Aspirant Academy
ENHI

RAS question

Alexander invaded India in:

Correct answer: (A) 326 BCE.

Alexander invaded India in 326 BCE, when he entered the north-west and received the surrender of Taxila's ruler Ambhi before moving further east.

  1. (A)

    326 BCE

  2. (B)

    1000 BCE

  3. (C)

    100 CE

  4. (D)

    500 CE

Explanation

The answer is 326 BCE because Alexander's invasion of India is placed in that year. Encyclopaedia Britannica records that, when Alexander invaded India in 326 BCE, Ambhi, the ruler of Taxila, surrendered the city and put his resources at Alexander's disposal. The familiar RAS sequence follows: Alexander crossed the Indus, defeated Porus at the Battle of Hydaspes near the Jhelum, but his army refused to advance beyond the Beas. His appointment of satraps and later Greek accounts matter because the invasion briefly linked north-western India with the Mediterranean world and left useful observations on Indian society.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (B) 1000 BCE is far too early; Alexander's invasion of India took place in 326 BCE.
  • (C) 100 CE is after Alexander's campaign, while his Indian invasion dates to 326 BCE.
  • (D) 500 CE belongs centuries after Alexander and cannot match a campaign that Britannica dates to 326 BCE.

Concept

This tests the Ancient Indian History chronology of Alexander's invasion and its immediate north-western Indian context. It recurs in RAS because it connects political chronology, Indo-Greek contact, and the background to Mauryan consolidation.

Source

Related questions