Indus Basin Uninterrupted: A History of Territory and Politics from Alexander to Nehru

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About the Book

The Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan marks six decades, but carries the reflection of several thousand years of history. Indus Basin Uninterrupted, with an easy narration and rich archival material, brings alive a meandering journey of peace, conflict and commerce on the Indus basin. The Indus system of rivers, as a powerful symbol of the passage of time, represents not only the interdependence and interpenetration of land and water, but equally the unfolding of political identities, social churning and economic returns. From Alexander’s campaign to Qásim crossing the Indus and laying the foundation of Muslim rule in India; from the foreign invaders and their ‘loot and scoot’ to the Mughal rulers’ perspective on hydrology and water use; from the British ‘great game’ on the Indus basin to the bitter and bloody Partition; and finally, as a historical pause, the signing of the Indus Waters Treaty—this book is a spectrum of spectacular events, turning points and of personalities and characters and their actions that were full of marvel.

About the Author

UTTAM KUMAR SINHA is one of India’s leading commentators on transboundary water issues. After a brief stint in the print media and a doctoral degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, he joined the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in 2001 (now renamed as Manohar Parrikar-IDSA) where he heads the non-traditional security centre and is the managing editor of Strategic Analysis, the institute’s flagship journal, published by Routledge.

He is a recipient of many fellowships, including senior fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (2018-20); an academic visitor at the Harvard Kennedy School (2015); Chevening ‘Gurukul’ scholar at the London School of Economics and Political Science (2008); and a visiting fellow at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (2006).

His noted works include Riverine Neighbourhood: Hydro-Politics in South Asia (2016) and Climate Change Narrative: Reading the Arctic (2014).

Content

Preface

Part I

• Settlers, Invaders and Successions
• Ageing of India’s History
• Alexander Thought Indus to be Head of Nile
• Qásim Crosses the Indus
• As Observed by Foreign Travellers
• Suyya, the Waterman of Kashmir
• Genghis and the Battle of Indus
• Fathering Medieval Canals
• Indus the Territorial Marker

Part II

• Diplomacy and Commerce on The Indus
• Minto’s Three Wise Men
• Huff and Puff of Navigation
• Navigation Steamrolled by Railways

Part III

• Colonization, Canals and Contestation
• Engineering the Watercourse
• Irrigation Debate
• Disputes and Settlements
• Lower Riparian Angst
• Knowledge-power

Part IV

• Partition of Land and Rivers
• Drawing a Line in a Maelstrom
• An Engineer Named Kanwar Sain
• Punjab Canal Water Dispute
• Flurry of Correspondence
• Pakistan Strides Towards a ‘Third Party’
• TVA-inspired Water Projects

Part V

• Making of The Indus Waters Treaty
• US Knocks at Kashmir’s Door
• Who’s There? The World Bank
• Unequal Music on the Indus
• Clamour for Water and Peace
• Heated Debate in Lok Sabha
• Nehru Convincingly Unconvincing
• A Few Lines to Conclude

Postscript
Acknowledgements
Bibliography