Puru

Civilization

Technology tree

Civilization

Technology tree

Puru
Civilization
Civilization information
Introduced in	Chronicles: Alexander the Great
Architecture	Indian
Continent	Asia
In-game theme
Jingle
Features/Characteristics
Focus	Elephants and archers
Unique units	Pattiyodha Longbowman Sannāhya
Unique technologies	Vadhāvadha Leaf-Headed Shafts Vedic Teachings Skandhavaras

“	Unleash the elephants! The Puru, a powerful Punjab people, can call upon these extraordinary beasts to flatten their foes. Build an army that combines brute force with precise ranged support with archers who wield devastating bamboo longbows.	”
—

The Puru are an Asian civilization in Chronicles: Alexander the Great. They are based on the Pauravas, an ancient kingdom in Punjab which was led by King Porus, as well as on various other ancient northern Indian peoples encountered by Alexander the Great. They focus on elephants and archers.

They figure among the ancestors of the Punjabi people in Pakistan and India. In contrast, the Gurjaras in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Dynasties of India are ancestors of the Gujarati people in the Indian state of Gujarat.

Characteristics

Civilization bonuses

• Villagers gathering from Stone Mines generate 0.69 food per stone.
• Stone Mines last 30% longer.
• Villagers and Fishing Ships gather from Oysters 15% faster.
• Cavalry units heal 25 hit points per minute when no enemy units are within 10 tiles radius, starting in the Classical Age.
• Lemboi cost -10/19/27% and gain +1/2/3 attack in the Civic/Classical/Imperial Ages respectively.

Unique units

• Pattiyodha Longbowman: Heavy foot archer that deals additional damage at point-blank range.
• Sannāhya: Melee elephant cavalry that is resistant to conversion and bonus damage, but takes up two population slots.

Unique technologies

• Vadhāvadha: Sannahyas have improved trample damage.
• Leaf-Headed Shafts: Pattiyodha Longbowman point-blank range damage improved.
• Vedic Teachings: Each technology researched at the Academy increases Villager work rate by 2% [max 20%].
• Skandhavaras: Forts can be individually upgraded with Emplacements.

Team bonus

Trade Carts move 15% faster.

Campaign appearances

They are playable in the thirteenth scenario of the Alexander the Great campaign, In the Land of the Five Rivers.

• In the Land of the Five Rivers
  • Puru Villages - Ally
  • Mercenaries - Ally
  • Ambhi (as Taxilans) - Enemy
  • Taxilan Raiders (as Taxilans) - Enemy
• The Battle of the Hydaspes
  • Porus' Army - Enemy
  • Porus - Enemy
  • Mercenaries - Enemy
• No Escape
  • Porus - Ally
  • Sangala (as Cathaeans) - Enemy
  • Traders (as Cathaeans) - Enemy
• Katabasis
  • Multan (as Mallians) - Enemy
  • Mallian Cities (as Mallians) - Enemy
  • Oxydracians (as Oxydracians) - Enemy
  • Mallian Villages (as Mallians) - Enemy
• A Voyage of Discovery
  • Oreitans (as Oreitans) - Enemy
  • Hostile Tribes - Enemy

In-game dialogue language

Puru units speak Sanskrit. The Puru Priestess and King never speak. The following transliterations are approximations and may be inaccurate.

Villager

• Select 1 Atra bhavāmi (अत्र भवामि) - "I am here"
• Select 2 Śṛṇōmi (शृणोमि) - "I am listening"
• Select 3 Saṃśita (संशित) - "Ready"
• Select 4 Rājendra (राजेन्द्र) - "[My] Lord of Kings"
• Select 5 Pauravarṣabha? (पौरवर्षभ?) - "[My] highest Paurava?"
• Select 6 Śāsanam pratīkṣe (शासनम् प्रतीक्षे) - "I await your command"
• Task 1 Bhavatu (भवतु) - "So be it"
• Task 2 Bāḍham (बाढम्) - "Very well"
• Task 3 Gacchāmi (गच्छामि) - "I am going"
• Task 4 Niścayēna (निश्चयेन) - "Certainly"
• Task 5 Jānāmi (जानामि) - "Understood, acknowledged" (lit: "I understand")
• Task 6 Astu, dharmarāja (अस्तु धर्मराज) - "Yes, my king"
• Build Karōmi (करोमि) - "I do"
• Chop Vṛścyāmi (वृश्चामि) - "I cut"
• Farm Karṣāmi (कर्षामि) - "I plough"
• Fish Matsyajālam pālayāmi (मत्स्यजालम् पालयामि) - "I cast down the fish net"
• Forage Abhyupādadāmi (अभ्युपाददामि) - "I pick"
• Hunt Mṛgyāmi (मृग्यामि) - "I hunt"
• Mine Khanāmi (खनामि) - "I dig"
• Repair Saṃvṛṇomi (संवृणोमि) - "I repair"

Military

• Select 1 Atra bhavāmi (अत्र भवामि) - "I am here"
• Select 2 Śṛṇōmi (शृणोमि) - "I am listening"
• Select 3 Saṃśita (संशित) - "Ready"
• Select 4 Rājendra (राजेन्द्र) - "[My] Lord of Kings"
• Select 5 Pauravarṣabha? (पौरवर्षभ?) - "[My] highest Paurava?"
• Select 6 Śāsanam pratīkṣe (शासनम् प्रतीक्षे) - "I await your command"
• Move 1 Bhavatu (भवतु) - "So be it"
• Move 2 Bāḍham (बाढम्) - "Very well"
• Move 3 Gacchāmi (गच्छामि) - "I am going"
• Move 4 Niścayēna (निश्चयेन) - "Certainly"
• Move 5 Jānāmi (जानामि) - "Understood, acknowledged" (lit: "I understand")
• Move 6 Astu, dharmarāja (अस्तु धर्मराज) - "Yes, [my] king"
• Attack 1 Jighāṃsami! (जिघांसामि!) - "I will kill"
• Attack 2 Anyāyam ghātayāmaḥ! (अन्यायम घातयम!) - "Let us kill injustice"
• Attack 3 Digvijayāya! (दिग्विजयाय!) - "Conquering all" (lit: "to conquer in all directions")
• Attack 4 Nāsatyā tūrvatam! (नासत्या तूर्वतम्!) - "Nasatya helps (us) for victory!"
• Attack 5 Dravāma! (द्रवाम!) - "Attack!"
• Attack 6 Ṛṣṭīḥ sṛjata! (ऋष्टीः सृजत!) - "To spears!"

AI player names

When playing a random map game against the computer, the player may encounter any of the following Puru AI characters.

• Porus: The eponymous king who battled and impressed Alexander at the Hydaspes, leading him to being bestowed the title of a satrap of certain territories rather than being executed like the other kings and leaders Alexander defeated.
• Spitakes: An ally of Porus at the Battle of the Hydaspes
• Bamni: Fictional father of Porus from the TV series Porus
• Hasti: A legendary king of the Puru dynasty

Trivia

• The Puru Wonder is the Sath Graha Temple at Katas Raj, built around the 7th century AD. As such, it post-dates Porus' kingdom by about 1,000 years.
• The Puru are the first depiction of an Ancient Indian civilization in the Age of Empires series.
• During the development of the expansion, the requirement of a South Asian (Indian) civilization was decided early as a significant portion of the campaign is based in the region. The fact that the civilization would be Puru specifically was chosen after the other two. Puru was chosen over other, more famous Indian empires of the time, viz. the Mauryans and the Nanda, as Alexander never fought the latter, and as the focus of the expansion is the campaign rather than the civilizations.
  • As Ancient Greek historical sources never mention the name of the people or the kingdom which King Porus ruled over, and no Ancient Indian sources have been found for this episode at all, the developers decided to go with Puru, since most modern scholarly literature refers to the people as the Puru or Pauravas.
• Despite the utilization of chariots by the Pauravas at the Battle of the Hydaspes, the Puru do not have access to the War Chariot.
  • War Chariots are granted to several AI players in the campaign who are represented by the Puru, but represent other historical Indian kingdoms, such as Multan and the Mallians.
• The civilization crest seems to be a copper coin embossed with an elephant. Many such designs are known in historical Indian coinage.
• The Puru are the first civilization, not only in Chronicles, but in all of Age of Empires II, for whom the statistics of their units change based on the proximity to enemy units: their cavalry units lose their regeneration and their Pattiyodha Longbowmen gain increased attack. This is opposite to their usual strengths, since melee cavalry units are supposed to fight up close, with archers supporting them from the back lines.
• The Puru are the only civilization in Chronicles which lacks Elite Guardsmen, and the only one that lacks Bloodlines.

Gallery

1st row: unique Puru Fort (left), with both emplacements (right)
2nd row: only Defensive (left) and only Offensive (right)

Puru promotional image, featuring their Wonder, the Sath Graha Temple at Katas Raj

The city of Multan, as seen in Katabasis

Another promotional image, showcasing their unique units

Puru forces being charged at by the Macedonians

Alexander assaulting the city of Sangala in No Escape

User interface emblem

King Porus leading a Puru army from the back of a war elephant

Puru overview (AoE2)

References

	Civilizations and technology trees in Chronicles
Battle for Greece Achaemenids Technology tree Athenians Technology tree Spartans Technology tree Alexander the Great Macedonians Technology tree Thracians Technology tree Puru Technology tree