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Buddhism in India: unpicking modern myths

Douglas Ober reflects on Buddhism’s complex recent history in India – and reveals why the idea that the religion lay dormant until colonialists rediscovered it is false

Published: October 9, 2023 at 8:12 AM

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Buddhism disappeared from India in the medieval period, before it was rediscovered by colonial scholars in the 19th century and came back with a bang in 1956, when half a million ‘untouchables’ converted – or so the story goes. Douglas Ober reframes this conventional narrative in his new book Dust on the Throne, revealing the ways in which the religion shaped life and society in the subcontinent. Ellie Cawthorne spoke to Douglas about his Cundill Prize-shortlisted book to learn more about this fascinating history.

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Douglas Ober is the author of Dust on the Throne: The Search for Buddhism in Modern India (Stanford University Press, 2023)

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Authors

Ellie CawthorneHead of content (audio)

Ellie Cawthorne is head of content (audio) at HistoryExtra

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