Now it was time for Chandragupta to fight his own war. He raised an army of youth who were not happy with Nanda rule. There also were a large number of broken soldiers who made up his army. These broken soldiers belonged to armies who had engaged in battle that had been raging in the lands of India in the wake of the invasion by Greek army. In the wars they had got scattered and broken away from their army units. Thousands of such soldiers had been wandering all over the lands.
Chandragupta’s army launched several attacks from within Magadha empire which has Patliputra as its capital but got defeated evry time. The army of Nanda king was well organised and large in size. Chanakya and Chandragupta realised that making theories and fighting an actual war were two different things. They sat down to reanalyse their strategy.
During the earliers years Chandragupta had taken part in several battles on the side of Greeks and them against them when it came to defeat Satraps. But no plan was working against Magadha army. Attacking the capital city was a blunder. It was best defended. Patliputra was a fortified city. The fort had 64 gates. The biggest obstacle was the moat around the fort which was 600 feet wide and 40 feet deep. When Chandragupta had attacked the fort gates were closed and the draw bridges were raised up. Chandragupta army could not bridge the moat. The Magadha’s provincial armies converged on it and the attackers disintegtrated. Chanakya and Chandragupta had barely managed to escape.
Now they knew they must attack from the borders and converge on the capital. The two fled towards Vindyachalam. Through Kaushambi they reached Mayapuri. Then on along the Shivalik ranges they travelled to arrived at Sruhana Kingdom situated alongside Magadha Empire border.
It was where the soldiers who had fled from the Alexander’s onslaught had sought refuge in. They wanted to take revenge on Greeks. Chanakya and Chandragupta rallied those angry soldiers to raise army afresh.
The two had understood that to take on the might of Magadha they needed more experience, battle planning skills and inovative stratigies. They could gain all that by waging battles against the Greek Satraps. That way they could win allys and the support of the natives. Before leaving Bharat Alexander had called a meeting of his Satraps and conquered Indian kings in Patanprastha, the last vanquished land. It was a kind of victory celebration and an effort to make the Greek victory permanent by a new strategy. The kings were ordered to bring girls from their kingdom and marry them to the Greek soldiers to create hybird generation, a fusion of India and Greek cultures.
The kings brought 700 girls from their lands and were paired with Greek soldiers in the ceremony. Those were the soldiers who were to remain in India to defend the Greek Satrap rule.
Alexander appointed Phillip was a great soldier and a good commander. As a conqueror he had become addicted to good life nad luxuries. Eating, drinking and womanising had become his only activities. He had nothing else to do.
Phillip had made the royal palace of the capital of Kaikya kingdom his home. It one belonged to King Puru (Porus) who was now subordinate to the Greek commanders. Over the years Puru had become disenchanted with Greeks and their overbearing ways. Now he wished to get rid of them some how and regain his throne.
There was a special royal market near the palace where special trading took place. Slave traders also did business.
One day, a slave trader arrived. He had several beautiful girls and a score of exceptionally well built male slaves to sell. The Greek soldiers on duty there eyed the girls. They were rare things. The soldiers approached the old slave traders and said that Satrap palace needed some maid servants. He wanted to sample one and promised that he could sell the entire batch of his girls to the palace.
The slave trader agreed to show his goods to the high Greek officials of the palace. He claimed that his girls were specially trained is singing, dancing and entertaining the royal gentry in every way.
The soldier took the group in to the palace. The Greek officials and Phillip was surprised to see such an astonishing bevy of girls brought for sale. The old trader sought permission to put up a show for them to demonstrate the skill of the girls. Phillip allowed him.
The girl performed sword dance. The Greeks were watching the show in completly relaxed mood without suspecting any foul play. Suddenly, the girls charged at Greeks with their swords in a lightning move. Phillip and his officials were cut down by the flashing swords.
Later, it was revealed that the girls infact were specially trained fighters. The Greek soldiers were overpowered by local soldiers who had stealthily converged on the palace in a preplanned move. The slaves brought for sale also turned out to be soldiers in disguise.
The old slave trade was Chandragupta in disguise.
After eliminating the top brass of Greek army a united force of Chandragupta army and the army of Puru attacked the Greek army camp. The Greek were completely taken by surprise. They had no idea about the happenings in the palace. It was a massacre of Greeks. Those Greeks soldiers who surrived or surrendered agreed to be the subordinates of the natives.
Kaikya was agian in the hands of Puru. With his consent Chanakya and Chandragupta installed his son Parvatak on the throne of Kaikay kingdom. At that point of time king Parvatak was 40 years old.
Parvatak promised to Chandragupta that he would assist them when they would launch attack on Patliputra.
The leader of girls who had slain Phillip was Karbhika, the princess of Kath kingdom. Her father and brother had been killed by Greeks when Alexander had invaded her kingdom year ago. Thus, in slaying Phillip she was settling her own scores.
Chandragupta was greatly impressed at the bravery of Karbhika. He was losing his heart to her. She was also reciprocating. This courtship did not escape the notice of Chanakya. But he saw no harm in it. Chanakya had adopted her as his own daughter after the incident. She had lost her entire family to the Greek invasion.
After liberating Waheek region Chandragupta and Chanakya decided to deal with another Greek commander named Udithomus who was camping on the other side of the Indus river with a huge Greek army. It was feared that the news of the elimination of Phillip would certaimly provoke him to cross the river and attack of Chandragupta to deal the first blow as he thought that the attack was the best defence.
Karbhika also decided to take part in the campaign against Udithomus. Chandragupta led a huge combined forces of Waheek, Srukan, Kaikay, Kuloot and Kashmir to the hank of Indus river. One the other side stood Udithomus’ army of Greeks and Greek ruled states of West Gandhar, Batri and Harooli.
No authentic record is available to reveal which army actually crossed the river. It was probably Greek army because they had the means and had been crossing rivers all through their campaigns.
Chandragupta army did manage to kill Udithomus. With that the Greek army got utterly demoralised and fell back. Greeks fled westwards and their Indian soldier accepted defeat and surrendered.
Now it was time to fight the final battle for the capture of Pattliputra, the heart of Magdha Empire.
