Historian William Dalrymple argues that India's influence spread far and wide before the Silk Road. He calls this zone of influence the "Indosphere" where Indian culture, art, and science traveled from Afghanistan to Japan. Through trade, Buddhism, and the number zero, India's influence reached places like Rome, Cambodia, and China. This period of globalization ended around the 13th century due to invasions and new trade routes. Dalrymple highlights India's ability to learn from other cultures as a key factor in its scientific advancements.
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Dalrymple, whose new book 'The Golden Road' will be released in 2024, said the Silk Road was coined in the 19th century by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen and it only came into the English language in the 1930s and really became popular in the last 20-25 years.
As the G20 announces a pathbreaking economic corridor between India and Europe, a prominent historian tells ARJUN SENGUPTA about its predecessor the ancient Red Sea trade route, much bigger and historically more significant than the overland route from China.