Alexander The Great and The Kambojas - Battle With Ashvakayanas (Assakenoi)

Battle With Ashvakayanas (Assakenoi)

• After defeating the Ashvayanas, Alexander engaged the Ashvakayanas, the Assakenoi of classical writings. The Assakenoi inhabited the Swat valley and had strongholds in Massaga, Ora, Bazira, and Aornos. Their modern remnants are the Aspins of Chitral and the Yashkuns of Gilgit. According to Arrian, they mustered an army of 30,000 cavalry, 30,000 infantry and 30 elephants. Seven thousand soldiers joined from Abhisara as reinforcements. The Ashvakayanas resisted stubbornly in their strongholds and the fort of Massaga was only gained after several days of bloody fighting during which Alexander was seriously injured in the ankle by an arrow.
• At the start, Alexander staged a tactical retreat to lure the Ashvakayanas out of their fort of Massaga. About seven thousand Ashvakayanas charged the Macedonians, whereupon Alexander suddenly wheeled around and attacked back. The tribesmen retired to the citadel with the loss of 200 men. Alexander pursued them and brought his famous Phalanx against the fortifications with the Ashvakaynas pouring arrows from the citadel, one of which injured Alexander.
• The following day, Alexander attacked the wall of the fort with war engines (ballistas) and his soldiers tried to rush in through the breach they created. However the Ashvakayanas defenders managed to repel the attacks and forced Alexander to withdraw.
• On day 3 the Macedonians renewed the assault from the ballistas, and setting up a huge wooden tower against the wall they shot from it at the tribesmen inside. Curtius recorded that it took the Macedonians nine days to complete the tower - but still the defenders held out.
• On day 4, a bridge was deployed to reach the wall breach made on the second day, but it collapsed as the Macedonian troops ran onto it. Taking advantage of this, the defenders rained down arrows, stones and whatever articles they could find. Some Ashvakayanas came out and fought at close quarters forcing Alexander's forces to retreat.
• On the fifth day, (eleventh according to Curtius), another effort was made to make a bridge from a war engine to the wall. As the Ashvakayana Chief (called Assakenos by Arrian) was supervising operations from the battlements, a missile from a ballista killed him. Command of the battle was then taken over by his mother Cleophis (q.v.) - determined to defend to the last. Cleophis' example rallied the local women to join the fight. Over the several days of the famous battle of Massaga both sides suffered heavy losses and in the end the tribesmen entered into a peace agreement with the Macedonians.