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

Description

‘Sinha’s book traverses 3500 years of subcontinental history like the Indus itself—mesmerizingly and uninterruptedly. It is a pure master class on the Indus’s transformation from a cog in military strategy into a source of conflict and cooperation post 1947. A treasure for scholars and policymakers alike’

—Ashutosh Misra—
South Asia expert and CEO, Institute for Australia India Engagement, Brisbane

‘Civilizations have adjusted and transformed over thousands of years in the Indus basin, adapting to the magnificent river system which itself changed constantly. Yet, society always craved continuity, and in that process created the largest public surface water irrigation system in the world. Uttam Sinha brilliantly describes the unceasing changes and the search for stability through wise development of the water resources network. With an eye for strategic dimensions, regional and local competition for water and related power plays, he discusses the history leading to the Indus Treaty. That the treaty itself had to decussate multiple objectives, needs, intrigues and strategic concerns is a lesson for reconciliations everywhere. This book will interest a wide array of readers’

—Junaid Ahmad—
Country Director for India, World Bank

Author Biography

Uttam Kumar Sinha is a leading commentator on transboundary water issues. He is a recipient of many fellowships and is a 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 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).