During which siege in India was Alexander seriously wounded?

Alexander was seriously wounded during the Siege of the Malli, part of his Indian campaign. The Malli, also called the Malavas, resisted Alexander’s army in the Punjab region in 325 BC.

During the assault on a Mallian citadel, Alexander grew impatient with the progress of the siege and climbed a ladder onto the walls. The ladders collapsed under the weight of soldiers trying to follow him, leaving Alexander inside the fort with only a few companions. He leaped into the citadel and fought its defenders, but an arrow pierced his chest and entered his lung.

Alexander’s soldiers briefly believed that their king had died. They forced their way into the citadel to reach him, and Peucestas reportedly protected his wounded body with the sacred shield associated with the Trojan hero Achilles. Ancient accounts differ over who removed the arrow: some name the physician Critodemus, while others say Perdiccas cut it out. Alexander survived, though he remained near death for several days.

The episode is often called the Siege of Multan because the Mallian city is traditionally identified with modern Multan, Pakistan. “Siege of the Malli” and “Mallian campaign” refer to the same broader episode, but the injury occurred during the assault on the citadel.