Novara Media Downstream: The Ancient Indian History Our Schools Don’t Teach w/ William Dalrymple
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Aug 11, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, acclaimed historian William Dalrymple dives into the overlooked intricacies of ancient Indian history and its intersection with global trade and culture. He highlights India's profound contributions to mathematics and the cultural exchanges that shaped modern civilization. The conversation spans from the impact of Buddhism on identity to the urgent realities of Gaza, culminating in a call for inclusive historical education in British schools. Dalrymple’s insights encourage a rethinking of power dynamics and narratives shaped by colonial legacies.
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Alexander Leaves Little Mark In Indian Records
- Dalrymple says Indian sources barely mention Alexander the Great.
- His conquest mattered little to India's long civilizational flow.
Forgotten Indian Mathematical Geniuses
- William Dalrymple says Western schooling ignores Aryabhata and Brahmagupta.
- They computed Earth's circumference and heliocentric distances centuries before Europe.
Zero As A Number, Not Void
- Brahmagupta treated zero as a number with its own properties.
- That recognition enabled place value and modern algorithms.
