EMPIRES OF THE INDUS: The Story of a River

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, and for centuries used as a tool of imperial expansion. Today it is the cement of Pakistan's fractious union. 5,000 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 as in India's most ancient text the Rig-Veda. During the past 2,000 years a series of invaders from Alexander the Great, Afghan Sultans and 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. This special book follows the river upstream and back in time on a voyage through 2,000 miles of geography and more than five millennia of history. A spellbinding and impressive achievement, 366 page paperback with many colour plates.