Persian Invasions

Cyrus (558-530 BCE)

• Cyrus the Great was the greatest conqueror of the Achaemenid Empire
• He was the first conqueror who led an expedition and entered into India
• He captured the Gandhara region. All Indian tribes to the west of the Indus river submitted to him and paid tribute

Darius I (522-486 BCE)

• Grandson of Cyrus, conquered the Indus Valley in 518 BCE and annexed the Punjab and Sindh
• This region became the 20th Satrapy of his empire. It was the most fertile and populous province of the empire 
• He also sent a naval expedition under Skylas to explore the Indus

Xerxes (465-456 BCE)

• He utilised his Indian province to strengthen his position 
• He deployed Indian infantry and cavalry to Greece to fight but faced a defeat in Greece
• After this failure, the Achaemenians could not follow a forward policy in India. However, the Indian province was still under their control 
• Darius III enlisted Indian soldiers to fight against Alexander in 330 BCE