The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World by William Dalrymple

🌟 THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 🌟

A Waterstones & TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR

A SPECTATOR & History Today BOOK OF THE YEAR

A revolutionary new history of the diffusion of Indian ideas, from the award-winning, bestselling author and co-host of the chart-topping Empire podcast.

‘Richly woven, highly readable … Written with passion and verve’ – Spectator

‘Dazzling … Not just a historical study but also a love letter’ – Guardian

‘An outstanding new account … The most compelling retelling we have had for generations’ – Financial Times

India: The Forgotten Heart of the Ancient World

For over 1,500 years, India confidently exported its civilization, shaping a vast empire of ideas. Indian art, religions, technology, astronomy, music, dance, literature, mathematics, and mythology spread across continents along a Golden Road stretching from the Red Sea to the Pacific.

In this groundbreaking book, William Dalrymple draws from a lifetime of scholarship to illuminate India’s often-overlooked role as the heart of ancient Eurasia.

For the first time, he names and defines this global diffusion of Indian thought—one that transformed civilizations. From the majestic Hindu temples of Angkor Wat to Buddhism’s spread through China, from the Indian trade that fueled the Roman Empire to the numerals we use today (including zero), India reshaped the ancient world—and continues to shape our own.

• Indian History

ENG- English

• Hardcover