For more than a thousand years, India stood at the heart of the ancient world — a confident exporter of ideas, art, religion, science, and philosophy that travelled from the Red Sea to the Pacific.

In his new book, "The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World", respected historian and author William Dalrymple traces this extraordinary flow of culture and knowledge, showing how Indian civilisation shaped everything from Roman trade to Chinese Buddhism and even the numbers we use today — reminding us of India’s remarkable role as the engine of global culture.

Guest: William Dalrymple

Recorded 11th November, 2025.