Abstract
How did three centuries of continuous invasions, from Alexander the Macedonian to the Kushans, unwittingly foster an extraordinary religious and artistic upheaval in North India?
Gérard Fussman reviews sixty years of international research that have profoundly transformed our perception of the ancient history of the Indian peninsula. He discusses the circumstances surrounding the creation of an anthropomorphic representation of Buddha and the spread of Buddhism in Central Asia and mainland China, and today throughout the world. He also looks back on his personal and intellectual journey as the child of immigrants.
