Empires of the Indus: The Story of a River“Alice Albinia is the most extraordinary traveler of her generation. . . . A journey of astonishing confidence and courage.”—Rory Stewart One of the largest rivers in the world, the Indus rises in the Tibetan mountains and flows west across northern India and south through Pakistan. It has been worshipped as a god, used as a tool of imperial expansion, and today is the cement of Pakistan’s fractious union. Alice Albinia follows the river upstream, through two thousand miles of geography and back to a time five thousand years ago when a string of sophisticated cities grew on its banks. “This turbulent history, entwined with a superlative travel narrative” (The Guardian) leads us from the ruins of elaborate metropolises, to the bitter divisions of today. Like Rory Stewart’s The Places In Between, Empires of the Indus is an engrossing personal journey and a deeply moving portrait of a river and its people. |
Contents
Conquering the Classic River | 26 |
Ethiopias First Fruit | 52 |
River Saints | 79 |
The Gurus Army | 109 |
Up the Khyber | 130 |
Buddha on the Silk Road | 155 |
Alexander at the Outer Ocean | 177 |
Indras Beverage 216 243 | 216 |
Alluvial Cities | 243 |
Huntress of the Lithic 261 284 | 261 |
The Disappearing River | 284 |
Glossary | 310 |
| 333 | |
Acknowledgements | 350 |
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Afghan Afghanistan African Alexander ancient army arrived Aslam banks became boat border British Buddha Buddhist called carving century Chinese comes cross culture east face fields five follow Greek ground hand head hill Hindu holy humans hundred important India Indus valley Islam journey Kalash Karachi King known Ladakh land later leave live look marched meet morning mountain Muhammad Muslim never night northern once Pakistan Pashtun pass past perhaps Persian Punjab reach religious river road rock rule Sanskrit says Shah Sheedi shrine side Sikhs Sindh slaves soldiers stand stone story Swat tells temple thousand Tibet Tibetan town trees turn village walk women wrote young