Empires of the Indus: From Tibet to Pakistan - The Story of a River

Awarded a prestigious 2005 jerwood award. The judges called it 'ambitious, brave, imaginative and beautifully written' and michael holroyd, who donated money, said it was 'a masterpiece in the making'. One of the largest rivers in the world, the Indus rises in the Tibetan mountains, flows west across northern India and south through Pakistan. For millennia it has been worshipped as a god; for centuries used as a tool of imperial expansion; today it is the cement of Pakistans fractious union. Five thousand years ago, a string of sophisticated cities grew and traded on its banks. In the ruins of these elaborate metropolises, Sanskrit-speaking nomads explored the river, extolling its virtues in Indias most ancient text, the Rig-Veda. During the past two thousand years a series of invaders Alexander the Great, Afghan Sultans, the British Raj made conquering the Indus valley their quixotic mission. For the people of the river, meanwhile, the Indus valley became a nodal point on the Silk Road, a centre of Sufi pilgrimage and the birthplace of Sikhism. Empires of the Indus follows the river upstream and back in time, taking the reader on a voyage through two thousand miles of geography and more than five millennia of history redolent with contemporary importance. One Of The Largest Rivers In The World, The Indus Rises In The Tibetan Mountains, Flows Across Northern India And Then Through Pakistan. For Millennia It Has Been Worshipped As A God, For Centuries Used As A Tool Of Imperial Expansion; Today It Is The Cement Of Pakistan's Fractious Union. This Recounts A Journey Along The Indus, Upstream And Backwards In Time, Through Two Thousand Miles Of Geography From The Sea To The Source; Travelling Back Historically, From The Moment That Pakistan First Came Into Being In Karachi, To The Time, Millions Of Years Ago In Tibet, When The River Itself Was Born. Ramzan In Karachi -- Conquering The Classic River -- Ethiopia's First Fruit -- River Saints -- The Guru's Army -- Up The Khyber -- Buddha On The Silk Road -- Alexander At The Outer Ocean -- Indra's Beverage -- Alluvial Cities -- Huntress Of The Lithic -- The Disappearing River -- Glossary. Alice Albinia. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 333-349) And Index. From Tibet to Pakistan, a mesmerising history of the Indus Rivers civilizations, emperors and explorers