Conversations William Dalrymple's own curious history, from the Scottish coast to Mughal Delhi
William Dalrymple, a renowned historian and travel writer, discusses his fascinating journey from his Scottish childhood to a deep connection with India. He shares insights about his family's historical ties to India, including discovering mixed-race ancestry. The conversation explores his adventures retracing Marco Polo's route and living in Delhi, where he encountered the complexities of colonial narratives. Dalrymple also reflects on his father's traumatic memories of partition, shaping his understanding of history and identity.
00:00
Edwardian Childhood On The Scottish Coast
- William Dalrymple describes an idyllic, Edwardian childhood on a walled garden beach in Scotland.
- He credits that sheltered upbringing for sparking his early love of stories and history.
Nanny's Stories Shaped His Historical Lens
- His nanny introduced him to Sir Walter Scott, Robbie Burns and the traumatic Irish famine woodcuts.
- Those early readings left vivid images that shaped his historical sensibility and sympathies.
Boarding School Fueled Early Scholarship
- Dalrymple attended Ampleforth, a Catholic boarding school, where he roamed the North Yorkshire Moors.
- He explored Anglo-Saxon sculpture and published his first article at 13, continuing his lifelong scholarly habits.
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Intro
00:00 • 1min
Edwardian-style childhood on the Scottish coast
01:22 • 2min
Freedom, exploration and Enid Blyton memories
03:10 • 60sec
North Berwick witch trials and local history
04:10 • 2min
Family roots and the Dalrymple lineage
06:01 • 2min
Nanny's influence and early encounters with history
07:36 • 2min
First trip to England and childhood perceptions
09:54 • 57sec
Boarding school at Ampleforth and formative education
10:51 • 2min
Teenage exploration, archaeology and psychedelics
13:19 • 4min
Early ambitions: author and archaeologist
16:59 • 1min
First encounter with India and teaching in the Himalayas
18:02 • 2min
Volunteering with Mother Teresa and Delhi's ruins
20:04 • 3min
Winning a Travelling Scholarship and planning Marco Polo route
22:51 • 2min
Logistics and companions on the Marco Polo journey
24:51 • 2min
Karakoram Highway and Pakistan's landscape
26:41 • 2min
Writing Zanadu and youthful colonial perspectives
28:57 • 2min
Living in Delhi and rethinking colonialism
30:40 • 1min
Life in Delhi's small British community and friendships
31:44 • 2min
Goat farming and domestic life near Delhi
33:47 • 1min
Discovering family links to India and Princep ancestors
35:09 • 2min
Hidden mixed‑race ancestry uncovered in archives
37:00 • 2min
Father's partition service and discovered scrapbooks
38:55 • 2min
Why his father never revisited India
40:36 • 3min
Confronting national myths and writing on the East India Company
43:50 • 2min
Returning to ancient history in The Golden Road
46:07 • 33sec
Current focus: Gaza, Palestinian history and identity
46:40 • 4min
Outro
50:51 • 52sec
#7672
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
City of Djinns
William Dalrymple
In 'City of Djinns', William Dalrymple delves into the rich and complex history of Delhi, uncovering its layers from the Partition of 1947 to the Mughal Empire and beyond.
The book is a personal and historical narrative, enriched by Dalrymple's interactions with various characters, including his landlady Mrs. Puri, his taxi driver Balvinder Singh, and other inhabitants of Delhi.
It explores the city's resilience and the legend of the djinns, fire-formed spirits believed to protect and regenerate the city.
The narrative is interspersed with historical accounts, personal anecdotes, and the author's observations of contemporary Delhi life.
#1790
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The Golden Road
William Dalrymple
#1668
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The Anarchy
The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire
William Dalrymple
The Anarchy recounts the remarkable rise of the East India Company from its humble beginnings in 1599 to its military dominance over the Indian subcontinent by 1803.
The book details the company's territorial conquests, starting from the Battle of Plassey in 1757, and its eventual control over large swaths of Asia.
Dalrymple draws from previously untapped sources, including Indian, Persian, and French materials, to provide a vivid and detailed story of corporate greed, violence, and the fall of the Mughal Empire.
The book also explores the broader implications of corporate power and its impact on colonial rule.
#795
• Mentioned in 34 episodes
Doors of Perception
Aldous Huxley
In this book, Huxley recounts his first psychedelic experience with mescaline in May 1953.
He describes how the drug altered his perception of the world, making ordinary objects and experiences take on profound aesthetic and philosophical significance.
Huxley draws on various philosophical and spiritual traditions, including those of William Blake, Meister Eckhart, Plato, and Buddhism, to contextualize his insights.
The book challenges conventional views on perception and reality, suggesting that certain substances can reveal deeper aspects of existence that are normally filtered out by the human brain's 'reducing valve'
#7751
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
From the Holy Mountain
A Journey Among the Christians of the Middle East
William Dalrymple
In this book, William Dalrymple follows the route taken by John Moschos and his pupil Sophronius in 587 AD, visiting holy places and monasteries across the Byzantine world.
Dalrymple's journey takes him through Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt, where he encounters the last remaining Christian communities in these regions.
The book delves into the history and current state of Eastern Christianity, highlighting the complex relationships between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity in the Middle East.
Dalrymple's account is marked by his vivid descriptions, historical insights, and a deep sense of empathy for the communities he encounters.
#14160
• Mentioned in 3 episodes
The Last Mughal
The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi 1857
William Dalrymple
The Last Mughal is a portrait of the last days of the great Mughal capital and its final destruction in the catastrophe of 1857.
The book tells the story of Bahadur Shah Zafar II, the last Mughal Emperor, who was a mystic, poet, and calligrapher.
Despite being deprived of real political power by the East India Company, Zafar presided over a court of great cultural brilliance.
The book details the Siege of Delhi, a pivotal event in the history of the British Empire, using previously untranslated Urdu and Persian manuscripts and Indian eyewitness accounts to present the Indian perspective on the siege.
#10141
• Mentioned in 4 episodes
White Mughals
love and betrayal in eighteenth-century India
William Dalrymple
William Dalrymple's "White Mughals" tells the captivating story of the unusual relationship between an English East India Company officer and a Mughal princess.
It explores themes of love, betrayal, and cultural clash against the backdrop of 18th-century India.
The book offers a unique perspective on the complexities of cross-cultural interactions and the impact of colonialism.
Dalrymple's meticulous research and engaging writing style bring to life the vibrant world of the Mughal court and the lives of its inhabitants.
The narrative is rich with historical detail and human drama, making it a compelling read.
#1631
• Mentioned in 20 episodes
The Return of the King
J.R.R Tolkien
In 'The Return of the King', the third and final volume of 'The Lord of the Rings', Frodo and Sam face their most daunting challenge as they journey through Mordor to destroy the One Ring.
Meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli navigate the Paths of the Dead, and the armies of Rohan and Gondor prepare for the Siege of Minas Tirith.
The book concludes with the destruction of the Ring, the defeat of Sauron, and the aftermath of the war, including the return of the hobbits to the Shire and Frodo's eventual departure to the Undying Lands.
Historian William Dalrymple had a rarefied childhood on the windswept coast of Scotland. As an adult he fell in love with India, and later discovered his family's own deep ties to the country.
Born into the Scottish aristocracy, William followed his three older brothers and left for boarding school at just 8 years old. While still an university William set off to follow Marco Polo's journey across the width of Asia and he wrote a best-selling book about that adventure.
But after then moving to India, William started to see the many gaps and biases in his understanding of history and ever since he's been working to find the stories and people his education had left out.
William also began uncovering his own family’s connections to India which stretched back generations and eventually a discovery relating to his own father's experience in India as a young man. It seemed to answer the question of why his Dad chose never to go back.
The episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, the Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.
It explores history, Scotland, North Berwick, Marco Polo's journey to South Asia, India, Delhi, archaeology, witches, family history, aristocracy, partition, history writing, large families, family secrets, the golden road, Palestine, Ampleforth College, Catholic Education, Robbie Burns, travel writing, Scottish history.
To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.