The Spread of Buddhism over the Golden Road

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In this excellent talk Willam Dalrymple discusses his groundbreaking 2025 book The Golden Road and includes an interesting description of the spread of Buddhism out of India and through Asia.

He also discusses how India, not China, actually dominated trade in the ancient world, including during the classical period, and the Roman period, and how Hinduism, Sanskrit, and ideas of Hindu Kingship spread throughout Southeast Asia, and also how Indian ideas about mathematics, astronomy, and astrology spread throughout the Arab world and eventually to Europe.

R

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Yes I read the book. Very good.

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Excellent! I actually just found out about the book today. It appears it is going to transform much of what we think about trade in the ancient world. I am certainly a fan of the podcst, Empire, that William does with Anita Anand. I am glad you liked the book.

R