Yesterday

America's anti-Chinese laws: a forgotten history

From the middle of the 19th century, Chinese people in the United States found themselves increasingly policed, as legislation was introduced that contained and controlled their economic and cultural lives. Historian Beth Lew-Williams tells Elinor Evans about her work uncovering ... Show More

29m 2s

Oct 19

An African king in the Roman empire

He was barely a toddler when he was paraded as a captive in a Roman triumph in 46 BC, but young North African prince Juba went on to marry a daughter of Antony and Cleopatra, and rule an African kingdom. Andrew Kenrick, author of Rex Juba: 15 Glimpses of an African King, unravels ... Show More

36m 38s

Oct 18

Everyday life in a slave trading town

In 1665 the Portuguese Inquisition arrested Crispina Peres, a powerful slave trader in the west African port of Cacheu. The records of her case provide a remarkable window into everyday life in 17th-century west Africa, and form the basis of Toby Green's latest book, The Heretic ... Show More

30 m

Oct 2021

The Anglo-Arab Wars

The half century between 1870 and 1920 was one of conflict between British colonialism and the people of the Middle East and North Africa. In this episode, James is joined by archeologist and author Neil Faulkner to examine the clashes of armies, ideologies and forms of oppressio ... Show More

41m 5s

Oct 2025

299. Gaza: The Palestinian Revolt, The Black and Tans, & Bomber Harris (Part 9)

When Palestinian Arabs rose up against the British in 1936, what repressive tactics were used to quell the revolt? Who was the WW2 hero “Bomber” Harris, and why did he bomb Palestinians in the 1930s? How did Christians, Muslims and Jews who had once co-existed in the region turn ... Show More

49m 4s

Mar 2019

Iraq

Last week Aimen left listeners with a final thought: the biggest mistake in the War on Terror was the invasion of Iraq. This week, Aimen explains how this explosive conflict played into the jihadists’ apocalyptic dreams, how it spurred Osama bin Laden and other conflicts forward ... Show More

1 h

Oct 2025

298. Gaza: The British Occupation of Palestine (Part 8)

What was the British Mandate of Palestine that emerged after World War I? Why were the Black and Tans sent to Palestine and what methods did they use to enforce order? How did tensions between Zionist settlers and Arab Palestinians begin to rise in Mandate Palestine in the 1920s ... Show More

50m 24s

Mar 2022

The Trojan Horse Affair – Britain’s Anti-Terror Industry with Fahad Ansari and Dr Rob Faure Walker

We are back after a short pause. Britain for the past 21 years has been overtaken by what can only be described as a national hysteria. The recent jaw-dropping investigation by the New York Times Serial podcast into the so-called Trojan Horse affair in Birmingham, revealed how th ... Show More

1h 14m

Mar 2019

War on Terror

The War on Terror has lasted 18 years with no clear end in sight. What would it take to resolve a conflict this sprawling and complex - and resolve it successfully? In episode two, Aimen and Thomas grapple with this question, piecing together the historical context, religious iss ... Show More

1h 15m

Aug 2022

4. Between Two Massacres: 1857-1919

Join William and Anita for the latest episode of Empire, which picks up in the aftermath of the 1857 Rebellion and the establishment of the British Raj. The episode covers the birth of Gandhi, the arrival of Michael O'Dwyer, Indian soldiers in the First World War, and the lead up ... Show More

42m 25s

Jul 2017

Crusades, Jihad, & End of the Caliphate

This episode focuses on the way Islam was shaped by the experience of the crusades. We talk about the historical development of the concept of “jihad” and how it was defined over time. Providing a brief overview of the major events of the first and second crusades, we talk about ... Show More

46m 53s

Jun 2025

What is Jihad?

In this episode, we given an academic, historical overview of the concept of Jihad in Islam, dispelling some misconceptions and nuancing an otherwise thorny topic.Sources/Recomended Reading:Al-Dawoody, Ahmed Mohsen (2009). "War in Islamic Law: Justifications and Regulations". PhD ... Show More

1h 2m

Aug 2021

88. The First Anglo-Afghan War

“A war begun for no wise purpose.” This description of the First Anglo-Afghan War, fought in the early-mid 19th Century, could stand as an epitaph for most conflicts in the region since. William Dalrymple has written extensively about the history of Afghanistan and he joins Domin ... Show More

58m 45s

Jihad and the British empire