India’s influence on world history is undeniable, yet the narratives that emerge often come from unexpected directions. William Dalrymple’s latest, The Golden Road, shines a light on the central role India played in ancient global exchanges—spreading ideas, art, religion, and science across vast geographies. From the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, the legacy of Indian civilization is visible everywhere.
Consider Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), a bustling port city under the Pallava dynasty (275-897 AD), whose ships once connected India to Southeast Asia. These traders didn’t just carry textiles and spices; they brought with them Sanskrit, Buddhism, and Indian architecture. The awe-inspiring Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the largest religious monument in the world, and Borobudur in Java, the largest Buddhist temple on the planet, are prime examples of how Indian ideas were adopted and adapted by local cultures. In Angkor Wat, Hinduism’s cosmology of Mount Meru shaped the temple’s design, while Borobudur’s mandala-like structure reflects Indian Mahayana Buddhism’s spiritual journey to enlightenment.
On a personal note, Mahabalipuram is not just a historical marvel for me but also a place my family and the Brahm team visit frequently—it’s only an hour’s drive from Chennai, and each trip never fails to inspire. One of the most intriguing landmarks is the famous Krishna’s Butterball, an enormous boulder balanced miraculously on a slope, said to have been placed by the gods.
Trade extended far beyond Southeast Asia. Ancient Rome, not China, was India’s largest trading partner. So vital were Indian spices that in 408 CE, when Alaric the Visigoth besieged Rome, he demanded 3,000 pounds of pepper as part of the ransom. This pepper, sourced primarily from the Malabar Coast in South India, was so prized that it became a staple in Roman kitchens and a cornerstone of the spice trade. From as early as the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE, these maritime routes—what Dalrymple calls the Golden Road—were the real arteries of ancient world commerce, spanning from the Atlantic, across the Indian Ocean Network, to the South China Sea and East China Sea, shaping global economies and cultures.
As we explore these connections, we realize how much more there is to uncover. Indian scholars and historians add layers of richness to our past, deepening our understanding of India’s contributions. Yet, just as Yoga—a deeply spiritual practice—has often been reduced to fitness in the West, our stories risk being diluted unless they are told with the full complexity they deserve.
Since the launch of Brahm Collection, it has become my life’s passion and purpose to showcase the beauty, depth, and complexity of Indian civilization and the broader Global South.
P.S. Nalanda, one of the world’s first universities, hosted 10,000 monks and scholars from as far as China and Korea? As someone from the Persianate hinterlands, standing at the liminal edge of the Sanskrit Cosmopolis, it has been the honor of a lifetime to rediscover my hidden heritage (regained through marriage). The depth of our history runs deeper than many realize—let’s ensure it’s told with all its richness.
For more on the book, you can read Baron Ferdinand Mount’s review of The Golden Road here.