Sisikottus (Sanskrit: Śaśigupta; Prakrit: Śaśiguṭṭa) was a native dynast and Indian officer of Alexander the Great. He had earlier served the Achaemenid pretender Bessus in Bactria, but entered the service of Alexander after he conquered Bactria, later serving as his satrap (hyparch) over Assaceni and as the commander at Aornos. He is also known as Sisikottos (from Arrian) and Sisocostus (from Curtius).
Etymology The name in the Greco-Roman sources corresponds to the Prakrit Śaśiguṭṭa and Sanskrit Śaśigupta, literally "moon-protected". Sisikottus is sometimes controversially linked with Chandragupta, the founder of Maurya Empire, otherwise known from the Greco-Roman sources as Sandracottus, whose name has the same etymology.
Biography Sisikottos/Sisocostus appears twice in Arrian's Anabasis and once in Historiae Alexandri Magni by Curtius.Arrian, Anabasis, 4.30.4; 5.20.7; Curtius, 8.11.25. (). He is first mentioned after the capture of the fort of Aornos during the Cophen campaign of Alexander the Great, after which Alexander appointed him commander of the fort. Arrian further says that Sisikottus had previously served the Persian satrap Bessus at Bactria after deserting from the Indians, and that when Alexander conquered Bactria, Sisikottus entered his service and proved himself trustworthy. Later, when Alexander was in Punjab, Sisikottus, then serving as hyparch of the Assaceni, sent him news of the Assaceni revolt and the killing of their unnamed satrap (hyparch), probably Nicanor, or more likely, Assagetes (Aśvajit), an Assaceni chief. Alexander sent Phillip and Tyriaspes to restore order. Sisikottus has been suggested to be a relative of Assakenos, the king of Assaceni. Nothing further is known about him or his career.
See also Sophytes Sophagasenus Sisicottus
References
Sources
Further reading
Indian Historical Quarterly, vol.8 (1932), B. M. Barua Indian Culture, vol. X, p. 34, B. M. Barua The Zoroastrian period of Indian history, (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 1915, 1915, (Pt. II), pp 406, 416-17, D.B. Spooner Invasion India by Alexander the Great, 1896, p 112, 405/408 J. W. McCrindle The Indian Review, 1937, p 814, edited by G. A. Natesan The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1963, p 361, India Indian Culture, 1934, p 305, Indian Research Institute- India Note on Saśigupta and Candragupta, The Indian Historical Quarterly/edited by Narendra Nath Law, Vol. XIII. Articles:, Miscellany,. Reprint. Delhi, Caxton, 1998, 39 Volumes Ashoka and His Inscriptions, 1968, p 51, Beni Madhab Barua, Ishwar Nath Topa Paradise of Gods, 1966, p 312, Qamarud Din Ahmed - West Pakistan (Pakistan) Poisoning of Alexander ( Part 2 ), Newsfinder, 2008, History Section, Dr Ratanjit Pal Age of Nandas, and Mauryas, 1967, p 427, K. A. Nilakanta Sastri Alexander's Campaigns in Sind and Baluchistan and the Siege of the Brahminabad, 1975, p 26, Pierre Herman Leonard Eggermont Indological Studies, 1977, p 100, University of Sindh, Institute of Sindology The Invasion of India by Alexander the Great, 1896, p 112,Dr John Watson M'Crindle The History and Culture of the Indian People, 1969, p 49, Dr Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bhāratīya Itihāsa Samiti Political and Social Movements in Ancient Panjab, 1964, p 172, Dr Buddha Prakash. Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona, 1936, p 164, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute - Indo-Aryan philology, Dr H. C. Seth The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1963, p 673, India Punjab History Conference, Second Session, 28–30 October 1966, Punjabi University Patiala, pp 32-35, Dr H. R. Gupta; The Indian Review, 1937, p 814, edited by G.A. Natesan
Age of Nandas, and Mauryas, 1967, p 427, K. A. Nilakanta Sastri; Alexander's Campaigns in Sind and Baluchistan and the Siege of the Brahminabad, 1975, p 26, Pierre Herman Leonard Eggermont; Indological Studies, 1977, p 100, University of Sindh, Institute of Sindhology.
Cambridge History of Ancient India, ed . E.J. Rapson, p.314
Proceedings, Volume 1, Punjabi University. Dept. of Punjab Historical Studies, 1968, p - Page 33. Punjab past and present: essays in honour of Dr. Ganda Singh, 1976, p 28, Harbans Singh, Norman Gerald Barrier - History. Punjab revisited: an anthology of 70 research documents on the history and culture of undivided Punjab,1995, Ahmad Saleem - History. Chandragupta Maurya, 1969, p 8, Lallanji Gopal The Indian Historical Quarterly, v.13, 1937, p 361; The Indian Review, 1937, p 814, edited by G.A. Natesan. The Invasion of India by Alexander the Great, 1896, p 311, John Watson M'Crindle. The Invasion of India by Alexander the Great, 1896, p 405, John Watson M'Crindle . The Cambridge History of India, 1962, p 424, Edward James Rapson, Wolseley Haig, Richard Burn, Sir Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler, Henry Dodwell; The Encyclopædia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature, 1910, p 839, Edited by Hugh Chisholm; A History of Asia, 1964, p 149, Woodbridge Bingham - Asia History; Chronology of World History, 1975, p 69, G. S. P. Freeman-Grenville.
Political History of Ancient India, 1996, p 236, Dr H. C. Raychaudhury. Studies in Indian History and Civilization, 1962, p 133, D Buddha Prakash; Studies in Alexander's Campaigns, 1973, p 40, Binod Chandra Sinha. Poisoning of Alexander ( part 2 ), Newsfinder, History section, Dr Ratanjit Pal. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1915, Part I, p 406, Part II, pp 416-17. Punjab revisited: an anthology of 70 research documents on the history and culture of undivided Punjab, 1995, Ahmad Saleem - History. Punjab past and present: essays in honour of Dr. Ganda Singh, 1976, p 28, Ganda Singh - History. The Racial History of Ancient India, 1944, p 814, Chandra Chakraberty.