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A History of the World in 100 Objects

Factual: History

Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, retells humanity's history through objects

Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, narrates 100 programmes that retell humanity's history through the objects we have made.

A History of the World in 100 Objects: Inside The Palace: Secrets At Court (700 - 950 AD): Statue of Tara

Statue of Tara

Inside The Palace: Secrets At Court (700 - 950 AD)

A History of the World in 100 Objects Omnibus

BBC Radio 4 - A History of the World in 100 Objects, Inside The Palace: Secrets At Court (700 - 950 AD), Statue of TaraSearch BBC

Neil MacGregor with a beguiling statue of the Buddhist deity Tara

Neil MacGregor's world history as told through individual objects at the British Museum. Today he arrives in Sri Lanka 1,200 years ago with a beguiling image of Tara

The history of the world as told through one hundred of the objects. The objects are selected from the collection of the British Museum by its director, Neil MacGregor. 

This week, Neil is exploring life in the great royal courts across the world during Europe's medieval period. It's easy to forget that the civilisations of Tang China, the Islamic Empire and the Maya in Mesoamerica were all at their peak during this time and today we discover what was happening in South Asia during this period. He tells the story through a beautiful statue of the female Buddhist deity, Tara, crafted for a powerful ruler in Sri Lanka 1,200 years ago. Richard Gombrich explains what Tara means to Buddhism and the historian Nira Wickramasinghe describes the powerful interaction between Hinduism and Buddhism, India and Sri Lanka at this time.

Producer: Anthony Denselow


A History of the World in 100 Objects: Inside The Palace: Secrets At Court (700 - 950 AD)

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Neil MacGregor gets an insight into the lives of the ruling elites 1200 years ago

From the inside of a harem to inside a Chinese grave, five objects shed light on the lives of the ruling elites 1200 years ago

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A History of the World in 100 Objects

Inside The Palace: Secrets At Court (700 - 950 AD)

Statue of Tara

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