Description
The Indus Maiden and the Arab Soldier: Love and War on the Indus by Rakesh Amar Goyal Raag
It is a suspenseful, historical, romantic thriller which, stepping into a past that continues to breathe, uncovers the story waiting beneath its surface. Set on the banks of the Indus River in the eighth century AD, the story takes place in the tumultuous aftermath of the Arab conquest of Sindh.
Blending romance and history, it unfolds a heart-touching tale of forbidden love as a prism that unveils the deeper truths of civilizational encounters, demonstrating that history is not solely inscribed in battles and treaties but also in human connections that challenge inherited boundaries. Through lovers’ relationship, the convergence of two worlds at the Indus transforms from a mere tale of conquest into a narrative of recognition, where each civilization sees itself reflected in the eyes of the other.
The novel is peppered with battle scenes, romantic encounters, and an exotic historical atmosphere. Themes of romantic love, sacrifice, redemption, and beliefs in Sufi saints, Hindu hermits, and dream interpreters are intricately interwoven into the changing political, social, and cultural landscape. Flying on the wings of imagination, the reader traverses that period, witnessing two colossal currents of history confronting each other to usher in a new age.
The narrative centres on the instincts that drive characters to make sacrifices for love, faith, and the protection of an innocent young woman. Against a historical backdrop, it transports the reader to the period, its people, and emotions that shape their actions.
About the author
Rakesh Amar Goyal Raag was born on January 22, 1953, in Gurgaon (Gurugram; Delhi NCR), Haryana (India), to Dr K. C. Amar and Dr (Mrs) Santosh Amar. Raag is his authorial title. It is an acronym made from the first letters of the three words of his name: Rakesh (given name), Amar (family name), and Goyal (gotra name).
He is a science graduate and a postgraduate in English literature. After serving as an officer for thirty-five years in the banking sector (including the Reserve Bank of India, which he joined as a direct recruit officer in 1978), he retired from a senior position.
His stories and articles have appeared in prestigious publications in English and Hindi. His body of work includes six published books, of which four are novels and two short story collections.
AMAR in his name holds a fascinating legacy. A chronic abdominal ailment, deemed incurable, afflicted the ruler of the princely state of Thana Devli in Kathiawar. Then, acting on the advice of a sadhu (a Hindu holy man), he consulted the author’s father, a doctor, with whose treatment he got healed. In appreciation, the ruler honoured him with the title of AMAR. This title held special significance and sentimental value for the author’s father, who adopted it as a family identifier and incorporated it into the names of his children as well.
Raag has travelled across India as well as to many countries around the world. His interests include literature, history, religion, and sociology.
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