179. The Golden Road: Rise of the Indosphere

In a special episode of the "Empire" podcast, hosts Iona Craig and William Dalrymple discuss Dalrymple's new book, which explores the concept of the "Indosphere," a region from Afghanistan to Japan where Indian culture, particularly Sanskrit literature, exerted significant influence between 250 BC and 1200 AD. They delve into how Indian ideas, science, and culture spread peacefully through trade and the monsoon winds, contrasting this with the military conquest and cultural subjugation of colonialism. The conversation highlights the dominance of Sanskrit, the shift to Persian, and later the impact of English under British rule in India, and they examine the influence of Indian culture on Southeast Asia, including place names, scripts, religion, and the construction of temples like Angkor Wat, illustrating the profound and lasting impact of Indian civilization.