Treaty with Seleucus
Kabul valley (Paropamisadae)
Seleucus Nicator gives Chandragupta lands along the Indus under a marriage pact and receives five hundred war elephants.
Strabo says Seleucus gave Chandragupta part of the country along the Indus that Alexander had taken from the Persians, among the Paropamisadae, Arachosia and Gedrosia, "in consequence of a marriage contract", and received five hundred elephants. Appian adds only that the two kings fought, came to terms and became related by marriage.
How much land changed hands is argued: older accounts give Chandragupta the whole of those satrapies, some recent ones much less. Arachosia at least was Mauryan by Ashoka's reign, which is why his Greek and Aramaic edicts turn up at Kandahar some fifty years later. The elephants helped Seleucus win at Ipsus in 301 BCE.
- political
- war