194. Empire of Numbers: Fibonacci and the Birth of Modern Money

194. Empire of Numbers: Fibonacci and the Birth of Modern Money

When King Alfonso VI of León took Toledo from the Arabs in 1085, the history of western christendom changed forever. Within the city existed a number of texts full of the ideas that we would call Arabic numerals, but that originated in India. From the libraries of Toledo these were translated and spread through Europe. Enter Fibonacci. A genius Italian mathematician, he instantly recognised the advantages of this number system and so wrote Liber Abaci, distilling these ancient ideas into a Latin text. Once this caught on, it laid the foundation for the modern banking and economic system that underpins the global economy. Listen as William and Anita discuss how numerical ideas that originated in India came to prevail across the world. To buy William's book: https://coles-books.co.uk/the-golden-road-by-william-dalrymple-signed-edition Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com Goalhangerpodcasts.com Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episoder(359)

314. Rudyard Kipling: Villain or Visionary? (Part 3)

314. Rudyard Kipling: Villain or Visionary? (Part 3)

Should we still read Kipling today? What family tragedy did Kipling face in the later half of his life? How did he fan the flames of jingoism during and after the First World War? William is reunited...

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313. Rudyard Kipling: Escaping India & Writing The Jungle Book (Part 2)

313. Rudyard Kipling: Escaping India & Writing The Jungle Book (Part 2)

What inspired Kipling to write his two most famous works: The Jungle Book and Kim? Why did Kipling hate London and swiftly move to the US? How did Kipling develop such astute observational writing abo...

4 Des 202533min

312. Rudyard Kipling: Son of Empire (Part 1)

312. Rudyard Kipling: Son of Empire (Part 1)

Rudyard Kipling was one of the most evocative writers of India, yet he was a jingoist and an imperialist until his dying day. So how do we grapple with this conundrum, why was Kipling such a man of c...

2 Des 202525min

311. Cricket In India: Beating The Brits At Their Own Game (Part 2)

311. Cricket In India: Beating The Brits At Their Own Game (Part 2)

How did Britain’s imperial game become so popular in India? Why were India’s princes the ‘nepo babies’ of cricket? How does the legacy of Partition continue to affect matches in India and Pakistan tod...

27 Nov 202541min

310. The Origin of The Ashes & The Killer Cricket Scandal (Part 1)

310. The Origin of The Ashes & The Killer Cricket Scandal (Part 1)

How is the history of cricket completely intertwined with the history of the British Empire? What was the Bodyline Controversy of the 1930s and how did it nearly kill a player? Who was Don Bradman and...

25 Nov 202549min

309. Tintin, Nazis, & Soviets

309. Tintin, Nazis, & Soviets

What was the origin story of Hergé, the Belgian illustrator who created The Adventures of Tintin? How did an unlikely friendship transform Hergé’s life and lead him to draw Tintin crying in a comic st...

20 Nov 202545min

308. Asterix and Obelix, Babar The Elephant, & Colonial Cartoons

308. Asterix and Obelix, Babar The Elephant, & Colonial Cartoons

How did a story made up by a mother for her sick children turn into Babar The Elephant? Why did two immigrants to France create such a patriotically French cartoon in Asterix and Obelix? How should we...

18 Nov 202547min

307. Austen vs Brontë: Unmasking Slavery Heiresses

307. Austen vs Brontë: Unmasking Slavery Heiresses

What is the true history behind the “madwoman in the attic” in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre? How was Jane Austen’s aunt deeply connected to slavery in Barbados? Who were the British heiresses who marr...

13 Nov 202541min

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