The Golden Road : How Ancient India Transformed the World

The Empire podcast, helmed by the author, serves as a superb preamble to this remarkable book. For sheer ambition alone, it deserves a place on every history lover’s shelf.In ten absorbing chapters, the author lays out a compelling case: rather than the romanticised Silk Road, it was the Indian exchange of science, religion, trade, and art that truly powered global civilisation—at least until the Mongol invasions and, more significantly, European colonisation.We traverse epochs: from early Indo-Greek and Indo-Roman interactions in the pre-Christian era to the spread of Buddhism, which broke travel taboos and journeyed into China. Xuanzang’s pilgrimages and writings laid the very foundations of Chinese Buddhism. The thalassocracies of Southeast Asia reveal an enduring Indic tilt via both Hinduism and Buddhism. Perhaps most intriguingly, we see how Indian science traveled westward to Europe, carried on the backs of Arab scholars.The writing is as breezy and engaging as the monsoon winds that once powered these journeys. The book is filled with vivid portraits—Ashoka, Asanga, Empress Wu Zetian, Mahendravarman Pallava, the Barmakids of Baghdad, and even Fibonacci—each a living thread in this grand historical tapestry.A particularly fascinating idea is the possible influence of Buddhism on Christian monasticism—one of several thought-provoking moments that challenge how we view the past.Indosphere enters your vocabulary here, and you’ll be the richer for it.The book's final lines linger: India thrived in an open world—learning, adapting, building upon ideas, and giving them back to the world. To become insular now may be to do itself a great disservice.

This book is yet another classical tome from William Dalrymple. In his inimitable style, with depth of knowledge, gripping narration and a unique ability to hold us glued to the book with magnetic charm, he takes us on a voyage to distant lands, once dominated by Indian culture and commerce.The book sets out to dispel the myth of the celebrated ‘Silk Road’. The road that was at best a figment of imagination, and even a piece of propaganda for proving Chinese superiority and thereby advancing its foreign policy was first invented as late as 1877, by a Prussian geographer, Baron Von Richthofen, says the author. Not a single ancient record, either Chinese or western, refers to its existence, and was completely unknown in ancient and medieval times. Richthofen was charged with dreaming up a route for a railway linking Berlin with Beijing with a view to establishing German colonies and infrastructure projects in the region. That the real route that was paved not in silk, but literally in gold, lay not in the rugged lands in the interior, but in the waters of the Indian Ocean, with India as the anchor, connecting Red Sea in the West to China in the East, is the fascinating story that unfolds in the rest of the book.‘The Golden Road aims to highlight India’s often forgotten position as a crucial economic fulcrum, and civilisational engine, at the heart of the ancient and early medieval worlds and as one of the main motors of global trade and cultural transmission in early world history, fully on par with and equal to China’ (page 8) is an apt summary of this book.There are three main factors that were significant to make this happen. The perfect predictability and seasonality of the monsoons in the Indian Ocean helped ships to sail effortlessly from India to the East and West. This created a strong ship building industry and expertise, that enabled commerce that was several times faster, cheaper and safer than inland trade. Spices like pepper was the most sought-after commodity in the Roman Empire, which was happily paid in gold. The decline of the Roman empire led to Indians looking eastward, particularly to ‘Suvarnabhumi’, countries comprising Thailand, Java, Sumatra, Cambodia and China. The evidence of such trade worth in billions of dollars in current value, is amply demonstrated from the rich archaeological evidence as unearthed from a string of locations on the entire route.The main thrust to the cultural integration of these regions, under Indian influence begins with the advent of Buddhism in the 6 the century BCE, and thereafter the efforts of emperor Ashoka in the third century CE, to send missionaries to distant lands and spread the message of the Buddha.Buddhism appeared as a middle path between Hinduism and Jainism, the way of moderation between the extremes of self-torture and self-indulgence, between worldliness and asceticism. While Buddhism occupies center stage in the spread of Indian thought, through establishment of monasteries and royal patronage, Hinduism once again emerges as a dominant faith in the later part of the book, since 7 CE.The travels and detailed biography of the Chinese monk Xuanzang from 629 CE, to the greatest Buddhist monastery and university of Nalanda is perhaps the pinnacle of this book, which acts as a foundation of Buddhist influence on China and a historian’s delight.The book also covers the role of South Indian kings, notably from the era of Mahendra Varman Pallava (571 to 630 CE), the port city of Mamallapuram, the historic sites at Kanchipuram and the resurgence of puranic Hinduism led by poet saint Appar and the rich Tamil literature.It all started when a British hunting party led by Captain Smith accidentally discovered the Ajanta caves, while following the pug marks of an elusive tiger. The mesmerizing find was a priceless jewel in the annals of Indian history. The young officer got out his hunting knife and inscribed the words: ‘JOHN SMITH, 28 CAVALRY, 28 APRIL 1819’. Dalrymple takes over from Capt Smith !Unputdownable, Dalrymple at his best.

The golden road1 I read the book. It is a well-researched book (but I am not a historian) written in a balanced way albeit with a few imbalances as seen by me. The book has 480 pages. The history is in 300 pages. All the remaining pages are for giving the detailed references, the sources from where a particular data / information was taken. People interested in History can enjoy this book.2 Even though the author lives in Delhi he seems to use the word ‘Hindu’, where I feel use of the word ‘Indian’ will be more appropriate, in a few places and vice versa3 Similarly, ‘Indian’ ‘India’ words are used in many places where majority of the examples are from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, a few from Andhra and Gujarat.4 The book is about how India influenced the world once and its history. It is not about the history of India. The book seems to overemphasize the contribution by Sanskrit and brahmins rather than any other language or community.5 India was never under a single ruler and under a single culture. Ancient India was rarely even partially united in ancient times. When Xuanzang visited India – he describes it as made up of more than seventy nations.6 Starting with Buddha, it explains how the Buddhism transformed the India, central Asia, China, Japan, Korea and South east Asia. Both the then Hindu religion, Buddhism were influenced by the Greek ideas and knowledge. Buddhism viewed all equally and favoured the growth of knowledge by discussion, logic and experimenting. Many books on many topics were written by Buddhist monks in many languages including Sanskrit. Indian Trade with Arabs, Persians are elaborately talked in the context of spread of religious and other knowledge. Except a few, almost all the examples are from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra.7 During the Gupta dynasty Vedic gods from the heaven were brought down to earth and forms were given to them. Religious rituals like puja, offerings to god were invented so that people get the favour of gods. This was done as the elaborate vedic fire rituals and mass sacrifice of animals to the gods in heaven were not accepted by many people. Sanskrit literatures like Ramayana, Mahabharata were written during this period.8 Later, Hinduism and then Islam were spread from India to South east Asia. Around 1100 CE Hinduism was widespread in South east asia. Even though South east asia adopted Hinduism, it did not adopt the caste hierarchy, vegetarianism, and subjugation of women.(Spread mostly by Pallavarkal and by Chozharkal)9 It is sad to note that even though a lot of stone inscriptions are there in Tamil, he hardly mentions a few. When he talks about Indian connections, he talks about the religious connections not any other cultural and trade connections in detail, comparitively.10 The following are known to Indians (only to the scholars) well before the Europeans around 500-600 CEA) The numerals – decimal system and zero (our invention)B) The earth rotates on its axisC) Double entry accounting systemD) Calculation of solar year correct to seven decimalsE) The earth is a sphereF) Astronomy, Geometry, Arithmetic, Algebra etcG) The structure of learning centres (colleges and universities) in west Asia and in Spain were derived from the Buddhist monasteriesH) The Chess (our invention)I) The relativeness of motion11 All this knowledge went to Europe in the following wayIndia – Afghanistan-Persia – Bagdhad - Spain (Muslim) – Spain (Christian) - Rest of the Europe.12 The above is acknowledged by Fibonacci himself in his book.13 Even though Hinduism prevents people travelling overseas, many brahmins had travelled to China, Java, Sumatra, Cambodia and were royal priests etc. This fact is available from Chinese books.14 Indian scientific knowledge attained peak at 600 CE. After wards the contribution was not there.15 Muslims were living with other religious people in a peaceful manner from 700 CE in India. They came here for trade and a few got settled here.16 Turks invasion around 1000-1200 CE – they captured India and established their dynasty. The Sanskrit lost the elite status it enjoyed. They have destroyed many temples and built mosques. After the initial enmity, both the parties reconciled and lived together.17 Later due to the invasion of mangols in central asia and the plunder and murder by Genghis khan, tens of thousands of Persians migrated to India as refugees and settled in India. Slowly the Persian became the official language of India.18 Genghis khan wanted to invade and loot India. But at Multan, he sighted a rhino. This was a bad omen for him. So, he turned west. India escaped from his invasion.19 Many moguls and Hindu kings respected all the religions and supported them.20 Page 329-330… During the days of Nehruvian rule in the 1950s and early 1960s, Indianschool textbooks and most academic histories were written by left-leaning,Congress-supporting figures. These historians tended to underplay theviolence and iconoclasm that came with the Turkish invasions, partially inthe interests of what they saw as ‘nation building’ following the terribleinter-religious violence that had taken place during partition. Today, underthe current right-wing BJP government, the reverse is true and thedestruction of Hindu temples is almost all that many in India seem to knowof the complex but fascinating medieval period of Indo-Islamic history.…………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………………………………………21 The book concludes like thisHistory shows that India has always been at its most creative andinfluential when it is at its most connected, plural, hybrid, open andreceptive to new ideas from its neighbours, when it represents thecohabitation, not a clash, of civilisations. Its greatest gift lies in its ability toabsorb outside ideas and influences and take them forward in dramatic,creative, unorthodox and innovative ways, performing repeated feats ofself-transformation and reincarnation. There lies much of the source of itsstrength.For a thousand years, India’s ideas spread with its traders along theGolden Road and transformed the world, creating around itself anIndosphere, a cultural zone that spread over political borders – comparableto the Hellenised world fashioned by Alexander the Great, except thatIndia’s was spread not by the sword but by the sheer power of its ideas.Within this area Indian culture and civilisation transformed everything theytouched.This poses a question, unthinkable in 1947 at independence from Britain:could they do so again?22 This is my take - Irrespective of place, time dynasty, a person does all sorts of atrocities to establish his / her rule. Once established and his competitors and enemies are murdered, he seeks peace and rule of the law in the country so that he can rule peacefully. Moreover, he wants to be known as a kind and generous person. May be some sort of guilt existing because of the atrocities he did to become the king. Hence, they start supporting religion or religions.23 In all the books of Indian history and related topics (so far, I studied) the contribution from the south India, particularly Tamil Nadu is not explored / left out to the required extent. India means, for many, it starts above Vinthiya.