Synopsis
Michael Wood shows how Alexander the Great's invasion of India inspired her first empire and how Buddha's ideas were turned into political reality by an emperor.
- Programme: Michael Wood: The Story of India
- Episode: 02: The Power of Ideas
- Channel: BBC Two
- Broadcast year: 2007
- History | Migration & Empire
Licence: ERA Licence required
Free to watch for UK schools, colleges and universities with an ERA Licence
UK only
Staff and students of licensed education establishments only
Cannot be adapted
Add Notes
More clips from Michael Wood: The Story of India
01: Beginnings | Michael Wood: The Story of India
01: Beginnings | Michael Wood: The Story of India
Michael Wood journeys through the subcontinent, tracing the diversity of its peoples, cultures and landscapes. He charts th...
03: Spice Routes and Silk Roads | Michael Wood: The Story of India
03: Spice Routes and Silk Roads | Michael Wood: The Story of India
A look at India in the days of the Roman Empire. In Kerala the spice trade opened India to the world, whil...
04: Ages of Gold | Michael Wood: The Story of India
04: Ages of Gold | Michael Wood: The Story of India
Presenter Michael Wood seeks out the achievements of India's golden age.
05: The Meeting of Two Oceans | Michael Wood: The Story of India
05: The Meeting of Two Oceans | Michael Wood: The Story of India
The documentary series about the history of India charts the coming of Islam and one of the greatest ages of...
06: Freedom | Michael Wood: The Story of India
06: Freedom | Michael Wood: The Story of India
Michael Wood examines the British Raj and traces the events that led to the Partition of India in 1947.
More resources about Ancient Civilizations
Colosseum: Rome's Arena of Death
Colosseum: Rome's Arena of Death
Drama documentary real-life gladiator, Verus, who fought during the opening games of the Colosseum in Rome AD 80. The programme follows Veru...
Horrible Histories: The Movie (2019)
Horrible Histories: The Movie (2019)
When Roman lad Atti offends edgy Emperor Nero, he is drafted to fight in far-flung Britain, where local Celt lass Orla itches to join Bo...
S01E02: Hammers of the Scots | A History of Scotland
S01E02: Hammers of the Scots | A History of Scotland
Neil Oliver charts the 13th century story of the two ruthless men who helped transform the Gaelic kingdom of Alba into t...
01: Boudicca's Rebellion | Battlefield Britain
01: Boudicca's Rebellion | Battlefield Britain
Peter and Dan Snow on the battles that shaped our nation, starting almost 2,000 years ago with the revolt of the Iceni, led by...
Medicine Through Time (1998): 01: Medicine and Religion | History File
Medicine Through Time (1998): 01: Medicine and Religion | History File
Programme begins with looking at Ancient Greece, then the Roman Empire then looking at Muslim and Chri...
01: The Bodies | Pompeii: The New Dig
01: The Bodies | Pompeii: The New Dig
At Pompeii, Italian archaeologists begin the biggest dig in a generation, where they find a bakery, a wealthy house and a fresco of a s...
S01E01: The Last of the Free | A History of Scotland
S01E01: The Last of the Free | A History of Scotland
At the dawn of the first millennia, there was no Scotland or England. Neil Oliver reveals how the Gaelic Scottish Kingdo...
02: Egypt | Civilisations: Rise and Fall
02: Egypt | Civilisations: Rise and Fall
The 3,000-year-old civilisation of ancient Egypt faces disaster as war, famine and a toxic dynasty threaten its survival. Will Queen...
03: The Aztecs, Maya and Incas | What the Ancients Did for Us
03: The Aztecs, Maya and Incas | What the Ancients Did for Us
Roving reporter Hermione Cockburn describes Aztec, Mayan and Incan inventions, including chocolate, suspension ...
Mount Vesuvius erupts | Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time
Mount Vesuvius erupts | Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time
An exploration of what happened when Mount Vesuvius first erupted in 79AD.
01: Survival | Andrew Marr's History of the World
01: Survival | Andrew Marr's History of the World
Andrew Marr traces 70,000 years of history, beginning with the earliest humans. From Africa, they spread around the world, ...
01: The Gladiators | Colosseum
01: The Gladiators | Colosseum
In AD80, the Colosseum is open for business. Roman emperor Titus plans 100 days of games to commemorate, including an epic battle to the death...
Medicine Through Time (1989): 02: Medicine, Public Health and Government | History File
Medicine Through Time (1989): 02: Medicine, Public Health and Government | History File
With the fall of the Roman Empire came the collapse of the public health system which...
Murder In Rome | Timewatch
Murder In Rome | Timewatch
Rome, 81BC. Sextus Roscius is accused of patricide. If found guilty, he faces brutal execution. Includes actual trial records to recreate one of t...
01: Ancestors | The Story of China
01: Ancestors | The Story of China
Michael Wood explores the history of the world's newest superpower. Michael joins the Qin family reunion, as 300 relatives gather to worsh...
03: Aztecs | Civilisations: Rise and Fall
03: Aztecs | Civilisations: Rise and Fall
The Aztecs battle to save their civilisation from Spanish invaders – but is the real threat from the enemy within?
Episode 1 | The Silk Road
Episode 1 | The Silk Road
Sam Willis traces the story of the famous trade route. He explores Venice's Renaissance architecture and art before travelling to the beginning of ...
S01E01: Dark Ages | The Worst Jobs In History
S01E01: Dark Ages | The Worst Jobs In History
Some of the worst jobs of the Dark Ages in Britain were mining gold for the Romans, ploughing fields with a wooden plough and o...
01: Beginnings | Michael Wood: The Story of India
01: Beginnings | Michael Wood: The Story of India
Michael Wood journeys through the subcontinent, tracing the diversity of its peoples, cultures and landscapes. He charts th...
01: The Islamic World | What the Ancients Did for Us
01: The Islamic World | What the Ancients Did for Us
Adam Hart-Davis builds and tests some of the most extraordinary inventions from the early Islamic World.
More from Michael Wood
02: Silk Roads and China Ships | The Story of China
02: Silk Roads and China Ships | The Story of China
Michael Wood explores the history of the world's newest superpower. Michael tells the tale of China's first international...
03: Aethelstan: The First King of England | King Alfred and the Anglo Saxons
03: Aethelstan: The First King of England | King Alfred and the Anglo Saxons
Michael Wood tells the tale of King Alfred's grandson Aethelstan, showing how he fulfilled the f...
Episode 1 | The Grammar School: A Secret History
Episode 1 | The Grammar School: A Secret History
This part looks at the golden age of the grammar schools in the 1950s and 60s and their sudden demise. With contributions fr...
03: The Great Famine and the Black Death | Michael Wood's Story of England
03: The Great Famine and the Black Death | Michael Wood's Story of England
Michael Wood's portrait of one village across the whole of English history reaches the 14th centur...
Christina: A Medieval Life
Christina: A Medieval Life
Historian Michael Wood presents a portrait of ordinary people living through extraordinary times, tracing the story of Christina Cok, a peasant of...
05: The Meeting of Two Oceans | Michael Wood: The Story of India
05: The Meeting of Two Oceans | Michael Wood: The Story of India
The documentary series about the history of India charts the coming of Islam and one of the greatest ages of...
01: Son of God | In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great
01: Son of God | In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great
Michael Wood walks in the footsteps of Alexander the Great as he travels from Macedonia in Northern Greece, crosses ...
Clues about Troy in Homer's language | In Search of the Trojan War
Clues about Troy in Homer's language | In Search of the Trojan War
Michael Wood explores Homer's language in 'The Iliad' for clues about Troy.