After a prolonged illness King Phillip died in the year 336 B.C. only one year after Alexander had finished his education. During the illness of his father Alexander had started discharging duties as acting ruler of Macedonia. The people, royals, chieftains, courtiers and commanders all were in favour of Alexander’s ascending to the throne. There was no opposition and no one dared to challenge the mighty prince Alexander.
Alexander was duly coronated and became Emperor of Macedonia and dominion states. Soon after becoming Emperor Alexander revealed his ambitions. Unlike his father he did not want to put up with subordinate states. He wanted their total merger in Macedonia. The kingdoms and dominions in the neighbourhood were forcibly merged into Macedonia. Those who stood in his way were made to taste the treatment of Alexander’s sword. Only those kingdoms were allowed to continue as dominions whose rulers accepted total subjugation of Alexander ever under his command and as subordinates.
Within two years of becoming Emperor he had subjugated most of the rulers of Greece. He was the lord of all he surveyed. He had raised new armies for his battle campaign. A big empire of Macedonia Alexander had inherited and through his own drives he had added several kingdoms to his empire. His ambitions were too big to be contained within the sea shores of Greek island.
He was looking at the far away horizons.
Emperor Alexander was proud of Greek culture, political thought, literature, philosophy and scientific knowledge and mythological heritage. Infact Greece was educationally the most advanced nation of the west. He considered it his duty to spread the Greek culture, philosphical thought, politics and education all over the world. To him it looked a noble and benevolent act. Due to lack of communication and travel system then human race lived in seggregation in different civilisations, linguistic and cultural groups or tribes locked up in fragmented lands on the continents or islands divided by seas. One group knew little about others.
Emperor Alexander thought Greek civilisation was the only educated culture on the earth. In the eastern horizon he guessed there were only barbaric races sans culture, education, civilised life and political systems. Alexander in his noble intentions wanted to spread Greek civilisation into those lands to redeem barbarians from lawless life. That was how he created reason to embark on a world conquest mission for the benefit of humanity. Often rulers intending to start the most inhuman act invent noble justifications in advance. It is correctly said that the path to hell is paved with noble intentions. How ironical!
Alexander raised a huge invasion army of mammoth proportions to subdue the world. The army was equipped with new gleaming armour and weapons. The excited soldiers had the enticing prospect of letting loose loot and plunder in the far off lands. The wages could be loads of gold, silver and gems for each soldier. And then there was added attraction of freedom to molest and rape alien wenches. The soldiers could not help pursing their lips in anticipation.
In the year 332 B.C. Alexander invaded Egypt with his mighty force. Egyptians could not stand their ground and capitulated. Alexander thought that winning eastern lands was as easy as scaring away kids. His only worry now was shoes for his soldiers that appeared sure to wear away fast by marching on and and on in victory kicking away the little opposition they will face. The thought was very pleasing and enthusing.
The easy victory on Egypt was a great moral booster for Alexander and he guessed the dream of world conquest was not impossible to realise. It looked now easy for the world’s best trained and best equipped army. The rest of the world appeared far behind and out of race.
He decided to reinforce his army before embarking on a conquest mission further east. In one sweep he wanted to take the world. He thought Egypt gave him the idea of the opposition he would face yonder in the eastern direction.
But he would need more soldiers as per his new war plans. The ex-soldiers were called back into service. His campaign would require tough soldiers used to rough life. On the northern end of Greece a lot of forest tribals lived. They lived in harsh environment and hunting was their main occupation. These tribals were aggressive by nature and ruthless too. Alexander recruited a good number of them for his new force. The ex-soldiers were employed to train them. Together with them soldiers of dominions and conquered lands Alexander raised his world conquest force.
With that great force Alexander set out on his conquest expedition.
Emperor Alexander laid a siege to the empire of Persia in 331 B.C. The capital of Persia was a very prosperious city. It had a population of several lakh that lived peacefully in luxury and splendours. The rich and mighty lived in tall buildings with splendid gardens. It boasted of the fabled hanging gardens.
The ruler of Persia was very assured of the security and safety of his empire. In the west Yemen sea guarded its frontiers and in east high Hindukush mountain ranges stood guard fortifying Persia. Around the capital a fort wall forty arms lengths high stood making it secure. It was impregnable. Alongside the wall there was a wide moat deep enough to deny easy crossing over. It teemed with crocodiles. Thousands of soldiers guarded the fort wall on the inside and remained ready to repel any external aggression in defence of the capital. So Daryavahu was not worried on security issue.
He lived carefree in his opulent palace and indulged in drinking, watching girlie dances and all kinds of carnal pleasures. He cared little for the welfare of his empire or citizens.
All the state officials, ministers and courtiers too followed the example of their king. At one’s own level each one of them led utterly immoral and corrupt life. No one cared about state duties. All the systems rotted. Persia had a large army but not for soldiering. It was only for getting salaries paid. An aimless king could not create work for it. The soldiers became idlers without proper training, exercise and duties.
When Alexander invaded Persia the defending army could not put up any worthwhile resistence.
The Greek force reached the capital city and laid a seige to it. Without wasting time its soldiers smashed open the fort gates and poured in. The Persian army unit inside the fort city was no match for Greeks. It disintegrated. Greek soldiers then went on rampage and plundered the city.
Some Persian soldiers tried to stop Greeks from plunder and killing of innocent soldiers.
Emperor Alexander did not like any one challenging his soldiers from doing anything. He ordered every Persian soldier nabbed and put to death. Persians were fire god worshippers. Their homes and temples kept fire ever burning as a worship ritual. The Greeks burnt down the entire capital city to make it a funeral for the vanquished Persians.
After razing down and looting Persian capital Alexander moved on. Shakastan was the next to fall to the Greek invader and then Harauli was one.
When Alexander’s Greek force reached its next target, Bactria and it found the defending army ready to offer resistence. It was not a big army but Bactrians loved their freedom and motherland. They were ready to fight it out with great force of Alexander.
For some time brave Bactrian soldiers battled bravely but could not hold ground for long. The Greek soldiers massacred them ruthlessly. Thus, the Greek Emperor Alexander was sweeping off everything that came in his way and drawing closer to the great plains of northern India that lay yonder Hindukush mountain ranges.
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