Invasion of Punjab by Osiris, King of Egypt(By ArunJoshi,Sri-Krishna Institute,9888933043)

Invasion of Punjab by Osiris, King of Egypt

The ancient Hindus called Egypt Misrasthan, from its being inhabited by Misraim, the son of Ham. Egypt flourished at a period long before the Greeks emerged from barbarism, and Osiris, the king of Egypt, is praised not only as a great warrior, but as a zealous promoter of the arts. He conquered Ethiopia and Arabia, and eventually marched at the head of his forces in the direction of the Punjab. The people of the Punjab assembled in immense numbers to defend their country, but offered but a feeble resistance. The plains of the Punjab fell into the possession of the foreign conqueror, who pushed his conquests to the mouth of the Ganges. After a three year stay, the Egyptians returned to their native land, after erecting pillars and monuments, and founding cities in the name of Osiris.


Invasion of Punjab by Semiramis, Queen of Assyria

When the ancient empire of Babylonia was absorbed in that of Assyria, Ninus became the first king. On his death, about the ninth century B.C., Semiramis, his queen, succeeded to the vast monarchy. Impelled by the riches of India, she undertook her celebrated expedition to this country. Semiramis is believed to be the Sami Rama of the Hindu Puranas and is worshiped by the Hindus as a deity. It does not appear that the Assyrians penetrated far beyond the western frontier of the Punjab. The great obstacles were the presence of a wide stream on the north-west of Punjab, and the superiority of the Indians in possessing war elephants. The Assyrians won the first battle, but the inhabitants eventually routed the invaders, and eventually the Queen retreated to her native land, with a considerable loss to the remnants of her army.


Osiris, King of Egypt

Invasion of Punjab by Sesostris, King of Egypt Sesostris flourished on the throne of Eygpt in the eighteenth century before the Christian era. He was a powerful king both by land and sea, and having overrun the whole province of Asia, he penetrated the wild deserts of Scythia and Thrace, and then bent his attention towards the conquest of India. He led his army into Punjab, and extended his sway as far as the Ganges. He erected pillars descriptive of his conquest and glory, inscribed with various symbols.


Invasion of Punjab by the Scythians, or Tartars

The history of that nation begins with Oghaz, who made war on Persia, and carried his arms to Irak, Azarbajan, and Armenia. He then advanced to Kabul and Ghazni, and reduced Northern India, including Kashmir. Jagma, ruler of Kashmir, offered a stout resistance, but was eventually reduced. Jagma was massacred, and a considerable number of the Kashmir inhabitants were put to the sword. The Tartars invaded Punjab again in 650 B.C., and a considerable portion of the army of the Scythians settled in the Punjab. A race of them, called Nomardy, inhabited the country on the west bank of the Indus. They are described as a nomadic tribe, living in wooden homes. A portion of these settlers were called the Getes, from whom sprung the modern Jatts. The migration of vast hordes of Scythian plunderers and conquerors into the Punjab, and, indeed, the whole of India had its effect both dynastic and religious.


Persian Conquest of the Punjab

The first recorded invasion of India by the Persians was under Faridun, founder of Isthakar, or Persepolis, who flourished about 750 B.C.. No details are given as to how far the empire of Faridun extended in India, but it certainly included the Punjab. There was a great battle fought between the Persians and the Indians, in which the latter sustained a severe defeat. Darius I, who was elected king of Persia in 521 B.C., is mentioned as the next Persian sovereign who attempted the conquest of India.