Treading the 1500 long Miles

Book Name;

On the Grand Trunk Road: A journey into South Asia

Author;

Steve Coll

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Steve Coll, the Pulitzer Prize winner and The Washington Post reporter has given a panoramic view of South Asian countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Afghanistan where two centuries, 10th and 20th centuries intermingle with each other. Though they are physically in 20th century (the book first published in1993) but there problems and rivalries are of 10th century.

Ethnic conflicts, rivalries, tribalism are the unusual peculiar traits of this region that make its development and progress impossible. Once the colonies of British Empire they are a mixture of old and new, of imperial legacy and national freedom.

Also Read: Rootless even after a hundred years

The Grand Trunk Road, GT Road, as is called by the British in their rule on India, was made by a medieval Muslim Pathan ruler, Sher Shah Suri, who deposed Humayun from the throne, son of Mughal Emperor Babur.

Sher Shah Suri connected the present day countries of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh through this road in 16th century that helped him not only administratively, strategically and economically but the other rulers of India also benefitted from this road. His reign is considered to be the most booming period of India on developmental and economic basis.

Steve Coll special focuses on the two nuclear neighboring countries of South Asia, India and Pakistan, with a long history of conflicts and proxies against each other.

The book, On the Trunk Road, is divided into 4 parts with 16 chapters to read on. The 4 parts titles are,

· States of Flux

· States of Mind.

· States of Conflicts.

· States of Progress.

· Time bomb, an Epilogue.

This a good read for anyone for having a general understanding of South Asia and its politics and history.