At a time when the Strait of Hormuz is unsettling global markets and fuelling concerns over energy security, a new book turns attention to a deeper, enduring force behind such crises: geography.

The Wealth Networks: How Roads, Rivers and Seas Shaped India by Akshay Chavan offers a compelling reinterpretation of Indian history—not through the familiar lens of dynasties and wars, but through the routes that enabled the movement of wealth, goods, people and ideas. Positioning itself as “not a conventional history,” the book instead traces the underlying networks—roads, rivers, ports and maritime corridors—that determined the rise of cities, the ambitions of kingdoms, and the accumulation of wealth.

The timing feels apt. As a single chokepoint like Hormuz ripples through economies far beyond its waters, Chavan’s central argument gains urgency: these networks are not modern constructs but enduring frameworks that have always shaped power and vulnerability. The same geographical logic that once elevated river valleys and port cities continues to influence global and domestic realities today.

Through a series of probing questions, the book revisits key moments in Indian history: Why was Chittor repeatedly targeted? Why were Khajuraho and Ajanta built far from contemporary urban centres? What drove the immense wealth of temple hubs like Somnath and Tirupati? Why did the British annex Jhansi? Chavan argues that these were not isolated घटनाएँ but outcomes of deeper patterns tied to the flow of wealth and control over strategic routes.

Spanning trade centres, pilgrimage towns and political capitals, The Wealth Networks weaves together geography, commerce and society into a unified narrative. The result is a view of India’s past defined less by static power struggles and more by dynamic movement—of resources, influence and opportunity.

Chavan brings considerable experience to the subject. A former digital media professional, he founded Live History India, one of the country’s early platforms dedicated to history and culture, and has authored over 200 articles on India’s socio-economic past. He currently heads the Pratiti Foundation.

The book has also drawn notable endorsements. It features a foreword by Gurcharan Das and an introduction by Devdutt Pattanaik, with early readers describing it as “ambitious,” “refreshingly original,” and “revelatory” in its approach.

For editors, analysts and readers seeking to connect present-day geopolitical tensions with deeper structural forces, The Wealth Networks offers a timely lens—reminding us that the struggle over routes, resources and chokepoints is as old as history itself.

About the Book
The Wealth Networks: How Roads, Rivers and Seas Shaped India reimagines Indian history through the movement of wealth across trade, pilgrimage and political routes. With contributions from Gurcharan Das and Devdutt Pattanaik, it highlights how interconnected networks have long shaped the subcontinent’s trajectory.

About the Author
Akshay Chavan writes on the economic, geographic and social forces shaping the modern world. He is the founder of Live History India and currently heads the Pratiti Foundation.