---
product_id: 612678364
title: "The Golden Road : How Ancient India Transformed the World"
price: "R545"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/612678364-the-golden-road-how-ancient-india-transformed-the-world
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# The Golden Road : How Ancient India Transformed the World

**Price:** R545
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** The Golden Road : How Ancient India Transformed the World
- **How much does it cost?** R545 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/612678364-the-golden-road-how-ancient-india-transformed-the-world)

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## Why This Product

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## Description

FROM THE AWARD-WINNING, BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND CO-HOST OF THE CHART TOPPING EMPIRE PODCAST – A REVOLUTIONARY NEW HISTORY OF THE DIFFUSION OF INDIAN IDEAS ‘A master storyteller’ Sunday Times India is the forgotten heart of the ancient world For a millennium and a half, India was a confident exporter of its diverse civilisation, creating around it a vast empire of ideas. Indian art, religions, technology, astronomy, music, dance, literature, mathematics and mythology blazed a trail across the world, along a Golden Road that stretched from the Red Sea to the Pacific. William Dalrymple draws from a lifetime of scholarship to highlight India’s oft­forgotten position as the heart of ancient Eurasia. For the first time, he gives a name to this spread of Indian ideas that transformed the world. From the largest Hindu temple in the world at Angkor Wat to the Buddhism of China, from the trade that helped fund the Roman Empire to the creation of the numerals we use today (including zero), India transformed the culture and technology of its ancient world – and our world today as we know it. Praise for William Dalrymple and The Anarchy ‘A superb historian with a visceral understanding of India’ The Times ‘Magnificently readable, deeply researched and richly atmospheric’ Francis Wheen, Mail on Sunday

Review: A Remarkable book. - William Dalrymple's extraordinary scholarship is in full display in this remarkable book. The book is a 600 page tome, two fifths of which is devoted to notes, bibliography and glossary. It is this latter part of the book that lends credibility and authenticity to the book. It requires a great skill to create a coherent and compelling narrative purely from the primary sources. A good many historians populate the narrative with their own opinions but Dalrymple has been sincere to the primary sources. A term " Indosphere" is introduced at the very beginning of the book which translates to the influence India exerted or had over several countries/kingdoms in the world in the matters of Science, Mathematics, Astronomy, religion, Art, Music, Medicine etc without wielding sword. It was soft power in action. This is told over 10 crisply written chapters. Some parts of the history mentioned are well known like Pallavan era but some we have not heard or just consigned to foot notes in other history books. For example the huge role played by Xuanxong and Wu Zetian, the first and the only Empress in the history of China in the spread of Buddhism from India to China is well documented in the book. I listen to the Empire podcasts quite regularly hosted by Dalrymple and Anita Anand and while reading the book it appeared like Dalrymple was reading into my ears directly. That was a bonus. A splendid book and easily, for me one of the best in this year.
Review: A masterpiece for every Indian to read - This piece of Dalrymple is a well researched masterpiece, which definitely proves the soft power of India had in its ancient times. It is a slap on the face of hypocrites who always see that India was not at the helm of prosperousness in the ancient times. Once again thanks to Dalrymple for brining in light so many facts. Very astonishing and proud to read such rich history of India.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,343 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #5 in Ancient History (Books) #9 in Indian History (Books) #14 in Asian History (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,025 Reviews |

## Images

![The Golden Road : How Ancient India Transformed the World - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81xogn0Q4LL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Remarkable book.
*by S***I on 18 September 2024*

William Dalrymple's extraordinary scholarship is in full display in this remarkable book. The book is a 600 page tome, two fifths of which is devoted to notes, bibliography and glossary. It is this latter part of the book that lends credibility and authenticity to the book. It requires a great skill to create a coherent and compelling narrative purely from the primary sources. A good many historians populate the narrative with their own opinions but Dalrymple has been sincere to the primary sources. A term " Indosphere" is introduced at the very beginning of the book which translates to the influence India exerted or had over several countries/kingdoms in the world in the matters of Science, Mathematics, Astronomy, religion, Art, Music, Medicine etc without wielding sword. It was soft power in action. This is told over 10 crisply written chapters. Some parts of the history mentioned are well known like Pallavan era but some we have not heard or just consigned to foot notes in other history books. For example the huge role played by Xuanxong and Wu Zetian, the first and the only Empress in the history of China in the spread of Buddhism from India to China is well documented in the book. I listen to the Empire podcasts quite regularly hosted by Dalrymple and Anita Anand and while reading the book it appeared like Dalrymple was reading into my ears directly. That was a bonus. A splendid book and easily, for me one of the best in this year.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A masterpiece for every Indian to read
*by R***I on 7 June 2026*

This piece of Dalrymple is a well researched masterpiece, which definitely proves the soft power of India had in its ancient times. It is a slap on the face of hypocrites who always see that India was not at the helm of prosperousness in the ancient times. Once again thanks to Dalrymple for brining in light so many facts. Very astonishing and proud to read such rich history of India.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Civilization as a un it of history
*by N***A on 2 December 2024*

There are two key features in the book. First the author's method of history does not talk about India as a geographical location; it talks about how ancinet Indian civilization interacted with sister civilizations and excelled in the process. Secondly he lays down a theory of Indosphere. in this construct, he talks about Indian culture is best when it is most connected and plural and open to neighbors i.e when it is open to the world. India was the main engine of trade and not China. Hien Tsang’s journal strengthens the concept of golden road whereas Silk route is an after thought of a German surveyor. There are other interesting revelations like Buddhism supported economic growth, Entry of Buddhism into China battling the competition from Confucianism and Taoism. Cambodia adopted hindu civilization without its negative aspects like rigid casteism and status of women. Indian science and maths mingled with Persian and then the two traditions mingled with Eurpean. Originally, India gave the west the financial tools that Europe will later used to take over India itself. Later Europe’s commercial prowess combined with military gave it an edge over India. Weakness? one Weakness is its bias for maritime activities. It adds lots of weight on it. whereas fact remains Indian society and culture were enagaged primarily in agriculture and domestic trade. The method failed to take the totality. Interconnections among different levels of society is absent. The book is highly readable from narrative point of view. This book reminded me of Arnold Toynbee's "A study of history" which presents journey of 26 civilizations in world history; their birth, growth, decay and elimination. Overall, it was a nice reading experience.

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Golden Road
- The Anarchy
- Lords of the Deccan

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*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-09-30*