Punjab notes: The River Ravi and its 'civilised demons'.

In ancient times the Punjab had seven major rivers. The one called Saraswati or Hakra dried up due to hitherto unknown geological changes thousands of years ago. The Rig-Veda calls it Saptasindu, the land of seven rivers.

It says: 'The Seven Rivers bear his glory (Indra's) far and wide, and heaven, sky and earth display his comely form (1.102.2)-- Who slew the Dragon, freed the Seven Rivers, and drove forth the cows from the cave of Vala (2.12.30).'

Later the epic Mahabharata states: 'Where these five rivers, Satudru (Sutlej), Vipasha (Vias), the third Iravati (Ravi), Chandra-bhaga (Chenab) and Vitasta (Vehit/Jhelum) flow and where there are Pilu-forests and where Sindhu is the sixth to flow out, this country is called Aratta.'

Aratta is one of the ancient names of the Punjab. Of all the rivers the Ravi called Iravati/Prushni and known to Greeks as Hydarotes has been the most important for the Punjab, not because of its size but because of its historical significance; it supported the glorious Harappa civilisation. The ancient Harappa city was built on its banks.

A few know that even before its archaeological discovery by Sir Alexander Cunningham in the Raj era, Harappa was a well-known site to Punjabi scholars who had some sense of history. 'Sutta ain ta jag, amal samhaal ke/Harappay muhraan pa saraf dikhaal ke (Wake up you still in slumber and get your act together / gather stamps from Harappa and get them assessed by the jewelers),' says the poet Shah Murad (died: 1702) .

Along the Ravi's banks two other great cities came up defining the evolution of our urban development; Lahore and Multan are Ravi's progenies.

Three other epoch-making events are associated with Iravati. The hymns of the Rig-Veda were revealed to rishis (seers) who meditated in a trance surrounded by its murmuring waves. This spiritual and historical document of Vedic age is invaluable being one of the earliest texts found in our human journey. Secondly, Rig-Veda (7.18.5) says that Dasrajna Yuddha, the great Battle of the Ten Kings, was fought on its banks. King Vishwamitra pitched ten kings against Bharata king Sudas who came out victorious. Bharat, the present day official name of India, is borrowed from Bharat tribe.

Thirdly, Alexander, the Macedonian, after his pyric victory against Porus, the brave king of Bharat clan in the Punjab, failed to persuade his demoralised solders to cross the River Bias and face the Nanda army of Magadha and forces of the kingdom of...