Gedrosian campaign

The Gedrosian campaign of Cyrus the Great was a military expedition of the Achaemenids in the modern-day Balochistan region against the Hindus or Indians.^[1]

Gedrosian campaign of Cyrus
Part of the Campaigns of Cyrus the Great
Location Balochistan (present-day Pakistan) Result Gedrosian victory
Belligerents
Gedrosia	Persia
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Cyrus
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Entire army except for 7 survivors annihilated

Background

According to Herodotus, after the rise of Cyrus the Great, he went on to conquer numerous states. He also built a city named Cyropolis which is located at Sogdia. Pliny suggests numerous campaigns of Cyrus the Great into the regions near Kabul.^[2]

Campaign

The Achaemenid Army was in great distress in the deserts of Gedrosia. In this expedition, he is said to have lost much of his army in the desert, marking a remarkable defeat and retreat of the Persians.^[3][4][5]

Aftermath

There is no evidence of Cyrus subjugating Gedrosia, and it has been described by various historians that it was most likely under Darius the Great when this region came under Persian control.^[6] The difficulties faced by Cyrus the great were also observed during the Gedrosrian campaign of Alexander the Great.^[2]

Further reading

• Stein (1931). An Archaeological Tour in Gedrosia.