Ancient India Ruled The World | William Dalrymple talks to Ash Sarkar

[@elizabethsum8133]

India is a blessing to the world. I’m truly grateful. Im Cambodian and my country was at its best when guided and influenced by Indian culture 🙏❤. 🇰🇭🤝🇮🇳

[@dr.tushar5222]

Love from India....

[@TENGRI-101]

Calm down. She's an indian hindu ​@@dr.tushar5222

[@mr.k.9815]

🙏🙏🙏 India glory will come bck again and on the way for again Vishwa Guru

[@ayushgaurincredible]

Thanks for admitting that , most people don't believe it that south east Asia was the hub of Indian culture

[@selvarajanmuthiah8180]

True most civilized country in the world and asia earliet human from Afriica migrated to India and rest of the world

[@Jordan-zc2cp]

India didn't rule the world, instead they loved the world and were one with this world.

[@indrasharma8153]

Love your words ❤️

[@skylark5249]

True...they never invaded anyone. Everyone came to them to learn...some came to loot.

[@notinterested8452]

Cheesy. India is martial art in human form.

[@g____-590]

This book would have answered SOME QUESTIONS "Annals and antiquities of Rajasthan" , by Tod, James, 1782-1835; Crooke, William, 1848-1923.

[@Rathnakar-m5m]

True 😊

[@saratsaratchandran3085]

If India were not a country of wealth and knowledge, why all those Europeans wanted to come to India searching for sea rout!?

[@aqeelkhurshid4860]

You are right India was never a country before 1947. It was always a subcontinent. Many independent kingdoms existed within it that had been conquering, attacking and killing each other for mellenias, pretty much what had gone on in Europe or any other region and continent in the world

[@kanika0846]

​@@aqeelkhurshid4860 that's your mistake brother. You can thank Britishers for unifying India into one Identity, they formed today's "India" even before 1947. That's why it is called "independence of India" and "partition of India" to form pakistan. Pakistan itself got independence via Indian independence act. So India as a nation was created before 1947.

[@well_said7846]

@@aqeelkhurshid4860 Alexander came to conquer India in 400 BCE. Soon after which the Mauryan empire consolidated much of modern India in a single empire.

[@OrtierCapital]

they came searching for tamil kingdom and their riches, europeans knew tamil traded with romans and Egyptians and knew we travelled through the sea during dangerous times

[@aqeelkhurshid4860]

Sindh/Indus valley civilization predates India, since India's very name comes from Sindh. You correctly described Alexander the terribke came to "CONQUER". Soon after Mauryan "EMPIRE" We know one thing for a fact that empires are built on conquest and violence. People are subjugated and brutilized to reconcile themselves with an emperor's rule. I don't need to say anything further

[@omsingh8625]

People are yet unaware that it was India which gave its best to the whole world keeping it's morals high for ever but westerners never admitted this fact .It's construed already with its unique ideology and philosophy under budhism/sanatan. Every Indians should be proud irrespective of Buddhist or Sanatani, it was same historically.

[@dreamstate5047]

we are oNe

[@ranuvawinter]

Morals keep you grounded...but it does not feed your hunger..

[@johndoesstuff352]

no actually it was christian missonaries ,it oky to be proud of ur country but most of the worlds modern age ethics come from christian history

[@aquamon17]

​@@johndoesstuff352Sitting Bull and Cochise would laugh uproariously if they could read your comment.

[@aquamon17]

If this is the case why did : A group of men gang raped a 5 year old boy? A politician raped a girl repeatedly and she fled when she became pregnant, and miscarried with the foetus having the DNA of rhe servant of the politician? A girl fled her house because she was repeatedly raped by her father? A woman killed her in laws and husband by poisoning them because they treated her very badly, didn't allow her to celebrate rakhee, and her husband beat her? All above happened in the last week in india.

[@marshallmarthes]

Africa might be the mother of humanity but India is the mother of all civilisation

[@apocthinker6460]

The Mesopotamian civilisation and its subfolk of whom the Israelis come from, are older than the oldest civilisation in India (Indus Valley Civilisation) by a good 1500 years. Present-day Indians are the mix of Iranian and North Caucasus (Uzbekistan/Kazakhistan) migrants. You cann delve into it further for yourself.

[@Indiantiger000]

Just in books indus valley is bigger than mesopotamian and egyptian combined ...in area also if you asked about dating there are new reaswrch happened where they found villages older more than 8000 years..and the real think is that 80% excavation is still to be done to know more about indus valley.​@@apocthinker6460

[@marshallmarthes]

@apocthinker6460 obviously if humanity started in Africa it won't fly directly to India, it did flow through the present day middle east and Iran but due to the ice age and other factors it was most conducive for life to flourish in Indian subcontinent, and the more important factor is that it's a continuation of the civilisation whereas all the ancient civilisations have disappeared due to religion conquests

[@RS23545]

@@apocthinker6460 indus valley civilisation was not the oldest. it was just discovered civilisation.

[@blueshoes5145]

@@RS23545but is was a very advanced civilization. All this time, people only ever talked about Greece and Egypt.

[@dreamsdesires]

India was & is India because of it’s culture which is Hindu culture ,but it is hard for western historians & general western enthusiasts to admit it.

[@RyanTucker-r5d]

Not all of us. I’ve done quite a bit of research and can trace the origins of most of todays religions to India/Hinduism. I’ll make a KZbin channel one day once I can organize all the information and put it together coherently.

[@dsbdsb6637]

For academia with 'Protestian ethics' it is Brahmanism & only abt. Brahmins not the rest. Check this book - Hinduism in America and Europe by Elizabeth Reed.

[@dreamsdesires]

@@dsbdsb6637 ok. Have you read the book?

[@dsbdsb6637]

@@dreamsdesires Which book ?

[@dreamsdesires]

Hinduism in America and Europe by Elizabeth Reed.

[@charlieg2262]

As much as I love listening to William talk about the East India Company and the Mughals - I really really love hearing him talk about ancient history, where my heart is

[@hawkingdawking4572]

There is not much details of that era. Much of it is inflated anyway.

[@dsbdsb6637]

@@hawkingdawking4572 lol There is a lot of info of that era esp. with modern tech & Science, so stop using old tropes of lack of data. Just lookup fields like Numismatics or Land mapping via techniques like LIDAR.

[@g____-590]

This book would have answered SOME QUESTIONS "Annals and antiquities of Rajasthan" , by Tod, James, 1782-1835; Crooke, William, 1848-1923.

[@Abhinav-m4o]

​@@hawkingdawking4572western jealous hater spotted

[@hawkingdawking4572]

@@Abhinav-m4o Your wishes don't make facts. You claim that you have the world's oldest religion though your religion is barely 200 years old.

[@VARMOT123]

India is quintessentially asia and birthplace of eastern religions and only countty that has had cultural links with all of asia . Indosphere with southeast asia and buddhism with east asia .islamic links with central and west asia . Ethnically and linguistically extremely diverse

[@jasha9sandhu]

India has been so central to earth's history that its the only country with one of the 5 oceans named after it.

[@BillMice]

Saar India was the best

[@sidd1785]

Birthplace of dharma. Dharma has nothing to do with religions

[@sidd1785]

​@@BillMicego save Europe. When poverty comes back, we will see how u deal with it

[@Arunh9-pw7lp]

@@sidd1785Delete the comment bro. Let him lie ignored. Don’t give importance to these sadist. 90% of the comments will go away if we don’t give them the pleasure of our attention. Simply delete your reply to him.

[@Mu3az523]

In sudan 🇸🇩 we have a game called amber see when the father lift his child in his shoulder I recently knew it means the king of sky in Hindi

[@runescape_systemsthinking]

Thanks 4 sharing

[@BillMice]

So what

[@arpangurung4090]

Amber means sky in sanskrit or Hindi👀🙏

[@Supremeleaderkimjongun0]

Love from India brother

[@shantibahadoersingh3148]

🙏🏽🇸🇷🙏🏽🕉️

[@henrylikemessi]

I’m currently doing a course on post colonialism in India, and this talk has been immensely helpful, so thanks a bunch

[@SunnyChoudhary-k5k]

My advice is to read more diverse sources. There is a lot of narrative pushing from Indian lefties , righties and British authors. Also research about the biases and conflict of interests these authors hold. There are lesser known but credible and sensible indian authors, there are accounts from Americans , Pakistanis , bangladeshis , Soviet , south east asian particularly Singaporean authors and thinkers all with their respective biases of course. And also don't forget the japanese . They are the silent builders of this nation.

[@RR-pc7yv]

@@SunnyChoudhary-k5k Japanese? Silent builders of this nation??

[@SunnyChoudhary-k5k]

@@RR-pc7yv yup since 1980s . I'm not going to explain it any further. So do your own research.

[@DesCoutinho]

​@@RR-pc7yvif you were aware of it then they'd be the loud builders

[@RR-pc7yv]

@@DesCoutinho I'm aware of Japan's assistance to India and its loans...

[@ConsciousnessRC]

i’ve known this for decades, but small minds are blinded by the conditioning of western materialistic education.

[@rameshjogiya4025]

Brain washed, but again, why blame everyone else?

[@StudyWithMusic-mo5nl]

Yes, the Mayans of south america have many sanskrit words in their language!!

[@kaustubhmurumkar2670]

you know the person speaking in the video is actually a communist, right?

[@tp_2o23]

same here...always knew and observed it long ago...

[@mespabilo]

what is the point of the cocky attitude, people dont always have the time or luck to be able to learn about things that are remote from their daily struggles. So much for such an educated person...

[@matthewspears3786]

India was a true cultural superpower. One thing I love about Hinduism's holy texts is that they are essentially poetry and spread because of beauty and Truth. It didn't need to be proselytized.

[@dsbdsb6637]

Rather it is much more interesting than that as Ancient Hinduism is essentially a collection of tribal negotiations which emphasized both similarities but also differences and thus limits to human endavour and this framework of clarifying differences remains central to Hinduism.

[@cinefile0075]

Budhhism more than Hinduism. Aryabhatta studied in nalanda which was budhhist monastry

[@dsbdsb6637]

@@cinefile0075 You are making the obvious mistake of transplanting modern religious categories to a period when sources do not allow for such clear identity demarcations.

[@dustudent1637]

@@cinefile0075 Ar;yabhatta w;as b;rahmin wh;o c;redited to ve;dic sa;ges.

[@enlightnedsoul4124]

India was the source of wisdom, culture and religion. Jambudweep as India was called before is mentioned in all Rig Vedic verces

[@aham-mumukshu-asmi]

Do u know when Land mass on Earth split due to various natural occurances, Indian land mass remained a floating piece of land until it crashed into Asian continent? That is why it is called Jambudweep. Crazy ancestors know this.

[@enlightnedsoul4124]

@@aham-mumukshu-asmi i know that... jambudweep is a land mass area which crashed into the Asia Europe plate. Hence creating Himalayas. And it's further crashing is why Himalayas are growing every year

[@malianwong]

A source of wisdom,culture and religion for whom ??? There is any other hendu country beside endia and Buddha was not an endian but a Nepalese,in any case when buddha lived there wasn't any country called endia or any nation called endian,endia as a country or political entity was born in 1947 never before that year has ever existed a country or a nation called endia or endian...

[@aham-mumukshu-asmi]

@@malianwong Before 610 AD, there was no Islam. There is no proof of Mecca or Medina from that time. So can we say it doesnt exist. Also China name was used in 16th century. So can we say China didnt exist before that??

[@enlightnedsoul4124]

@@malianwong your mom and dad named you maybe after an year when your born. That doesn't mean you were born only at the day when youwere named. India is a foreign name but JambuDeepu or Bharat Desh, are the ancient names of India. The modern Bharat is called India.

[@knaraya936]

Mr. Dalrymple says "the British didnt recognize it....." meaning that they never saw the vastness of India's cultural and spiritual impact on the world. My contention is that the British DID recognize it, and colonialism was a concrted attempt to replace the Indian influence with the British one. Macaulay was explicit in all this when he made his proclamations about Indian civilization and it was done through brute force conquest and subsequent enslavement. The Indian subcontinent was a alave to British rule, no matter how you try to slice and dice it.

[@tmgasia]

The Indians had quite a run. I think the rise of the "born brahmin" movement was the main cause for their fall. I'm sure many modern brahmins will be triggered/incensed by this. But I do see the correlations. As the Chola kings under guidance by said group started their raiding and bullying, it foretold the fall in ancient indian influence. And whats the point of striving if you're not born into the privileged group in a system so rigid. I'm glad today they are starting to veer away from accepting their rigid caste ideas, though I still think that shift is in the infancy stage.

[@dsbdsb6637]

@@tmgasia Rigid caste ideas never existed rather caste has been transforming constantly since first human communities came into being like nomadic communities Vs. settled communities one of the first division among humans. 2 books might help you - Land and Society in Early South Asia Eastern India 400-1250 AD Beyond Caste by Sumit Guha And here is the real kicker - Arthashastra advises Kings to form alliances with forest community leaders & calls such kings best aka Mandala Kingship.

[@upadhyayrathiraj1518]

​@@tmgasiaStop bugging the Brahmins. You people have been doing this for hundreds of years, still failed. It proves, wrong concepts don't succeed.

[@tmgasia]

@@upadhyayrathiraj1518 failed? I think it has worked... thats why so many are leaving the "system" of adulating the unworthy... I see you're triggered. I'm guessing you claim to be a "brahmin"... but lets face the fact, at best you're an academic, you have little to no actual spiritual calling. You've gained from a system that benefits you and you don't care that it has crippled the masses. I've been to India and it's such a shame. India could be so much more but as long as they cling to this outdated idea it will always be crippled.

[@avitee5308]

I agree fully. There was, and still lingers, a concerted effort to minimize India's contributions to the world. The West falls over itself to praise and applaud the contributions of now defunct cultures like the ancient Greeks, Romans, especially the Mesopatamians, etc, but do the opposite for the few existing continuous ancient cultures like those in India and other parts of Asia.

[@Hypocritial]

Winston Churchill said "India is a geographical term. It is no more a united nation than the Equator". That sums up British attitude towards India

[@motodog6542]

Pigs opinion

[@RavalVibha]

It is to disregard Hindu excellence

[@supersaiyan460]

India is not a empire India is a civilization

[@sundarsubramaniam7274]

Churchill was a piece of garbage.

[@oakridgemall-8jl2h9f]

@@RavalVibha Excellence in Sati and Thuggeery.

[@harism5589]

We know why Europeans went crazy to search for India about 400 years ago. That was the motivation for Cristofer Columbus and Wasco De Gama. Go find the land of Gold and un-imaginable wealth. Even before that time, Arabs, Turks (not today's Turky, today it is Turkmenistan) and Moguls came for the enormous wealth in this land!! The wealth was not just gold and precious stones, the wealth of knowledge accumulated over the years in spectrum of subjects, world's biggest universities, best Rushi and Muni (teachers).

[@mr.mousefred6498]

The search was not for India but for a Sea route to India.

[@aakashnair5170]

@@mr.mousefred6498 potehto potahto

[@vinsin328]

Nope, European were always riched that Indian historically. They wanted to come to India and want to expand understanding of earth. All Indian universities were destroyed a long time ago. They came to establish universities in India and to become teacher and to make you civilized. A Brahmavadi think he is above a Rishi and has banned beef and even meat for Hindus.

[@vidhisingh260]

OMG!! I had so much fun hearing this podcast! I admire William Dalrymple and love to hear him speak! thank you for this!

[@anniemaraj8773]

Why Sanjeev Sanyal is more educated on the topic

[@Batega_toh_Katega_Hindu_108]

@@anniemaraj8773 I agree

[@MrDebranjandutta]

This man knows more about India, than most Indians will ever know in their lifetimes. Always a treat to listen to him; he's such an ethereal storyteller and am so glad he's ageing like fine Goan fenny

[@vijaygarikipati6087]

He is a historian with Indology focus. That’s expected. He may still have biases. Most historians do theorize. Therefore supplement it with archeology.

[@MrDebranjandutta]

@@vijaygarikipati6087 yes am aware, read his seminal book City of Djinns during College and have been a fan of his literary works ever since

[@anniemaraj8773]

Nope Sanjeev Sanyal a Economist knows much more

[@MrDebranjandutta]

I've been a fan of his since Djinns. He's more of a storyteller than a sphincter puckered historian. Hence Im a bhakt

[@upadhyayrathiraj1518]

May be according to you. For me, he is just one of those fools.

[@blandingscastle3729]

Had the same things been said by a brown or black Hindu, Ash and Company would have called him Far Right wing Hindoooo..😅

[@krushna4181]

He's being called "bjp agent" already 😂

[@rosh_lal_music]

The difference is Dalrymple isn't saying India's historical achievements are the result of innate 'Hindu' genius, he's saying it's the result of the work of people living in a particular territory in conversation with other cultures.

[@abhig6903]

@@rosh_lal_music their never existed a religion called Hinduism, hindu is a geographical identity of that particular territory

[@karthiksudershan5373]

Exactly! Well said.

[@kpdwivedi1672]

So true

[@tshrinivas]

No doubt India dominated the world economically & socio-culturally during the first millennium but that unique accomplishment was eclipsed in the second millennium when imperial Islamic & colonial European powers overwhelmed it militarily. When India once again becomes a super power, the world will revalidate India's ancient glory; albeit grudgingly.

[@upadhyayrathiraj1518]

Grudgingly, rightly said.

[@dreamstate5047]

India needs to forget its Past glory, it has to create the present glory, it wont be easy for us.

[@oomz1975]

Never forget, that's exactly what the rest of the world wants.​@@dreamstate5047

[@Thanisha375]

💯

[@hari4406]

It was not just 1 millenium. It takes much longer to develop this much culture. Mahabharata war for example happened near 5000 BCE. Ramayana much more before that. Even our own epic says about the arrival of dark age after Mahabharata war. The history of what happened during dark age is clear. It was downfall of culture that existed before that. This is why everyone thought world was only 2000 years old up until a few centuries before.

[@jonathandunn9302]

I love these down streams, love hearing about topics that don't always get the attention they deserve

[@Emma-r5k]

This information here is not correct

[@notinterested8452]

@@Emma-r5kyes it is a hate campaign and counts as revisionist not fact.

[@नागशक्ति_का_वारिस]

​@@Emma-r5k We'll see 😏

[@ayushgaurincredible]

He is just passing you half knowledge. India is more than that.

[@ayushgaurincredible]

He is just passing you half knowledge. India is more than that.

[@teesha789]

Imagine a world without the influence of Indian spirituality.

[@achinoy]

Somehow that spirituality didnt help people overcome the caste-sytem, the most brutal repressive system of discrimination known to man.

[@hypergg681]

@@achinoy cast system was made what it is today by one and only britishers

[@nikhilkulkarni9719]

​@@achinoycaste system came much later.... It was Varna system We have evidences in Gita and Mahabharat that it was not based on the birth before..... So it slipped in quite later.

[@ChhabiRandhari]

​@@achinoy we have not created caste system. We created Varna System not by Birth but by deed, virtue, and nature.

[@amoghavarshanripatunga]

​@@achinoy "Most repressive system of discrimination known to man" seriously?? I mean, it was terrible. But come on 😅 Slavery, indentured servitude, living under sharia as a non Muslim, there are plenty that were/are far worse.

[@risingsun9064]

India has a long history of ship building and navy. The Maratha Empire, the last empire of India also had a fierce navy.

[@anthonydsouza7174]

@@risingsun9064 EVEN BEFORE THE MARATHAS 5000 YEARS AGO.INDIAN SHIPS SAILED ALL OVER OUR PLANET 🌍

[@risingsun9064]

@@anthonydsouza7174 Yes, Indian artifacts from the Saraswati-Sindhu civilization (SSC) have been found at several other civilizational sites like Mesopotamia, Egypt etc. indicating naval trade over monsoon winds. SSC was the biggest civilization estimated to be larger than all the other contemporaries combined. Also, not to forget, the east coast of India used to do extensive trade with China and South-East where they had very high civilizational influence.

[@free.thinker.]

Yes they had ships on sea. All over the planet. All were satisfied. Dont know why the invaders on simple horses could spoil it all it that was a fact. Or british could rule if people were so thoughtful. Slaves to West indies n south africa wud be someone else

[@HonestCyberCat]

Mahabharata is clearly depicting the entire world and is not just limited to the Indian subcontinent.

[@saddha1]

Yeah, hindu “epics” have all the kings couldn’t have kids and needed brahmins and Parashuram killed all kshatriyas. Hindus have fake literature.

[@victormunagapati4643]

Then why there were no role for people out side India in Mahabaratha...? So you are wrong.

[@devkh-j4q]

@@victormunagapati4643the Queen Gandhari was present day Afghanistan, and she had a curse given to the land.

[@HonestCyberCat]

@@victormunagapati4643 It's not a movie, it's the "Theory of everything"...like how the world works.

[@HonestCyberCat]

@@devkh-j4q Mahabharata is so old that it's possible no one lived further from present day Afghanistan or around in that period.

[@Rishi123456789]

We Indian Hindus were the first people to declare anywhere in the world thousands of years ago through our Vedic scriptures "Vasudhaiva kutumbakam" (which in Sanskrit means "The world is one family"). Furthermore, Lord Krishna also states in the Bhagavad Gita in Chapter 5, Verse 18: "The learned, with the eyes of divine knowledge, see with equal vision a priest, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater." Also, we Indian Hindus were the first people to declare anywhere in the world thousands of years ago through our Vedic scriptures the fundamental oneness of all living things, for example the Katha Upanishad says: "As the same fire assumes different shapes when it consumes objects differing in shape, so does the one Self take the shape of every creature in whom He is present." Furthermore, we Indian Hindus were the first people to declare anywhere in the world thousands of years ago through our Vedic scriptures that we are all Pure Consciousness, which is infinite and eternal, experiencing life in a temporary human form (you can call Pure Consciousness 'God' if you want, but I don't, because the word 'God' has limiting religious connotations that I would rather avoid). India is the bridge that connects the West to the East. India is connected to the West (in places like America, Europe and Australia) through the Indo-European language family, while India is connected to the East (in places like China, Korea and Japan) through the Indian religion of Buddhism. We Indian Hindus have ALL the wisdom, strength and intelligence we need, the only thing most of us Indian Hindus lack today is SELF-RESPECT and we NEED to regain our self-respect NOW, my fellow Indian Hindus. BHARAT WILL RISE AGAIN!

[@letuscube5096]

Which Veda says Vasudev Kutumbakam ?

[@raisalazar2586]

@@letuscube5096

[@harilal1802]

Bharat or India is rising and no one can stop it ,Truth will prevail ,one day every one will know India ruled & loved the world in the past & now in the future!!!jai Hind Jai Sita Ram Fiji 🇫🇯 Australia

[@Rishi123456789]

@@harilal1802 I completely agree with you.

[@vinsin328]

You confused between Hinduism and Brahmavad. There is no cow in HInduism. Vedanta is just one of the philosophy of Hinduism.

[@AnBreadanFeasa]

Absolutely first class video and interview... love it. I knew much of the fragments... Hindu numerals, algebra and algorithms, Alexander the Great and the Mongols, but this stitched so many threads together. Thank you, Novara and Ash... and of course, William.

[@itaz6276]

Hindu numerals? You mean Indian numerals - created by Indian Buddhists and expanded in mathematics and algebra by an Uzbekistan Muslim .. India is a mixing pot of culture and language

[@user-g5hdk8a7]

@@itaz6276 Hindu was basically a geographical term used for Hind/India. Meaning Hindu and Indian are interchangble in historical terms. Buddhists and all living in Hind are also Al Hindi

[@muzzletov]

the term algorithm is of arabic origin. no one invented algorithms. the idea behind what an algorithm is is the important contribution. algebra is attributed to the arab world as well. you dont seem to have a firm grasp of the matter. maybe read some books on what an algorithm is.

[@NirajSingh-hv8jd]

Also the Vedic Dharma which has survived 4000 to 5000 years started as an animistic religion and then evolved with changing times to take modern shape. You are in a denial if you don't accept this. Even the anti hindu leftist historian don't subscribe to your view.

[@rtry2072]

@@muzzletovalgebra and trigonometry originate in India. As does simple arithmetic, the numeral system we all use, the decimal based positional number system with zero and base 10, negative numbers, much of geometry and pre calculus, binary numbers, the Fibonacci sequence, and many fundamental theorems of mathematics. So does steel, bronze, cotton clothing, surgery, wireless communication, sugar, spices, diamond mining, and much of medicine and philosophy and astronomy. India has played an invaluable role in creating the modern world

[@johnholmes2490]

Wonderful that Novara Media is not just a political stopping off point. The wider your menu of programmes is, the greater you will grow this site. Excellent interview!

[@SusieGee1]

And this doesnt allow NOVA to spread falsehood and misinformation

[@biggpicture2930]

Pure Fakery... Hindu caste forbid sea travel... Brahmins face ex communication and relegation to lower caste.... is the penalty..

[@gregorystevens6540]

🎉🎉🎉

[@fuzzbang]

@@johnholmes2490 excellent observation, I loved this aspect of novara

[@kbur9292]

Underneath the topic, he holds a purely liberal/progressive perspective that is quite obvious for anyone to see.

[@kucchbecho]

In every start of ritual in India, or wherever Hinduism is. The start with Jambudweep(bigger continent), Bharatkhande(subcontinent), Bharatvarshe(India), then regional name like Nepal desha, Vidarbha, or any desh, region, then name, gotra, it is like saying our address

[@YAKUi56772]

in peru you can see trident made by indra

[@ittiamgg]

Not just the places but also their geo location (Meru hu dakshinayine or located south of mount Meru), they also mention the present Manu (e.g. Vaivasvat is the current Manu or the son of Brahma from whom we all originate, the lineage of the sage (Atri, Brighu, Vishwamitra etc) during Sankalpa (or commitment, promise) that someone is making. They also mention the current day, the Nakshatra (star) and any other important aspect (e.g full moon or new moon day), to bear witness to the promise. So the whole thing goes like: .. bhu lok-e, pratham-e padhe, Vaivasvata manvantar-e (in the era of the Vaivasvat manu), meroho dakshinayine, Jambu dweep-e Bharata varsh-e Bhararta Kand-e, Kausika Gotr-e (from the lineage of Sage Kaushika) , Greeshma ruthow (summer),pournamaasyam subha-thithow (auspicious full moon day), Rohini Nakshatr-e (the star constellation seen on the day, Rohini) and then at the end the name of the person undertaking the oath or promise. It is just beautiful. An ancient way of making a legally binding contract with the universe 😀

[@tusharmaharjan8641]

@@YAKUi56772 so you think no other people around the world have idea of trident?

[@whitelotus2960]

​@@tusharmaharjan8641chinis aren't invited to speak here.

[@ant713m]

​@tusharmaharjan8641 how were indians slaves? The Nepal gurka fought for British in wars. What does that make them? Don't divide. Nepal ppl are hindu too. Nepal was always considered a rajya ie. An independent state but part of Bharatvarsa

[@thomasthomasphilp4393]

The concept of Zero stems from Indian spiritual concept of nothingness. The first zero is carved inside a Hindu temple in India.

[@saipriyaramji2940]

yes but not just zero.. 0 to 10 and the basics of arithmetics and algebra was exported from India to Arabia and then got repackaged a little for the west where it took on the Arabic name.

[@Alienn-ó_ò]

This was actually one of the causes that Zero was invented in India because their civilisation had a concept of Nothingness unlike many other civilisations at that time

[@selvarajanmuthiah8180]

India is a great county earlist human being migrated from Africa to India from India they migrated to other parts of the world

[@arnabroy1206]

Imagine! You won't be using zero n not the other number in thr system right? In circumstantial manner, it seems arabians copied whatever they understood n propagated it as their own, once not understood were left behind! # ALGEBRA

[@yellostallion]

Infinity

[@kasturiswami784]

William truly loves India.

[@Pinku-k4e]

Perhaps! But, I remember his fascination with the Mongols or Mughals. Most of his earlier books were about them, then the last king of Afghanistan.

[@Batega_toh_Katega_Hindu_108]

lol. gullible

[@radhikamaganda1335]

-5000 yeara ago, there were poems that we all are Bharatiya. -1000 years ago when invaders from Middle East invaded India, every person from any Kingdom screamed they were Bharatiya/Hindustani. - During British Raj we all know we proudly said we are Bharatiya. -in 2024, if you go to a local Indian and ask in his local language, he would just say a synonym of Bharatiya. The unity and sense of a country was always there. Don't let the world fool you to think that India was not a country before.

[@prikkeldraad7112]

Instead of prideful boasting, be more like Dalrymple and spend your time reading scholarly works.

[@2596mr]

@@prikkeldraad7112he is a bit boasting. But ideas that there was no indian identity that gets screamed everywhere why dont you stand up against that?

[@praveenpillay4329]

Chup baat. Gawar. Seems the whole conversation went above your head

[@vinsin328]

Dude 1800 yrs back Brahmavad started and India was complete destroyed 1400 yrs back.

[@radhikamaganda1335]

@@vinsin328 Bro Brahmavad came and went, vaishanvad came and went, shivad came and went, even buddhist invasions came and went, sikh invasions, arab invasions, british invasions. But still today we all stanidng here as Indians right? Why do you people not understanding my point and trying to support division in India? Why?

[@gangalatharva]

We were exporting natural silk merchandise to European countries when they were basically started using animal hide.

[@Revivalism23]

Now it's opposite

[@pokemonitishere202]

​@@Revivalism23 Every country has it's own golden age. India had it in the ancient times, Brits 100 years ago, the US now & china in future

[@martin96991]

​​@@Revivalism23its not opposite, INDIA is reviving and remember its a developing country which is still far more powerful than developed UK. It will next superpower after the US & china.

[@desiroyalrishigaming1246]

​@@pokemonitishere202 No country name like china found in future... Mark my words note this...!

[@dexstewart2450]

@@martin96991 Sounds like someone who's never lived there...

[@poorchef1895]

There's an article that got published in the Guardian a week or so ago about "How Ancient India shaped the west ". And it was really eye opening for me atleast

[@dsbdsb6637]

He wrote it.

[@ĀRYAN_GENE]

what!! Guardian saying good stuff about India , lol what is changing in air

[@dsbdsb6637]

@@ĀRYAN_GENE Nothing, it is better to use one aligned with you than to accept mistake & allow other's space which challenge you.

[@shreeniwaz]

Yes. India has led the world for millennia.. Right from the concept of marriage to astronomy and from a gold based valuation system to use of fabric.. countless different things and concepts have been introduced to the world by India.. Proud to be an Indian.. 🙏🏻🇮🇳

[@nimishsharma4203]

huh? what were the Egyptians doing with gold if Indians were the ones to use it first? I guess all Egyptians were naked then according to your logic

[@__Martiandodo]

Some hyper nationalist people be like kisi ko kya hi pata chalega 😅 Ancient India was certainly very rich in every aspect but not the later or Modern day Indians ​@@nimishsharma4203

[@hypergg681]

@@nimishsharma4203 both "discovered" individually at different places and helped the places nearby, I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION AND YOU WON'T YAP ANY FURTHER.

[@siddeshnaik2296]

@@nimishsharma4203 Indian civilization is way older than Egypt

[@nimishsharma4203]

@@siddeshnaik2296 what is Indian civilization? if you are referring to Indus valley, that is dominantly Pakistan and Afghanistan. There was no India, hence there was no Indian civilization.

[@Advaitamanta]

Entire modern civilization is built upon ancient hindu/Indic knowledge. Mathematics, physics, Spirituality, Philosophy all can be traced back to India. Indians were producing advanced works in physics, Consciousness, mathematics, nature of reality, aesthetic/Art, architecture, Medicine, Philosophy +1500 years ago. Defeated Calipahte +3 times, Defeated/Resisted muslims invasion for over 800 years straight, a small chieftain of India almost defeated Alexander.

[@Advaitamanta]

@Fatehali-yg3ky lol "Lalitaditya Muktapida and Yashovarman of Kannauj checked the Arabs in Punjab, although Al-Hakam conquered Gujarat and parts of Rajasthan, the Arabs were decisively defeated at Navsari in 739 CE by Avanijanashraya Pulakeshin, a general of Vikramaditya II." now go and read about the house of mewar. a single dynasty that defeated caliphate, slave dynasty, delhi sultanate, Mughals, Malwa sultanate, Gujrat sultanate, Lodhi dynasty. couldn't conquer us at our lowest and at your peak.

[@johnmckiernan2176]

@@rtry2072 If the Dalits converted, why do the Dalits still exist as a caste group in their millions? And was almost the entire Indus Valley (now Pakistan) entirely inhabited by Dalits? Smells like nonsense.

[@Advaitamanta]

@@johnmckiernan2176 Dalits reproduction rate is far higher than upper caste hindus. It's a known fact that +98% muslims of subcon are ajlafs. Ajlaf is a term used for converts that were from lower castes. Ofc, not all are dalit converts. Some of them are cowards from Upper Caste that chose islam over fighting for your dharma

[@johnmckiernan2176]

@@Advaitamanta It's a known fact? Source: trust me bro. No possible way most of Pakistan was originally Dalit. Not a mote of possibility.

[@rtry2072]

@@johnmckiernan2176 it was mostly Dalit though my brother in Christ. Look up the IVC and its social system. It had a Caste System in Place always, wherein the people with the most AASI/SAHG were always at the bottom of the hierarchy socially and economically. That is why genetic samples from the region show a cline of AASI admixture that increases from West to East and North to South, with high AASI samples being the most numerous. When the Aryans invaded, they simply assimilated into the preexisting system of social stratification. The people with the least AASI were always a small minority and the rest were either Brahmins, Vaishyas, Chamars or Dalits. Dalits being the most numerous due to the fact that they had the most AASI. Which is why Aryans were able to preserve their ancestral heritage and DNA for centuries and generations through endogamy. By the way, Pakistan and India didn’t exist back then, India itself is named after the Indus River which is currently in Pakistan, but back then it was a loosely defined region with people of different ethnic extractions and origins and different levels of admixture from the natives. The endonym of India is Bharat, which is what that entire region of South Asia was historically called before the British appended a name to it.

[@Just_forfun9140]

Invention of Indian numbers that we use in this world got to be the reason where we are in technology of all sorts, otherwise horse and buggy would still be in use with Roman numbers. This decimal number system uplifted humans, its as significant as when humans became what we are, i.e. deviated from chimps. Read that they also invented other number systems, such as octal. Decimal system is so simple, we take it for granted, its way beyond genius.

[@lallyoisin]

FYI Vigesimal/base 20: Many countries used a base 20 number system. So I'll start with french. quatre-vingts (4*20) is 80. The Breton celts like the old Irish were using a base 20 in their mathematics. Greeks and Roman's used base 10. Decimal. Ireland's language morphed from base 20 to 10 with British occupation. I would argue that 'score' (scoru in old english most likely came from Africa "oru" means 20. Sc(or)u/gold was measured in forearm lengths and the number 20 is at the end of forearm according to Aztec measurements. (Yes mesoamerican Aztecs) There are thousands of languages but these seem to be the prominent ones with Vigesimal/base 20: Manx, Cornish, Breton, Irish, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Yoruba(W Africa), Tzotzil(Mayan 1800bc -250ad ), Alamblak (Papua New Guinea ), Supyire (Niger Congo) mix Danish(messy but 20 is fractioned after 50) Babylonian (base 60) Aztecs (1300 to 1521) Shigir Idol (siberia 11500 years old) French (from breton above?) Inuit languages (Kaktovik Inupiaq numerals) Khmer Cambodia language derived from sanskrit Basque Egypt Galician Possibly Ainu (japan) Uyghur Chinese If you want to build structures that are based on stars, equinox and solstice as some people did here in Ireland more than five and half thousand years ago then 20 is more useful for hours, minutes, days and also 360° in later times. People and animals were also counted in 20s. Just because greeks sumerians wrote things down it doesn't mean it wasn't wide spread knowledge. In Ireland for example the druids passed on information in song and poetry- training took 20 years oddly enough There is no best system... There's simply the one which suits the current culture. Counting money, unfortunately, is the current culture. Where we fit in the universe - not so important.

[@rtry2072]

@@lallyoisin you’re completely wrong I’m afraid. The Indian numeral system is unique in being the only decimal-based, positional number system, with symbols designating values, that also uses zero as a numeral. There is no equivalent to it in the world. Also Indian mathematics has provided a foundation for the world.

[@kanika0846]

Ikrr! The current number system is given by Hindus specifically which was translated by Arabs. But today we call them arab numerals. Why? Just because they translated our texts? The same happened with Fibonacci series. Fibonacci only translated it but still we call it Fibonacci series.

[@ario2264]

That's funny seeing as none of the development of modern technology, science and civilization happened in India, it all happened in Europe or the West whilst India remained medieval until recently.

[@rtry2072]

@@ario2264 it’s not funny. It’s common sense. Modern tech is built on ancient tech and ideas and knowledge. And ancient tech and knowledge was developed primarily in India and China and the Middle East. Even a lot of modern tech has been developed in the Far East and by immigrants to the West. It’s not like what you’re describing at all.

[@interested-q4d]

yes, it was William told me about the part the methodist church played in the Indian mutiny pulling down mosques and Hindu temples until it all kicked off 1857 in Cawnpore. Very educational.

[@BenBebbington]

Shameful bit of Methodist history, thank you for letting me know

[@kusumvyas7446]

Kanpur

[@rnandkumar]

Superbly engrossing. I wish all his books and research could be used to make documentaries.

[@ibrahimwaheed1431]

What an amazing interaction! Thank you from Ibrahim Waheed (Maldives)

[@marcodem3]

Thank you very much for this interview. It helped me decide on my next major at my university: Indology. I also enjoyed the English of both interviewees.

[@meowman7926]

I think the word Hindu Nationalism is a bit misleading, the word Indian Exceptionalism is something much closer to the ideology that's been popular in current Indian consciousness.

[@SayakKolay]

Bingo, you pinpointed it correctly ! To call them nationalists is to give them far more credit than they deserve. Nothing but a bunch of wannabe tin pot dictators, with a flair for using words such as nationalism, decolonialisation, etc. to do the things they want to, mould society as they wish to, and to keep people angry all the time because of imaginary issues.

[@wanderingmystic6968]

You said it. I will borrow it with your permission. Indian exceptionalism or Excusivity

[@RR-pc7yv]

@@wanderingmystic6968 Hindus are not exclusive. Neither as people nor as a religion.

[@mauricehalfhide3982]

good point

[@etiprasad5977]

And besides being nationalist doesn't mean that you don't criticize things that are terrible and need to be reformed or corrected😊 Being nationalist isn't bad but at the same time we should always strive for betterment. BJP is not a Hindu nationalist party...no matter what he claims.

[@anilbiz8921]

-- Besides the languages descended from Vedic, there are many languages in the world which are not Vedic in origin but which contain a great number of Vedic Sanskrit words. In some cases the number is greater than that of some Vedic descendants. For example, among the Dravidian languages (drámil → drávil → dráviŕ → támil), the proportion of Sanskrit words in Malayalam is greater than that of the pure Vedic language Kashmiri. There is also a great abundance of Sanskrit words in Telugu and Kannad. In both the Thai and Indonesian languages, there is such an abundance of Sanskrit words that it exceeds that of Pashtu,(1) a direct descendant. Those languages which are not descendants of Vedic or Sanskrit, but which contain a great abundance of Sanskrit or Vedic words, we can call snigdha tadbhava [adopted descendants]. Each member of the Malay group of languages of southeast Asia (Malay, Sumatran, Balian, Javan, Tagalog, etc.) is an “adopted descendant”. The amount of adopted descent among the Indo-Burman languages is not equal in each case; the greatest affinity to Vedic among these languages is found in the Thai language (Siamese). There is no other language existing outside of India that has such a large Vedic and Sanskrit vocabulary. Although there is some small Chinese influence in the pronunciation of the Siamese language and dialects, the influence of the Gaod́iiya (Bengali) style of Sanskrit pronunciation is significantly greater. The reason for this is most likely because a prince of Rarh, Sahasrabahu, founded his kingdom there in ancient times. After conquering parts of Thailand and Malaysia, he annexed them into his own kingdom and named his capital Singhapur (Singapore) after the capital of Rarh.(2) Since the country was always shyámala [green] he named it Shyámadesh. In recent times the name of Shyámadesh has been changed, of course, but the word shyáma(3) is still quite current in the peopleʼs daily life there. Anyhow, Sahasrabahuʼs conquest of Siam took place approximately two thousand years ago. While staying in Thailand this fact especially attracted this writerʼs ear. Many words that were used in the Bengali of that time (Eastern Demi-Mágadhii) still survive today in their original form in the Thai language. As a final word I will add that without the proper cultivation of the Sanskrit language, it is impossible, not only in the field of the science of language, but also in the world of psychic expression, to be considered a true scholar or learned person. The cultivation and teaching of Sanskrit is indispensable in the world of education. And although it is a little off the subject, it is good to mention here that as far as race or community or nation goes, while the Bengalees are Austrico-Mongolo-Negroid with little Aryan influence, the Bengali language is of pure Sanskrit lineage. Footnotes [1] We get the word pashtu from the Vedic word páshcáttya which means “native of the west”: pashcát + tyauṋ. It must have two “taʼs” plus y added to the consonants. [2] Singur in present-day Hoogly District. [3] Siam is the English corruption of shyám. -Trans. Shrii P R Sarkar Source: Eka to Ekáuṋga (Discourse 12) Published in: Shabda Cayaniká Part 2

[@VN_creator]

Man , Tamil can withstand without single Sanskrit word

[@LexChaoticus]

People argue about which civilization came first and not what we can learn from them. This adds more pieces to the puzzle for my understanding of the past, thank you!

[@MyKarur]

Brilliant job Ash. William is a true intellectual with so much depth that India owes him big time for this in-depth focus on India again

[@NirajSingh-hv8jd]

Thank you for uploading an interview by William Dalrymple. I am currently reading his book "The Anarchy: The relentless rise of East India Company". It's a great read.

[@RR-pc7yv]

A garbage work...

[@NirajSingh-hv8jd]

@@RR-pc7yv and a great insightful comment by you.

[@RR-pc7yv]

@@NirajSingh-hv8jd I've read excerpts of it and that book of Dalrymple is riddled with factually objectively incorrect assertions, horrible mistakes and inaccuracies. I've read lots of reviews of it by other researchers and historians. And I agree with them. It's a waste of money and time to spend on this book of him.

[@shriphani]

Love all of William Dalrymple's work. On the topic of Indian civilizational identity, Sanskrit prayer preambles (Sankalpam) often refer to the subcontinent as a whole unit (and not the political pieces within): kaliyuge - prathame pade - jambudwepe - bharata varshe bharatha kande (Kali yuga - first quarter - jambudvipa - (which I've been taught is the Indian subcontinent, South East Asia, Tibet) - bharatavarsha (which is the modern indian subcontinent) - bharata-khanda which I guess is India. The Sankalpam is ancient - we see these words appear in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and still use it in the present day.

[@Gobble-xh9br]

"In the Mahabharata there is not a single reference to the Greeks" - this is completely wrong, there are multiple reference to the Greeks in the Mahabharata. In fact the Sanskrit word for the Greek people, yavana-, occurs many more times in the Mahabharata than in any other ancient Indian text

[@zzzzz653]

But it is a false idea equating Yavana with Greeks. Very very ancient texts make mention of a Yavana kingdom in the NW of India and it is bad logic to assume that those texts must be only alluding to the Greeks only. History is often more mysterious than we imagine it to be.

[@Gobble-xh9br]

@@zzzzz653 And you didn't read my post properly. Nowhere does it say that the word yavana refers only to the Greeks. I don't know what you mean by "very very ancient texts" - the word first occurs in Pāṇini, where it designates 'people from the West'. It occurs again in the Gautamadharmasūtra, where it probably has a similar meaning. But in the Mahābhārata, the word is used many times to refer to the Greeks. There is plenty of scholarship on this.

[@zzzzz653]

@@Gobble-xh9br most of the scholarship on this subject is trash. Can you show me a single Greek name in Mahabharata ? If not, what makes you believe that it is referring to only the Greeks and not just some obscure people from the northwest ? Gautama Dharmashastra is likely older than Panini and both of them are older than 500 BC. Furthermore, early Buddhist texts also mention that during the time of Buddha’s birth there was a Yavana kingdom in the northwest. How can we assert that this is all a reference to Greeks only ? Let us not forget that a lot of Indian history writing continues on the colonial bias that was there during the colonial period of history research. One of these biases was the implicit thinking that ancient Greeks were superior and older than Indians and that the Greeks must have somehow influenced the Indians. Therefore appeal to scholarship is of little value.

[@Gobble-xh9br]

@@zzzzz653 No, Pāṇini is clearly older since the Gautamadharmasūtra conforms to Pāṇinian rules of Sanskrit (unlike the older Āpastambhadharmasūtra). And Pāṇini's dates are closer to 400 BC, certainly not older than 500 BC. As to yavana, the point is that they are clearly distinguished from other peoples from the northwest in the Mahābhārata, and the word itself is cognate with Prakrit yona and Old Persian yauna, the latter referring directly to Ionia, the Greek lands conquered by Darius around 500 BC.

[@zzzzz653]

@@Gobble-xh9br Panini does not date to 400 BC. In recent years a large and influential group of western scholars are trying to bring down the antiquity of Indian history even further than what it was during the colonial period. They also now claim that Buddha lived in 400 BC. Stop believing every crap they come out with. FYI, cognate is a word with the same meaning that comes from shared descent in one or more related languages which originate from a single ancestral language. For example - gau in Sanskrit and cow in English or Agni in Sanskrit & ignis in Latin. If Yona is a borrowing from Persian Yauna it cannot be a cognate. Secondly you don’t know what Yavana or Yona meant for ancient Indians. So how do you know that it is even a borrowing from Persian ? Just because the words sound similar does not mean they are the same.

[@BrightSparksAsia]

Brilliant interview. I lived in a certain house Willy wrote about, before he moved into it. And yet, I've never been a fan of his copious writing on other subjects, but on history, he is simply masterful. I'm going to get that book and will be a WD fan forever. Thank you.

[@BibhukalyanPradhan]

India used export "saltpeter " which is the major constituent in making gunpowder to the world. Indians in mediaeval times used refined saltpetre to cool down water for making to serve chill flavorful summer drink as "sharbat ".jai hind 🇮🇳 ❤

[@pranav21047]

As per Ramayan text, Sugreev sends his army to 4 directions - North East West South - in search for Sita. Before sending them, he instructs them where to start, where to go, which landscapes they will find, which people they will meet, etc. He explains the Geography, Demography, Political conditions of all the places in these 4 directions starting from central India. In North - he explains till Siberia In East - he explains till Peru - Andes mountain In South - he explains till Antartica In West - he explains till end of Alps This proves that ancient Indian people were travelling all around the globe. The time of Ramayan war is 12209 BC.

[@enlightnedsoul4124]

@@pranav21047 പ്വോളിച്ചു 👌

[@hawkingdawking4572]

Bunch of lies.

[@enlightnedsoul4124]

@@hawkingdawking4572 you have never even read Ramayanam

[@pranav21047]

@@hawkingdawking4572 Explain how they are lies?

[@hawkingdawking4572]

@@pranav21047 Which one of those are true? 12209 BC? Is it some kind of a comedy?

[@suraj1311]

Arab work on surgery was copy past working of Susurata samihita. It should be popular fact but people don't know it. Manka (Indian physician in the court of Harun al-Rashid-766CE) translated Susrata Samhita to Persian; used by Ibn Sina (Avicenna) whose medical texts formed foundation of European medicines. Proof of my claims. 1)- The herbs and medicinal plants mentioned by arabs in surgery don't grow in desert of arabia. It grows in himalayan regions. 2)- Ancient text of Susurata samihita contains many surgical instruments. And knowledge of metallurgy was available in ancient times to make surgical tools.

[@SwatiGawade852]

Absolutely

[@aakashnair5170]

yea i was surprised when he mentioned surgery not being a thing. I get taught in Medical school that sushruta is the father of surgery. Im studying whr hes from in fact.

[@vinsin328]

True but India do not follow Susurata samihita anymore. For many Hindus Brahmavadi are more knowledgeable than Susurata samihita

[@winter_silhouette]

It's always a pleasure to listen to William Dalrymple.

[@kudaisiaduntola2523]

Big William Dalrymple fan. He has really opened my eyes to the workings of the East India Company. Thanks for this Ash!

[@anniemaraj8773]

Sanjeev Sanyal is better

[@utubetruthteller]

Christianity and Islam suppressed Indian history for so long

[@needmoarcheese]

Why blame others when ancient indian didn't even have a strong writing, reading and scholarly culture lol

[@Spr-no9oy]

​@needmoarcheese when libraries and written history was burned down systematically, the only thing that survived is the spoken knowledge

[@20shourya]

@@Spr-no9oy come on they had internet back then

[@kingflockthewarrior202]

​​@@Spr-no9oy and then you ask yourself what was the knowledge there. if it cannot protect itself from outsiders. are you implying outsiders have better knowledge.

[@Pinku-k4e]

@@20shourya. You may laugh, but they probably did. Old sculptures and carvings show what can only be cell phones, computers, sflying machines and space ships. Laugh if you will, but there is a character in the Mahabharat relating what is happening on the battlefield to the old king, when they are far, far away from where the battle is taking place.

[@CommanderAnuragSaxena]

A very enlightening discussion. Amazed by the knowledge of Mr William Dalrymple.

[@sanjayshah7776]

India might not have been united by a single political unit , but it was one large SANATAN DHARMA culture. The Rig Vedas also describe India as spanning from the mountains in the North to the oceans in the South. That is, different people back then were part of the Sanatan Dharma culture , despite multiple Kingdoms and ways of life

[@dsbdsb6637]

The current idea of political unit is itself the issue since it assumes & demands adherence to commonalities / lack of diversity as 'political' while in India state always remained contestable even after centralization by Islamic empire. Evolution of state power in subcontinent - Hindu-Buddhist {Mandala Kingship used mainly for SEA kingship but can be observed in Indian kingship too - loosely linked multiple polities} -> Persian / Islamic kingship {greater centralization & emergence of Religious boundaries} -> Colonizers & modernity {Nation-State hegemony}.

[@vinsin328]

True, they used to have beef and now we are ruled by Brahmavadi.

[@ajays5]

I am extremely impressed by Ash Serkar's questions. She is definitely very intelligent and did her homework.

[@ritag.adiyodi854]

I started reading William Darymple's books since the past 20 years. I always enjoyed them. Thank you.

[@sanjayshah7776]

I really like William Dalrymple, and he has a lot of knowledge ......but he totally brushes over the devastation of Islamic Invasions across Kashmir, right through, mostly Northern India abs parts of South India It is estimated by certain Western historians , that circa 100-150 million Hindus were slaughtered by Islamic Invaders, with tens of millions of Hindus were converted at the point of a sword to Islam abs thousands of ancient Temples were destroyed, desecrated or Mosque built over it. He simply totally ignores this huge devastation to what is circa a 10000 year amazing flourishing culture, civilisation and way of life

[@zzzzz653]

True. To the extent that he does not even mention Mahmud Ghaznavi, the greatest destroyer of medieval North India, in his book. It is as if he did not even exist. It is baffling.

[@PrajnaS108]

Not baffling! Doesn’t want his head separated from his body 😮

[@tubelz]

A 150 million were killed by swords?

[@aslamsaiyad]

cry baby

[@tnemeganam1]

@@zzzzz653 he was backed and supported by hindu kings

[@NasimSiddiqui-jb1uf]

India should be proud of its ancestors & glory of the past Many centuries have gone by & enlightenment must also keep pace with else all is lost

[@ObserverAndObserved]

45:10 love jihad is not a conspiracy. You wouldn’t believe how real it actually is if you lived in kerala for eg

[@margiewatts-carter6671]

Absolutely fascinating😯 I can not wait to read William Dalrymple's new book......all his tomes have been thrilling, and given me insights into this incredible country of my birth....India. Thank you William, thank you Ash Sarkar. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🐾🐯🌳🇮🇳🙏🏼🙏🏼💖💖

[@amien]

Ash, I've seen some of your TV appearances and what you're doing here is so much better. Thanks to you and your guest!

[@RajasPhadke]

I really object to calling the current elected government of India as hindu nationalist government. In that sense every elected government in England America or western countries should be christian nationalist governments and those of middle east are of course Islamic nationalist governments. Then refer to england and America as chritian governments too

[@Kali97]

Well, they literally believe India is the nation of and for Hindus, the fatherland of the Hindus etc.

[@atomoyoga]

As the great Jose Luis Borges used to say: “ think about something, well, the Indians already thought about it 3000 years ago “ ❤

[@angklungeds]

Great! Looking forward to hear from Will on Novara!

[@intello8953]

How is this comment 3 days 👀

[@wendylee8654]

Absolutely fascinating! I will be listening multiple times! Thank you for this presentation! Informative and enjoyable! ✨️🧡✨️

[@englishh100]

Such beautiful insights by William Dalrymple. I enjoyed the interview.

[@alizsyed6831]

Well done, Novara Media, Ash! Keep it up.

[@KingPekka13]

India was robbed of her wealth, now her children has to suffer. My Mother Land was Once the Most Beautiful of All on the Earth with Unmeasurable Wealth. Educate yourself, you will learn there are none like us. Love your Neighbor and Want Better for the Next Generation ☝🏻☝🏼☝🏽☝🏾☝🏿

[@ss-ib8gm]

Sri Lankan history has been manipulated by missionaries Dutch and British ……many of their politicians were Catholics now slowly coming back to Buddhism …….look at Bandaranaike family

[@upadhyayrathiraj1518]

The Portuguese destroyed the "tooth of Buddha" with much fanfare in Sri Lanka. The Lanka king offered huge amount of money and gold for the return of the same, but the Portuguese destroyed it anyway. That's what the Christians did all over the Indian subcontinent.

[@UserABC123-or4gh]

Looked at another way, if it wasn’t for the Portuguese empire, Sri Lanka would have been a Muslim country like the Maldives. The unintended long term result of Portuguese and Dutch rule in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) was the preservation of Buddhism and Hinduism on the island. Europe was too far away to have a lasting impact. Not so for Arabia. People need to understand the entire historical context.

[@bridgetwadane4392]

​@@UserABC123-or4ghWhat on earth are you writing? You cannot be well versed in the Islands history. The Portuguese rule in Sri Lanka heralded a period of profound suppression of Buddhist culture and the desecration and destruction of its Buddhist temples. Are you even acquainted with the numbers of forced conversions by the Portuguese invaders from Buddhism to Catholism by the sword? Some of their own historians write now with contrition on what they perpetrated on the Island nation's inhabitants. They were a profoundly malevolent presence on the Island for close to 150 years and the Dutch that replaced them were hardly better.

[@upadhyayrathiraj1518]

@@UserABC123-or4gh Is it written in the New Testament? 😂😂😂😂😂

[@UserABC123-or4gh]

Upadhyradishrag I don’t remember talking to you and I don’t know what you’re talking about. Probably because unlike you I’m not stuck in a post-colonialist racist caste and communalist mindset that oppressed Dalits and considers delusions of grandeur as facts. I’m asking Bridget whoever you are 1. Did the Portuguese and Dutch burn the greatest Buddhist University of its time at Nalanda? 2. Did the Portuguese and Dutch burn Anuradhapura and Pollonaruwa in Sri Lanka and kill all the Buddhist monks and impose a death penalty on practicing Buddhism in the 11th and 13th Century? You’re rather obsessed with these ethnicities aren’t you? There is a petty mindset that can’t differentiate between what happened 5 days ago and 500 or 1000 years ago. That’s the same mindset the blames and attacks all Tamil compatriots for what happened 1000 years ago. In Sri Lanka Buddhism has all but deteriorated into an ethnocentric, exclusive cult for politicians and rabble rousers, rather than properly practiced. I think today you will find more people practicing Buddhism correctly and far more knowledgeable on the subject in the West and East Asia.

[@SudhirSingh-rk1jk]

Thankyou Ash for bringing William Dalrymple, truly an eye opener indeed. We look forward how Indian history is impacted with in India and abroad.

[@shivamshrivastav3736]

This sort unbiased and neutral historical studies need to be done more. Congratulations on the book. I will definitely read it !

[@robinhazell6019]

Buddhism arrived in Thailand with King Asoka at Nakhorn Si Tammarat in the south. Even toady, the Thai Royal rituals are actually Hindu and NOT Buddhist.

[@fazer79]

They changed the name of the modified buddhist rituals to hindu rituals in india. There was no hinduism till persians came in 11th century.

[@anitha6249]

@@fazer79 😂 Dude, please. I am a serious student of hindu scriptures. Stop this!

[@priyanshsoni1271]

@@anitha6249 can u help which philosophical hindu scripture should i read?

[@51lkyw4y]

​@@priyanshsoni1271There isn't a more influential Hindu philosophical text than the Bhagavad Gita(It is my opinion, others might argue in favor of other texts or philosophies).

[@pokemonitishere202]

Buddhism itself is from India lol

[@mabrahamlee5]

Excellent. I could listen to Dalrymple all day. A favourite writer of mine. Thanks, Novara.

[@pkochujpkochuj]

Indians were & still are the most accomodative & adaptable people in the world. Thta is one reason we have too many language, food, religion & many other that one does not see in any other country. The Hindu way of living is the reason for it.

[@vinsin328]

They have become food terrorist. Beef ban, mean ban, garlic and onion ban, they can even kill you also.

[@Anime-Face.]

Thank you for the engaging discourse. It fills me with a profound sense of pride and privilege to be an Indian. Knowledge is indeed a powerful tool.

[@devvartvats2790]

Such a beautiful context about India that is shown in this video and he lives for 40 years that is very appreciative ❤❤

[@julian5883]

Utterly fascinating, thank you Ash/Novara and William!

[@KC-lc8dx]

This was fascinating! Thank you both!❤ from Canada

[@22051973jigu]

Till 500 - 700 yrs back everybody had a dream to come and explore India.

[@SwaminathanSingh-fg5cz]

Thank you mister ...i noticed you know Indian vedic history back of your hand than most Indians...i am from South Africa.

[@rockysalvatore7352]

@@SwaminathanSingh-fg5cz he's just a Western dude who's privileged to learn about this after all the power his ancestors stole. Not impressed

[@TusharSharma-k6h]

Love JIHAD is not a conspiracy theories We can see in some of the Munshi premchand stories from 1930.'s

[@lostangel9094]

atleast now they can realise it very much in UK😅. have you notice, since past few years ,the west is taunting us a little less than they used to do earlier, oh ho "human rights", "minority rights" ..blah blah blah

[@SleepingdragonKongming]

USA and other "western" nations used to call terrorist attacks in India as a "Law & Order Problem" ....and then 9/11 happened!

[@charlieg2262]

William Dalrymple’s breadth of knowledge really shines in this interview because he always has At Least 2 answers for every question!

[@charlieg2262]

​@@rockysalvatore7352 brother go outside. plus, where's the opinion?

[@gbhut]

Of course we need gora sahib to give us the "neutral" view

[@kingflockthewarrior202]

and obviously we need to buy gora sahibs book

[@Dariusdagr8]

Yep. Need. Gora Sahib to validate it.

[@richk5015]

we don't need, but when gora speaks other gore will listen. We should support thig guy.

[@ginger22ly]

Oh get into the 21st century and stop being petty. Move forward. Your identity has nothing to do with the Brits. Just feel good about your heritage period. No need to whine over others, oppressors though they may have been.

[@krishnachawla9147]

@@ginger22lyD45 trillion dollars worth of economic currency and 150 years of gurukula being destroyed, caste divisions being solidified, and war based partitions is nothing to be petty about. It’s about getting your respect back. Now fix your teeth.

[@lovenature2794]

the podcast you mentioned "Empire" is really amazing and very informative. Very excited about this book

[@GurjaapSinghOfficial]

Thanks

[@dilipsinha9242]

'Genghis Khan was scared of India' that's a bold statement

[@sbastaki]

Genghis was not scared of India. He in fact respected India because it was the land where Budha was born., and that is the reason it never attacked India

[@sbastaki]

He

[@manish7897]

​@@sbastaki correct, he wasn't scared, he would have easily decimated India at that time, as we're weak, after bloodlust islamist had made us weak at that time

[@MrRudra-]

truly a bold , i would say he wasn't interested ,as the scared mughals never dared to lay a scratch on Genghis Khan . also there was a major influence of India on Mangol at that time (influence started even before budha), he don't do it

[@MrRudra-]

@@sbastaki not totally , but yehh

[@AbhishekSingh-ip3xe]

I am so surprised that no Indian podcaster has invited Mr William or maybe he himself has declined to join any of them to promote his book. This is such a seminal work, especially in the context of the rising Indic-consciousness,

[@Dariusdagr8]

It's not a seminal work. He's just a latercomer hopping on to the bandwagon and trying to steer the narrative in his direction.

[@kraut1982]

This is a clear case of ‘Behti Ganga mein haath dhona. 💯 From James Princep & family, Schlegel,to Dalrymple many have made their wealth from India. This Dalrymple now wants to ride the wave of popular Nationalist top selling books in India. History is repeating itself, we are back to the era when westerners ‘rediscover’ India for the n th time, from Magasthenes in antiquity to William Jones in 18th century. Praise your way into hearts of gullible Indians and then over course of time make a U turn.

[@AbhishekSingh-ip3xe]

@@kraut1982 The entire Indian podcasting space right now is an example of "Behti Ganga Mein Haath Dhona." He wrote the book Anarchy on the excesses of the East Indian Company when the modern resurgence was barely in the nascent stage. Furthermore, if you have read some of his other previous works, including travelogues, he has clearly laid down a foundation for this work. As far as making money is concerned, a book on the ancient glory of India is not the most profitable subject. In today's information age, one can't write a book and then make a U-turn on the subject entirely.

[@AbhishekSingh-ip3xe]

@@Dariusdagr8 I don't remember the last time a popular historian wrote a book on the glory of ancient India and the contribution it has made to the world. He is not forcing anyone to read his book to perpetuate his narrative. Books, especially popular history books are probably the worst form of medium to push a narrative. News media, instant messengers, educational textbooks as well as fundamentalist religious works, etc are the best mediums for pushing narratives.

[@fixeltube]

India never existed before British rule but did exist Hindustan(way of living in similar life styles & culture) which excludes Aryans, Farsi & etc. No one talks about South India where all kingdoms & cultures are Brave, Glorious & Kind which is the result of today’s modern India!

[@नागशक्ति_का_वारिस]

I'm first time here, thanks for doing this 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@satyajitkanjilal3674]

I just bought the book a month ago !! Absolutely brilliant!!

[@aayushpaliwal3450]

I love it when these brown sahibs get an itch with the words 'hindu nationalist'. I get it, it's hard for an outsider with abrahmic upbringing to understand hindu psyche & community memories. And many hindus themselves have been brought up this way, for e.g. arundhati roy.

[@vijaygarikipati6087]

I wondered what “Hindu Nationalist” means. Is US “ Christian Nationalist”? Saudi- Muslim Nationalist”? As for Arundhati Roy, she is out there in the left horizon supported by the likes of Soros.

[@notinterested8452]

your speech is a bad imitation of Western Americans lol.

[@IndianTiger-0P]

​@@notinterested8452 All India did was casteism. A very harsh form of Racism. Thankfully the Britishers came in and taught these indi aryans a BIG BIG lesson 😂

[@sombose5584]

​@@IndianTiger-0P your ignorance is astonishing. The British concretized the caste system using census,, documentation- worth reading another Dalrymple book...last Mughal!

[@アルムガムマニカンダン]

In south india when ruled by tamil giants there was palace for romen merchant called yavanachari.

[@SamDurkSheff]

This was a great video to watch and is an area I'm not too knowledgeable on so was fascinating to listen. As well as that though I wanted to add that with all the current gloom, this was an especially nice video to watch. Both people sounded like they were having real fun with the conversation and felt like a good 2 way chat instead of a 1 way lecture (or an interviewer butting in every 10 seconds) and that made it all the more engaging. More videos like this will keep me very happy 🙂

[@AnjelLee-f8c]

Actually, the idea of East Asian colonization of India is really not that far fetched. I can’t imagine so many countries and regions adopting ancient Indian ideas without some compelling reason to do so.

[@katranaresh5609]

Cant wait 4 leftists to call this modi adani media

[@kingflockthewarrior202]

have problem with left . I garentee you never bother to read left ideology. its not against religious. lol

[@cheapthrills9035]

​@@kingflockthewarrior202they only target hindus in India and suddenly become cowards when it comes to other religions

[@Tech-Fhone]

everything about world is indian coz human civilization start from there. Hail Aaryavarta🕉☸✨✨

[@sathyendrababu7868]

Jains of calcutta financed east India company for a hefty return and the indian mercenaries fought for the British! 😮😅

[@winter_silhouette]

Small correction : Calcutta was only a small trading post and did not exist as a proper city when the East India Company conspired against the Nawab of Bengal. Jagat Seth, the banker was from Murshidabad, Raja Krishna Chandra Roy was from Nadia.

[@jimjiminy5836]

Yes.

[@pallavigokhale5536]

Satyendra, you are linking extreme points. If at all any Indian investor financed East India Company, they may be misguided by British. No wonder they did it all the time.

[@SunnyChoudhary-k5k]

​@@pallavigokhale5536 lol, or they were just moved by the hefty returns that were promised and delivered.

[@Chen-gl9hm]

​@@winter_silhouette Jagath seth was Oswal Jain from Rajasthan 😂😂😂

[@drona8563]

Happy to see someone talking and writing about it with authority.