Empires of the Indus: The Story of a River

In this book, the Indus River is travelled in the reverse of its flow, from the delta in Sindh, Pakistan to its source in the mountains of Tibet, travelling throughout Pakistan, (two side trips into Afghanistan, although the Indus does not!), India and China. It is an epic and incredible journey, travelling by many means, even walking a large section following the footsteps of Alexander. In Pakistan Albinia spends time in Sindh, Punjab, the northern Tribal lands and Kashmir. Indian Ladakh, and Tibetan China are the other destinations that the Indus takes her.

This author writes very well, almost beyond her young years (she is twenty-nine). Albinia writes as she travels - with a passion for her task. The author is clearly a very capable traveller, displaying self-reliance, balanced with measure and being prepared to take advise where sensible. Travelling alone, she picks up local support in the form of guides, and as a guest is passed from a friend in one village to a friend in the next. It is no surprise to anyone who has any knowledge of Pakistan how much hospitality is afforded to guests and strangers.

The book balances well the history, the historic travel, the contemporary travel, the culture, the religions and beliefs of the people, and the environment and ecology of the Indus itself. It does not indulge in self importance, or give too much weight to any other element of the book.

The author deals with the many varied cultures - patiently explaining, making clear other peoples research and conclusions where they are separated by their own. Every timeframe relevant is examined, from Mughal rule to Buddhist empires and Vedic period to neolithic times, British Rule and the partition of India. Cultural icons such as the Bamiyan Buddhas (Afghanistan), the Maitreya Buddha (in the Swat Valley), ecological issues such as pollution and dams, and cultural suppression such as Tibet and the Chinese influence there now all feature. Probably the thing the author captures best, and is able to present in a readable way as the history, culture, beliefs and way of life of the people she encounters - Mohana, Pashtun, Sikh, Sheedi, Ladakhi, Dards, Kalash (perhaps the original Aryans), Gujar, Drokpa - I am sure I missed some. Many of these she examines and explains in great depth.

Perhaps the only disappointment for me in this book was the photographs. There are 35 provided in the book, but I felt they didn't match up to the authors enthusiasm in describing the places and people. Many of those provided were good, but there were a lot spent on historic artwork, mostly of Alexander (who in the book is somewhat belittled compared to his portrayal in modern literature). There could have been more - although the author does break both her cameras at one point - perhaps this was the outcome.

Four stars without doubt. Pushing towards five.