry and chariots in the wings.

Alexander chose to shield his infantry and instead led a devastating cavalry charge on Porus' left wing, forcing reinforcements from the right; however, this rear-transit came under attack by Coenus' cavalry and Porus' cavalry was compelled to take refuge within the infantry frontlines, causing confusion.

Soon Porus' army was surrounded on all sides, and became easy fodder for Alexander's forces with the cavalry exterminated and most of the elephants captured.

Still, Porus refused to surrender and wandered about atop an elephant, until he was wounded and his force routed.

Porus's territory was not only restored, but expanded, with Alexander's forces annexing the territories of Glausaes, who ruled to the northeast of Porus' kingdom.

Siege warfare was executed to brilliant effect and the full-fledged attack began once Porus had joined with his elephants.

Porus was thus ratified as the de facto ruler of the entire territory east of the Jhelum, with no European satrap to co-rule with, unlike Ambhi and Abisares.