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A review by thaths
The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World by William Dalrymple
4.0
Dalrymple sets out to illustrate how India exercised soft (and not so soft) power for a millenia-and-a-half - spreading its culture from Vietnam to Greece.
I liked the first 2 parts of this 3 part book. Part 1 covering the period before and slightly after the Common Era. It can broadly be said to cover the period when Buddhism emerged from India and spread Westwards and Northwards. This part ends around Tang Dynasty China. Part 2 covers the period around the first millenium and focuses on the spread of Hindu influence in SE Asia (Cham, Khmer, Thai, Srivijaya, ...). Part 3 covers the medieval period and focuses on the spread of Indian ideas of mathematics Westward through the Abbasid Caliphate and Cordoba.
I liked Parts 1 and 2. Part 3 was a little bit of a stretch. I find the connection that Dalrymple tries to underline of Indian culture and influence spreading through the Barmakhids a little tenuous,
I liked the first 2 parts of this 3 part book. Part 1 covering the period before and slightly after the Common Era. It can broadly be said to cover the period when Buddhism emerged from India and spread Westwards and Northwards. This part ends around Tang Dynasty China. Part 2 covers the period around the first millenium and focuses on the spread of Hindu influence in SE Asia (Cham, Khmer, Thai, Srivijaya, ...). Part 3 covers the medieval period and focuses on the spread of Indian ideas of mathematics Westward through the Abbasid Caliphate and Cordoba.
I liked Parts 1 and 2. Part 3 was a little bit of a stretch. I find the connection that Dalrymple tries to underline of Indian culture and influence spreading through the Barmakhids a little tenuous,