The Untold Story of India and World History: My Interview with Amish Tripathi

Some topics covered:

• Maritime trade shaped the ancient world, with India playing a pivotal role.
• The Indus–Sarasvati civilisation was the most advanced and the major driver of global trade and culture.
• Discussion of the India–Mesopotamia trade network: India exported rice, ghee, pearls, gems, timber, and food, while Mesopotamia sent back woollen textiles, and metals including gold.
• We explore my theory about pharaonic Egypt’s rise, suggesting that invasions aimed at securing gold were tied to the India–Mesopotamia trade system.
• Lothal was a significant Indus-Sarasvati port, with large docks and a hub-and-spoke system for maritime commerce.
• There was an exchange of ideas and culture, not just goods — such as Indian myths like the “Seven Sages” appearing in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
• The Phoenicians were key intermediaries, linking India, Mesopotamia, and the Mediterranean.
• The traditional chronology of events is questioned – the Trojan War may have occurred later (around 900 BCE) and there never was a Mediterranean “Dark Age.”
• The spread of Indo-European languages and technologies like chariots and ironworking is connected to the drying of the Sarasvati River.
• Greek philosophy, Hebrew monotheism and the move away from animal sacrifice can be traced to Indian influence. Note parallels between the Bhagavad Gita and the Bible.
• Sea trade is more efficient than land routes like the Silk Road, with India’s geography making it a crossroads of the ancient world.
• The need to rethink history, moving beyond colonial narratives to acknowledge India’s central role in global civilisation.