Seeing Bazira as Alexander saw it

This paper reassesses Alexander the Great’s campaign in the Swat region in 327 BCE by integrating literary evidence with archaeological data from Barikot, identified with ancient Bazira. A comparison between Arrian and Curtius Rufus suggests that Alexander first reached Bazira, where Coenus was left to conduct a challenging siege, before moving on to Massaga. Arrian’s description of Bazira as a high and fully fortified settlement indicates an urban nucleus confined to the hill, with no clear evidence for a developed lower town at this stage. The confrontation between the Bazirenes and the Macedonian garrison implies the presence of a wide, largely unoccupied plain between the hilltop city and a Macedonian fort built at a secure distance. Archaeological findings corroborate this scenario, pointing to sparse occupation in the flat area, including craft activities and a small sanctuary. The study further argues that Alexander later ordered new fortifications enclosing this space, whose line influenced the Indo-Greek walls built under Menander I, revealing long-term continuity in defensive strategies.