The Light of Asia is an epic poem by Sir Edwin Arnold that was first published in 1879. It is a narrative of the life and message of the Buddha. It quickly became a huge sensation and has continued to resonate powerfully across the world over the last century and a half. The poem captivated an Indian monk who remains an iconic personality--Swami Vivekananda. At about the same time, it deeply moved a young man in Colombo who has become famous in history as Anagarika Dharmapala. It caught the attention of an aspiring Indian lawyer in London in 1889. This man later became immortal as Mahatma Gandhi. A few years hence it impacted a teenager in Allahabad who would, in 1947, become the first Prime Minister of India--Jawaharlal Nehru. Two copies of the book adorned the bookshelves of B.R. Ambedkar, the prime architect of the Indian constitution.

Weaving together literary, cultural, political, and social history, Jairam Ramesh uncovers and narrates the fascinating story of this deeply consequential and compelling poem that has shaped our thinking of an ancient sage and his teachings.

Jairam Ramesh brings into this unusual narrative the life of the multi-faceted poet himself who, among other things, was steeped in Sanskrit literature. Sir Edwin Arnold's English rendering of the Bhagavad Gita was one of Mahatma Gandhi's abiding favourites. Sir Edwin was also in many ways the man who shaped Bodh Gaya as we know it today.

The Light of Asia: The Poem that Defined The Buddha, Jairam Ramesh, India Viking, Hardcover, 448 pages, $25.95

Jairam Ramesh, a Rajya Sabha MP, was Union minister between 2006 and 2014, holding several key portfolios including environment and forests. He is the author of several well-known books including Indira Gandhi: A Life in Nature and Intertwined Lives: P.N. Haksar and Indira Gandhi.

CONTENTS: The Light of Asia
Foreword		xi
Note on Names of Places		xiii
A First Word		xv
SECTION I
1.	1832-1857: The Pre-Poona Edwin Arnold	3
2.	1857-1860: Edwin Arnold in Poona	13
3.	1860-1876: Edwin Arnold Back in London: Empire Author, Imperial Journalist, Oriental Poet	29
SECTION II
4.	1879: The Light of Asia	63
5.	1880-1885: Basking in the Glory of The Light of Asia	87
6.	1881-1895: Attacks on The Light of Asia	96
7.	1885 and Beyond: The Song Celestial and Mahatma Gandhi	104
8.	1885-1886: Edwin Arnold in India and Ceylon	118
9.	1886 and Beyond: Edwin Arnold and the Buddha-Gya Temple Campaign He Launched	138
10.	1881-1900: Translations of The Light of Asia	162
11.	1889-1895: Edwin Arnold in America and Japan, The Light of the World and Sri Aurobindo	172
12.	1890-1900: Translations of The Light of Asia, More Works and Swami Vivekananda	195
13.	1900-1910: Sir Edwin Arnold's Final Years and the Continuing Appeal of The Light of the World	223
SECTION III
14.	The 1910s: Translations of The Light of Asia in South India, Rabindranath Tagore, Channing Arnold and More	251
15.	The 1920s: The Light of Asia in Hindi, Film, and More	269
16.	The 1930s: Sir Edwin Arnold's Centenary and More Translations of The Light of Asia	289
17.	The 1940s: The Light of Asia in Tamil and Kannada, Hollywood, and More	304
18.	The 1950s: Bodh Gaya Temple, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Sir Edwin's biography and More	311
19.	The 1960s and 1970s: Continuing Academic Studies on The Light of Asia and Recollections in India and Sri Lanka	336
20.	The 1980s and 1990s: Art Exhibitions, Victorian Buddhism Examined and Post-Colonial Analysis of The Light of Asia	346
21.	The 21st Century: Keeping The Light of Asia Burning Bright	357
SECTION IV
22.	A Curious Case of Sir Edwin Arnold and the Lall-Vakh Translations in Kashmir	399
23.	Coda: The Discovery of Edwin Arnold's Great Grandchildren in Bhopal and Elsewhere	402
24.	A Final Word	412
25.	A Note of Thanks	418
Sources and Bibliography		421
Sir Edwin Arnold's Major Works		435
Index		437