The Buddha and the Sahibs cover art

The Buddha and the Sahibs

The men who discovered India's lost religion

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 15 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

The Buddha and the Sahibs

By: Charles Allen
Narrated by: Sam Dastor
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £14.74

Buy Now for £14.74

The Buddha and the Sahibs: The Men Who Discovered India’s Lost Religion by Charles Allen.

For nearly 1,000 years, from the destruction of temples and monasteries by Muslim invaders in the 11th and 12th centuries, followed by Hinduism’s increasing power, Buddhism vanished from the country of its origin. Though hugely influential throughout Asia, the religion was forgotten in India.

This is the story of the men from the British Raj who rediscovered the history of the Buddha and his teachings and the role played by key Buddhist rulers such as Ashoka. British rule brought soldiers, administrators and adventurers to India.

From the late 18th century, a handful of remarkable individuals, amateur linguists, archaeologists and explorers - who became known as the Orientalists - began investigating the subcontinent’s lost past. By deciphering scripts, excavating and dating massive stone ruins and discovering huge and richly decorated monastic cave complexes, these men returned Buddhism to its place in Indian history.

Charles Allen's audiobook is a mixture of detective work and storytelling, as this acknowledged master of British Indian history pieces together early Buddhist history to bring a handful of extraordinary characters to life.

©2002 Charles Allen (P)2015 Ukemi Productions Ltd Asia Buddhism India South Asia World China Ancient History
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

"A gripping story of intellectual exploration, a tightly written piece of narrative history." (William Dalrymple)
All stars
Most relevant
This story is captivating as it tells the story of the individuals who were fascinated by the ancient history of Buddhism and who often had their lives shortened considerably by the effort to reveal that history and by the illness which they often suffered as a result of the climate. The research which the author undertook to bring this story to us is incredible. In addition, the narration is superb and adds to the enjoyment of this audiobook enormously. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

A magnificent piece of work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.