The Wonder That Was India: 1 About the Author Arthur Llewellyn Basham was an Indologist and a professor at London's School of Oriental and African Studies. He was born in 1914 in Essex. His father had served in the Indian Army and told him a lot of stories about India that sparked an interest in him about the country. The author obtained a degree in Sanskrit from the School of Oriental and African Studies, did a doctorate at the School of Oriental and African studies and later became a Professor at that college. In 1965, Basham left SOAS to join the Australia National University, where he became the Head of the History Department and also Professor of Oriental Civilizations.