NPR's Book of the Day 'The Golden Road' and 'The Lucky Ones' examine India's ancient and recent history
May 16, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Zara Chowdhary, author of 'The Lucky Ones,' shares her harrowing experience of anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat, sparked by the Godhra train burning. She dives into the chilling impact of these events and the complex role of political figures like Prime Minister Modi. Alongside her, historian William Dalrymple highlights India’s immense historical contributions, from the decimal system to Buddhism, and questions why this rich legacy is often overlooked in popular narratives.
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India's Ancient Golden Road Influence
- Ancient India was a key hub on the Golden Road trade route spanning from the Roman Empire to Japan.
- It exchanged goods, ideas, faiths, and innovations that transformed global civilizations.
India's Intellectual Foundations
- Many foundational concepts like Buddhism and the number zero originated in ancient India.
- Without India's number system, modern mathematics would not exist as we know it.
Colonial Repression of Indian Legacy
- Western ignorance about India's contributions stems from colonial-era denigration of Indian knowledge.
- India discovered heliocentrism and calculated earth measurements centuries before the West.
