alexander romance - malay annals

8/11/2019 Alexander Romance - Malay Annals

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Alexander Romance - Malay Annals

When Raja Iskandar, the Two-Horned, son of Raja Darab, a Roman of the country of

Macedonia, set out to visit the East, he came to the frontier of India !ow there was a certain

Raja, by name Raja "ida Hindi, whose kin#dom was so vast that he he$d sway over ha$f of a$$

India When he heard of the comin# of Raja Iskandar he bade his chief minister assemb$e his

forces and the %rinces who were his vassa$s &nd when they were #athered to#ether Raja "ida

Hindi went out to re%e$ Raja Iskandar &nd the two armies met and batt$e was joined, as is

re$ated in the Hikayat Iskandar &nd Raja "ida Hindi was defeated by Raja Iskandar and was

ca%tured a$ive, whereu%on Raja Iskandar ordered him to acce%t the true faith &nd he did so

and became a Muhammadan, embracin# the re$i#ion of &braham, the chosen friend of 'od

(on Him be %eace) Raja Iskandar then %resented him with robes of honour, raiment such as he

wore himse$f, and bade him return to his own country

!ow Raja "ida Hindi had a dau#hter, *hahru+$-ariyah by name, whose beauty was such thatshe had no %eer at that time bri$$iant as the $i#ht of the sun was the $i#ht of her countenance,

and she was endowed moreover with #reat wisdom and understandin# .a$$in# his chief

minister to a %$ace where they wou$d be a$one, Raja "ida Hindi said to him, / I wou$d have

you know that I have ca$$ed you to ask for your advice This dau#hter of mine who hath no

%eer amon# the %rincesses of this time 0 it is my %ur%ose to offer her to Raja Iskandar What

think you12 &nd the chief minister answered, / What your Hi#hness %ro%oses is entire$y ri#ht

and %ro%er2 Raja "ida Hindi then said to his chief minister, 2 *o be it, %$ease 'od Tomorrow

you #o to !abi "hid$ir and te$$ him of the matter2 *o the minister went to !abi "hid$ir and

when he had #one, Raja "ida Hindi #ave orders for the name of Raja Iskandar to be inscribed

on the die of his coins and on his %ennons &nd when the minister came to !abi "hid$ir he

#ave him #reetin#, and the #reetin# was returned by !abi "hid$ir, who bade him be seated

Then said the chief minister to !abi "hid$ir, / I wou$d have you know, sir, that the Raja

whom I serve entertains for Raja Iskandar such affection as no words of mine can describe

&nd he has a dau#hter of whom it may be said that from East to West no %rincess can riva$

her In beauty, inte$$i#ence and dis%osition she has no e3ua$ and it is his desire to offer her to

be the consort of Raja Iskandar2

History then re$ates that !abi "hid$ir went forthwith to Raja Iskandar and re$ated the matter

to him Raja Iskandar si#nified his assent4 whereafter he went forth to the ha$$ of audience,

where he #ave audience to %rinces, divines and theo$o#ians, chiefs, warriors and men of

va$our, #athered around the throne, whi$st behind the kin# were his chosen retainers and

trusted henchmen Raja "ida Hindi too was %resent before the kin#, seated on a jewe$$ed chairof #o$d &fter a$$ had been seated awhi$e !abi "hid$ir, (on him be %eace) rose to his feet, &nd

after invokin# the name of 'od a$mi#hty and askin# for the b$essin# of the 5ro%het &braham,

the .hosen friend of 'od, and a$$ the %ro%hets of ancient times, he read the marria#e formu$a

for Raja Iskandar, makin# a si#n to Raja "ida Hindi where the words re$ated to him Thus

said !abi "hid$ir, /e it known to you, Raja "ida Hindi, that it is to our Raja here %resent

that 'od &$mi#hty has de$ivered the $ordshi% over the who$e earth from East to West, from

!orth to *outh !ow it has come to his know$ed#e that you have a dau#hter of sur%assin#

beauty, and he wou$d fain ask that you, Raja "ida Hindi, shou$d re#ard him favourab$y and

acce%t him as your son-in-$aw, so that your descendants may be connected with the

descendants of Raja Iskandar without a break unti$ the Day of 6ud#ement What say you1 Do

you assent or not12 History then re$ates that when Raja "ida Hindi heard the words of !abi"hid$ir, he rose form his chair and stood u%on the #round whereu%on he did obeisance to


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Raja Iskandar and said, / e it known to your hi#hness and to a$$ here %resent, by the 5ro%het

of 'od, that I am in very truth the s$ave of Raja Iskandar, as are a$$ my chi$dren we are not

even as the fo$$owers here that serve his needs 7eri$y it is !abi "hid$ir who is #uardian for

myse$f and for my dau#hter, 5rincess *hahru+$-ariyah2 When !abi "hid$ir heard these

words of Raja "ida Hindi, he turned toward Raja Iskandar and said,2 7eri$y have I #iven

5rincess *hahru+$-ariyah in marria#e to Raja Iskandar, the dowry that sha$$ be %aid by him tobe three hundred thousand dinar Do you consent12 &nd when Raja Iskandar si#nified his

consent, the dau#hter of Raja "ida Hindi was du$y wedded by !abi "hid$ir to Raja Iskandar

fo$$owin# the ordinance of the 5ro%het &braham (the .hosen 8riend of 'od) in the %resence

of a$$ those aforesaid Then rose %rinces, chiefs, ministers, warchiefs, theo$o#ians, divines and

jurists, and strewed #o$d, si$ver, #ems and %recious stones of every kind at the feet of Raja

Iskandar, unti$ #o$d and %recious stones stood before him in hea%s $ike so many anthi$$s &$$

this treasure was distributed as a$ms to the %oor and needy

When ni#ht fe$$, Raja "ida Hindi brou#ht his dau#hter to Raja Iskandar with a$$ that she

%ossessed, to#ether with manifo$d %recious stones that were heir$ooms from her forebears, a$$

of which Raja "ida Hindi made over to her for her use &nd that ni#ht Raja Iskandar ascended

the brida$ dais4 and he was astonished at the beauty of 5rincess *hahru+$-ariyah which

sur%assed a$$ descri%tion 9n the fo$$owin# day Raja Iskandar #ave 5rincess *hahru+$-ariyah

robes of honour com%$ete with roya$ insi#nia and bestowed u%on her jewe$$ery %ast a$$

countin#, whi$st to the %rinces he #ave robes of honour with ornaments of rich distinction, a$$

of them of #o$d studded with every sort of #em, the content of three treasure chests &nd to

Raja "ida Hindi he #ave robes of honour (to#ether with) a hundred #o$den caskets fi$$ed with

%recious stones and rich #ems, and a hundred %icked horses with tra%%in#s of #o$d studded

with every sort of #em, so that beho$ders were astonished to $ook u%on them

Raja Iskandar then stayed for ten days, and on the e$eventh day he de%arted with traditiona$

ceremony takin# with him, the %rincess, dau#hter of Raja "ida Hindi He then set forth for the

East, as is re$ated in the famous history &fter a time he returned from his visit to the East andsto%%ed on his way in India, where Raja "ida Hindi went out to meet him, bearin# %resents of

%recious stones and rare jewe$s Raja Hindi then to$d Raja Iskandar how sore$y he had missed

him and of his devotion to him which no words cou$d describe He to$d him too how sore$y he

had missed his dau#hter 5rincess *hahru+$-ariyah, and asked that Raja Iskandar wou$d

restore her to him Raja Iskandar then #racious$y #ave 5rincess *hahru+$-ariyah back to her

father, at the same time bestowin# u%on her a hundred si$ken robes of honour to#ether with

#o$d, si$ver and %recious stones, and ma#nificent #ems without number Raja "ida Hindi then

did obeisance to Raja Iskandar, who %resented him with a hundred si$ken robes of honour that

he had himse$f worn

Thereu%on the si#na$-drum was beaten and the trum%et b$own, betokenin# Raja Iskandar:s

de%arture &nd Raja Iskandar took his de%arture, with traditiona$ ceremony, on his mission to

brin# under his su;erainty a$$ Rajas who had not yet acknow$ed#ed it, as history re$ates 'od

knoweth the truth To Him do we return

!ow, accordin# to the account we have received, 5rincess *hahru+$-ariyah, dau#hter of Raja

"ida Hindi, was with chi$d by Raja Iskandar, but neither did Raja Iskandar know of this nor

was the 5rincess herse$f aware of her %re#nancy ut when a month had %assed after her

return to her father, she rea$ised that she was with chi$d by Raja Iskandar as she did not

menstruate &nd she informed her father, sayin#, / I wou$d have you know, father, that I have

had no menses now for two months2 When Raja "ida Hindi heard the words of his dau#hter,

he was de$i#hted that she was with chi$d by Raja Iskandar and he $avished due care u%on her

&nd when the time was accom%$ished, %rincess *hahru+$-ariyah brou#ht firth a son &ndRaja "ida Hindi #ave to his #randson the name Raja &ristun *hah (*on of a 'reat "in#) and

#reat was his affection for the chi$d In due course &ristun *hah #rew u% to be an e


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handsome youth, the ima#e of his father, Raja Iskandar D;u+$-"arnain, and was betrothed by

Raja "ida Hindi to the dau#hter of the Raja of Turkistan y her Raja &ristun *hah had a son

whom he ca$$ed Raja &ftas

8orty-five years after the return of Raja Iskandar to Macedonia, Raja "ida Hindi returned to

'od+s mercy, and was succeeded as ru$er of India by his #randson Raja &ristun, who rei#ned

three hundred and fifty-five years before he $eft this wor$d to #o to the wor$d that abideth Hewas succeeded by his son Raja &ftas, who ru$ed over India for one hundred and twenty years

and on his death was succeeded by Raja &skainat, who rei#ned for three years 9n the death

of Raja &skainat, the throne %assed to Raja "asdas, who rei#ned for twe$ve years and was

succeeded on his death by his youn#er brother Raja &mbutas who rei#ned for thirteen years

When he died, Raja Heruwaskainan came to the throne and rei#ned for thirty years 9n his

death Raja &rahadaskainat came to the throne and rei#ned for nine years, to be succeeded on

his death by Raja 'udar; "uhan, son of Raja &mbutas, who rei#ned for seventy years 9n his

death Raja !ikabus &shkabus came to the throne and he rei#ned for fifty years &fter that

Raja &rdashir-I 5a%a#an, son of Raja 'udar; "uhan, came to the throne He married a

dau#hter of Raja !ushirwan =&di$, Raja of East and West, and by her he had a son named

Derma !us &fter he had attained the a#e of a hundred Raja &rdashir-i 5a%a#an died and was

succeeded by his son Deria (sic) !us who rei#ned for ninety years and was succeeded by Raja

"estah He rei#ned for four months and was succeeded on his death by Raja Ramji, who

rei#ned for twnety>two years and nine months When he died, Raja *hah Tersi became kin#

He was the son of Raja Derma !us and rei#ned for twenty-ei#ht years, to be succeeded on his

death by Raja Teja who rei#ned for thirty years 9n his death Raja &jakar came to the throne

and rei#ned for ten years When he died Raja Hurmi;d, son of Raja *hah !ahsi ( Tersi1)

became kin# and rei#ned for one hundred and twenty-si< years &fter that Raja ?a;dif#ird

came to the throne and rei#ned for si


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and found him seated in his armour sti$$ covered with dust from the journey, with his he$met

on his head, and ho$din# his s%ear in his hand When they behe$d the si#ht they were struck

with astonishment, and fa$$in# to the earth remained si$ent a $on# time ut when &$e kin#, out of res%ect for Dionysus, to a$$ow them to

remain free and inde%endent4 for when Dionysus had subju#ated the nation of the Indians, andwas returnin# to the 'recian sea, he founded this city from the so$diers who had become unfit

for mi$itary service, and were under his ins%iration as acchana$s, so that it mi#ht be a

monument both of his wanderin# and of hi s victory to men of after times4 just as thou a$so

hast founded &$e in number He ordered &cu%his

to make the se$ection, and a%%ointed him #overnor of the $and of !ysaea When &cu%his

heard this, he is said to have smi$ed at the s%eech4 whereu%on &$e> horsemen, and sti$$ more than that number if thou wishest

but instead of the hundred of the best men whom thou orderest me to se$ect $ead with thee

doub$e the number of the others who are bad, so that when thou comest here a#ain the citymay a%%ear+ in the same #ood order in which it now is2 y these remarks he %ersuaded

&$e


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&$e


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the Indus, Hydas%es, 'an#es, or the other rivers of India !or have I described the ants which

work the #o$d for them, nor the #uardian #riffins, nor any of the other ta$es that have been

com%osed rather to amuse than to be received as the re$ation of facts 4 since the fa$sity of the

stran#e stories which have been fabricated about India wi$$ not be e


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WH9E7ER arran#es the %osition of &sia in such a way that it is divided by the Taurus and

the .aucasus from the west wind to the east wind, wi$$ find that these two very $ar#e divisions

are made by the Taurus itse$f, one of which is inc$ined towards the south and the south wind,

and the other towards the north and the north wind *outhern &sia a#ain may be divided into

four %arts, of which Eratosthenes and Me#asthene* make India the $ar#est The $atter author$ived with *ibyrtius,+ the viceroy of &rachosia, and says that he fre3uent$y visited

*andracotus, kin# of the IndiansA These authors say that the sma$$est of the four %arts is that

which is bounded by the river Eu%hrates and e


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the Ister were by Darius, or whether he made a continuous brid#e over the river To me it

seems %robab$e that the brid#e was made of boats4 for the de%th of the water wou$d not have

admitted of the construction of a re#u$ar brid#e, nor cou$d so enormous a work have been

com%$eted in so short a time+ If the %assa#e was brid#ed with boats, I cannot decide whether

the vesse$s bein# fastened to#ether with ro%es and moored in a row were sufficient to form the

brid#e, as Herodotus the Ha$icarnassian says the He$$es%ont was brid#ed, or whether the workwas effected in the way in which the brid#e u%on the Ister and that u%on the .e$tic Rhine are

made by the Romans, and in the way in which they brid#ed the Eu%hrates and Ti#res, as often

as necessity com%e$$ed them However, as I know myse$f, the Rornans find the 3uickest way

of makin# a brid#e to be with vesse$s4 and this method I sha$$ on the %resent occasion e


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and to brin# them to the river Hydas%es .oenus cut the vesse$s in %ieces and conveyed them

thither, the sma$$er ones bein# cut into two %arts, and the thirty-oared #a$$eys into three The

sections were conveyed u%on wa##ons, as far as the bank of the Hydas%es4 and there the

vesse$s were fi Indians under the command of

Ta


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was heard, and &$e> men He #ave .raterus orders not to cross the river before 5orus moved off

with his forces a#ainst them, or before he ascertained that 5orus was in f$i#ht and that they

were victorious+ /If however,2 said he, /5orus shou$d take on$y a %art of his army and march

a#ainst me, and $eave the other %art with the e$e%hants in his cam%, in that case do thou a$soremain in thy %resent %osition ut if he $eads a$$ his e$e%hants with him a#ainst me, and a %art

of the rest of his army is $eft behind in the cam%, then do thou cross the river with a$$ s%eed

8or it is the e$e%hants a$one,2 said he, /which render it im%ossib$e for the horses to $and on the

other bank The rest of the army can easi$y cross2

.H&5TER II 5&**&'E 98 THE H?D&*5E*

*uch were the injunctions $aid u%on .raterus etween the is$and and the #reat cam% where

&$e


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the army went over o%%osite the is$and, the cava$ry mountin# u%on the skins, and as many of

the foot so$diers as the boats wou$d receive #ettin# into them They went so secret$y that they

were not observed by the sentine$s %osted by 5orus, before they had a$ready #ot beyond the

is$and and were on$y a $itt$e way from the other bank

.H&5TER III5&**&'E 98 THE H?D&*5E*

&CE&!DER himse$f embarked in a thirty-oared #a$$ey and went over, accom%anied by

5to$emy, 5erdiccas, and Cysimacbus, the confidentia$ body-#uards, *e$eucus, one of the

.om%anions, who was afterwards kin#, and ha$f of the shie$d-bearin# #uards4 the rest of these

troo%s bein# conveyed in other #a$$eys of the same si;e When the so$diers #ot beyond the

is$and, they o%en$y directed their course to the bank4 and when the sentine$s %erceived that

they had started, they at once rode off to 5orus as fast as each man+s horse cou$d #a$$o%

&$e


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Indians, who came with the son of 5orus, and &$e


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.H&5TER 7I &CE&!DER * T&.TI.*

*.H was the arran#ement which 5orus made of his forces &s soon as &$e in number, a#ainst the $eft win# of the

Indians, in order to throw those of the enemy who were %osted there into confusion by the

incessant storm of arrows and by the char#e of the horses He himse$f with the .om%anion

cava$ry marched a$on# ra%id$y a#ainst the $eft win# of the barbarians, bein# ea#er to attack

them in ftank whi$e sti $$ in a state of disorder, before their cava$ry cou$d he de%$oyed in $ine

.H&5TER 7II DE8E&T 98 59R*

ME&!TIME the Indians had co$$ected their cava$ry from a$$ %arts, and were ridin# a$on#,

advancin# out of their %osition to meet &$e


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of the Indians they were broken $i% with #reat s$au#hter The beasts bein# now coo%ed u% into

a narrow s%ace, their friends were no $ess injured by them than their foes, bein# tram%$ed

down in their whee$in# and %ushin# about &ccordin#$y there ensued a #reat s$au#hter of the

cava$ry, coo%ed ti% as it was in a narrow s%ace around the e$e%hants Most of the kee%ers of

the e$e%hants had been ki$$ed by the jave$ins, and some of the e$e%hants themse$ves had been

wounded, whi$e others no $on#er ke%t a%art in the batt$e on account of their sufferin#s or frombein# destitute of kee%ers ut, as if frantic with %ain, rushin# forward at friends and foes

a$ike, they %ushed about, tram%$ed down and ki$$ed them in every kind of way However, the

Macedonians inasmuch as they were attackin# the beasts in an o%en s%ace and in accordance

with their own %$an, #ot out of their way whenever they rushed at them4 and when they

whee$ed round to return, fo$$owed them c$ose$y and hur$ed jave$ins at them4 whereas the

Indians retreatin# amon# them were now receivin# #reater injury from them ut when the

beasts were tired out, and were no $on#er ab$e to char#e with any vi#our, they be#an to retire

s$ow$y, facin# the foe $ike shi%s backin# water,+ mere$y utterin# a shri$$ %i%in# sound

&$e of the .om%anion cava$ry, and about A>> of the other

horsemen fe$$ When 5orus, who e


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out of the reach of 5orus before he cou$d strike him ut not even on this account was

&$e


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with his army He then $eft .raterus behind with a %art of the army, to erect and fortify the

cities which he was foundin# there4 but he himse$f marched a#ainst the Indians conterminous

with the dominion of 5orus &ccordin# to &ristobu$us the name of this nation was

'$au#anicians4 but 5to$emy ca$$s them '$ausians I am 3uite indifferent which name it bore

&$e>>, and those of

many numbered above Io,ooo He a$so took many vi$$a#es, which were no $ess %o%u$ous than

the cities This $and a$so he #ranted to 5orus to ru$e4 and sent Ta


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&$e


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.H&5TER III &**&CT 59! *&!'&C&

&s the Indians did not run out from behind the wa##ons a#ainst the advancin# cava$ry, but

mounted u%on them and be#an to shoot from the to% of them, &$e


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attacked them, ki$$in# the men as they ke%t on stea$in# out throu#h the wa##ons, then indeed

they turned back a#ain into the city4 and in their retreat J>> of them were ki$$ed In the

meanwhi$e 5orus arrived, brin#in# with him the e$e%hants that were $eft to him, and J,>>>

Indians &$e>> of the Indians were ki$$ed, and above G>,>>> were ca%tured, besides >>

chariots and Bco cava$ry In the BB=ho$e sie#e a $itt$e $ess than ioo of &$e>, amon# whom were Cysimacbus, the confidentia$ body-#uard, and other officers

&fter buryin# the dead accordin# to his custom, &$e> cava$ry to the two cities which had joined *an#a$a in revo$t, to te$$ those who he$d them

about the ca%ture of *an#a$a, and to inform them that they wou$d receive no harsh treatment

from &$e


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.a%%adocia, 5a%h$a#onia, Cydia, .aria, Cycia, 5am%hy$ia, 5hoenicia, E#y%t to#ether with

'recian Cibya, as we$$ as %art of &rabia, Ho$$ow *yria, *yria between the rivers, aby$on, the

nation of the *usians, 5ersia, Media, besides a$$ the nations which the 5ersians and the Medes

ru$ed, and many of those which they did not ru$e, the $and beyond the .as%ian 'ates, the

country beyond the .aucasus, the Tanais, as we$$ as the $and beyond that river, actria,

Hyrcania, and the Hyrcanian *ea4 if we have a$so subdued the *cythians as far as the desert4 ifin addition to these, the river Indus f$ows throu#h our territory, as do a$so the Hydas%es, the

&cesines, and the Hydraotes, why do ye shrink from addin# the Hy%hasis a$so, and the

nations beyond this river, to your em%ire of Macedonia1 Do ye fear that your advance wi$$ be

sto%%ed in the future by any other barbarians1 9f whom some submit to us of their own

accord, and others are ca%tured in the act of f$eein#, whi$e others, succeedin# in their efforts

to esca%e, hand over to us their deserted $and, which we add to that of our a$$ies, or to that of

those who have vo$untari$y submitted to us

.H&5TER 7I &CE&!DER * *5EE.H (continued)

I, 89R my %art, think, that to a brave man there is no end to $abours e


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then, by @eus, not mere$y havin# satisfied your e


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;ea$ on this account, when they see that those who in the ear$ier e kin# 8or thou hast nothin# to fear from enemies, whi$e thou art

commandin# and $eadin# such an army as this4 but the visitations of the deity are une


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va$uab$e amon# the Indians, incCudin# some e$e%hants from &bisares, thirty in number They

dec$ared that &bisares himse$f was unab$e to come on account of i$$ness4 and with these men

the ambassadors sent by &$e

alexander romance - malay annals

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