Ancient India Ruled The World | William Dalrymple talks to Ash Sarkar

The Silk Road has dominated the way we imagine the trading relationship between Europe and Asia to have worked in antiquity.

In his new book, The Golden Road, William Dalrymple busts that myth. He sat down with Ash to talk about the origins of algebra, Indian gems in Anglo-Saxon Britain and why Genghis Khan was scared of India.

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[AnBreadanFeasa]

Absolutely first class video and interview... love it.
I knew much of the fragments... Hindu numerals, algebra and algorithms, Alexander the Great and the Mongols, but this stitched so many threads together.
Thank you, Novara and Ash... and of course, William.

[jonathandunn]

I love these down streams, love hearing about topics that don't always get the attention they deserve

[johnholmes]

Wonderful that Novara Media is not just a political stopping off point. The wider your menu of programmes is, the greater you will grow this site. Excellent interview!

[interested-qd]

yes, it was William told me about the part the methodist church played in the Indian mutiny pulling down mosques and Hindu temples until it all kicked off 1857 in Cawnpore. Very educational.

[LexChaoticus]

People argue about which civilization came first and not what we can learn from them.
This adds more pieces to the puzzle for my understanding of the past, thank you!

[radman]

Well ... I bought Anarchy because of Novara, so ... I guess I'll order The Golden Road. Thx Ash, Mr. Dalrymple. Hello from Portland Oregon.

[pausereflect]

Would have been wonderful to SEE photos/videos of the sites and artifacts he was talking about PLEASE ❤

[alizsyed]

Well done, Novara Media, Ash!
Keep it up.

[mabrahamlee]

Excellent. I could listen to Dalrymple all day. A favourite writer of mine. Thanks, Novara.

[colibri]

This is so good. You could also interview Tony Joseph on the genetic history of India, equally fascinating.

[julian]

Utterly fascinating, thank you Ash/Novara and William!

[priyamastibhati]

Good podcast. Did not appreciate Dalrymple’s negative tone of Indian “Nationalists” as if they are some sort of roadblocks on progress. While he indicted Brit colonials, and Marxist historians, he underplayed the deep damage done by the outside elements that came in solely for profits and did not give enough credit to the local culture and knowledge base. On the contrary, he makes them a modern day villain. Expected of a foreigner-to-the-culture. Ash Sarkar did good job overall in the interview.

[workingtoseethelight]

The Elon Musk of Alexandria? Let's have a bit more respect for Alexandria over here!

[MarkScott-nf]

What does he think of Peter Frankopan's New Silk Roads?

[rnandkumar]

Superbly engrossing. I wish all his books and research could be used to make documentaries.

[maxgodwin]

What a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful interview. Extraordinarily informative!

[adeshmukhb]

@42.55, how is it richness when our native languages and culture/traditions are suppressed and some foreign languages are forced upon us??!! Beyond comprehension..!!

[angklungeds]

Great! Looking forward to hear from Will on Novara!

[wavingcat]

Omg the dad on Goodness Gracious Me was right!

[VitthalGucci]

Finally under the Marathas! The British took over not fron the already crushed Mongol/Mugol but the Marathas!