were remarkable scientific advances, not least the invention of zero and the decimal system and the accurate calculation of pi. Asoka’s empire disintegrated before it had become totalitarian, and its legacy was impressive: for the next few centuries the Indian subcontinent was both the most populous and the most prosperous part of the world, with a third of the world’s people and a third of the world’s GDP. It was without question the economic superpower of the day, dwarfing both China and Rome, and its capital city Pataliputra was the largest city in the world, famous for its gardens,
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