Persian & Macedonian Invasion were one of the many invasions witnessed in India. The Persians targeted North-West India.

Iranian Invasion

There was a lot of political disunity between the Magadha princes. Achaemenian rulers took advantage of lack of unity among the princes and kings, and expanded their empire in North-Western India.

What was the condition of India when Persians invaded India?

In north-east India, a lot of small republics were merged with the Magadhan Empire.

• The smaller units used to fight among themselves, making the kingdom strong in case of any type of invasion.
• The rich and fertile land area acted as an important natural resource, attracting a lot of neighbours.
• Further, the North-Western part of India could be easily penetrated through the Hindu Kush pass.
• All these factors attracted the Persian king to enter the territory and invade.

Cyrus’ invasion

Cyrus was the founder of the Achaemenid empire, the first ruler. During his wars to the East of Iran, he is believed to have penetrated Indian borders between 558  and 530 BC.

• Cyrus invaded Gandhara and brought it under the Iranian Empire.
• Taking advantage of the fights between Madra, Gandhara, and Kamboja empires, Cyrus invaded the North-Western part.
• Behistun inscription mentions that Cyrus got a tribute from an Indian monarch’s embassy.
• It is on this premise, that Historians believe that Cyrus conquered the region.

Darius I Invasion

• Darius, an Iranian ruler, entered North West India to annex Punjab in 516 BC.
• He also conquered Sindh in the process.
• Henceforth, the area would becomes the 20th province of Iran.
  • There were a total of 28 satrapies or provinces of Iran at its peak.
• The Indian satrapy included some part of Punjab lying west of Indus, and the north-western frontier of Sindh.
• It paid a tribute of 360 talents of gold, which accounted for one third of the total revenue Iran received from its Asian provinces.
• Hamadan (golden and silver) inscription mentions the conquest of Punjab and Sindh by Darius I.
• He also occupied some parts of the Jhelum river valley.
• Behistun inscription mentions Gandhara as being a part under the Darius Empire.
• It is believed that Gandhara might have been acquired by Darius from Cyrus.
  • Gandhara is the contemporary Peshawar and Rawalpindi in Pakistan.
  • Darius’s Susa Palace inscription mentions teak being brought from Gandhara from the emperor’s palace construction.

Xerxes’ invasion

• A successor of Darius I, Xeres stopped furthering his quest for more mainland, and stopped further invading India.
• He however, kept the already invaded areas under his control.
• Using his resources in India, he invaded Greece.

The downfall of the Persian empire

Xerxes was defeated in the war with Greece, which led to a decline of the Persian dominance in India. Darius III was the last prominent and known ruler of the Achaemenid Empire, who ruled till 330 BC. The later Persian rulers had no interest in invading India.

Influences of the Persian Invasion of India

Trade influences	There was an increase in mutual trade between Indian and Persia. Both Indian and Persian goods found their buyers in the respective countries.
Political influences	Indian Politics wasn’t affected much, but it exposed the lack of unity among the Indian rulers. Persians introduced the Satrap system of administration in the Indian administration.
Art and Culture impacts	Ashoka used Iranian customs and inscribed the ideals of Iran on his Stone Pillars. Polishing was introduced to Indians by the Persians. According to Megasthenes (Greek Ambassador at court of Chandragupta), the Mauryan ruler adopted certain Persian Ceremonies and rituals. Hence, the Mauryan art was influenced by the Persian art to some extent Ashoka, followed Iranian custom of preaching ideals by inscribing them on the stone pillars. The Architecture of the period of Asoka was influenced by Persian Architecture. Iranian influence may also be traced in the preamble to Ashoka’s edicts as well as in certain terms used in them. For instance, for the Iranian term dipi, the Ashokan scribe used the term lipi
Script influences	North-West India was introduced to the Aramaic form of writing. Gradually, Kharoshti script was used in India. The Kharoshti script was written from right to left. All the Ashokan rock inscriptions were engraved in the Kharoshti script. Ashoka borrowed the idea of inscribing ethical exhortations on rock edits.
Coinage influences	The Persian silver coins that were in circulation in India, were known for their refined minting and elegant looks. This had an impact, as Indian rulers adopted similar techniques to mint their coins on the Persian model.