Podcast explores ancient India's overlooked global influence and maritime trade
Historian William Dalrymple discusses ancient India's significant global influence in a recent podcast episode, highlighting its extensive ocean trade networks and mathematical contributions from scholars such as Brahmagupta and Aryabhata. According to Dalrymple, these historical achievements were later overshadowed by the colonial era, which shifted the balance of global power. As political and economic influence gradually returns to Asia, the episode questions if the period of European colonialism was merely a historical exception.
Originally published by Al Jazeera Online | 18 October 2026 | Read original: https://www.aljazeera.com/video/deja-vu-2/2026/10/18/was-ancient-india-the-worlds-forgotten-superpower
More from India's Pulse