In 1616, when the first English embassy was installed in Mughal India, England was a minor player on the global stage rather than a leading actor. Nandini Das explores what the challenges of this embassy can tell us about England’s unequal relationship with India at the time – and reveals how the future dominance of the British empire was far from a foregone ... Show More
Apr 2022
The Foundations of Modern India
<p>The greatest anti-imperial rebellion of the nineteenth century, The Indian Rebellion of 1857, witnessed mass violence against the British. Ninety years later, Indian freedom was founded on a deadly fratricide that singularly spared the outgoing masters. As a result, India’s fo ... Show More
25m 46s
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
Aug 2022
3. Mutiny, Uprising, and Rebellion
In 1857 tensions in Company-controlled India came to a head in what the British called 'The Indian Mutiny', now referred to in India as the First War of Independence. The uprising and bloody reprisals sent shockwaves through the Empire, ended the rule of the East India Company, a ... Show More
52m 13s
Aug 2022
1. The East India Company
Welcome to Empire, a brand new history podcast hosted by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand.
The first series looks at the British in India: The East India Company, The Raj, Gandhi, Independence and Partition.
In the opening episode, William and Anita discuss the rise of The Eas ... Show More
1h 2m
Feb 2024
Comment l'Inde est-elle devenue britannique pendant 200 ans ?
<p>Mes chers camarades, bien le bonjour !</p><p>L’empire colonial anglais a été gigantesque, et encore aujourd'hui, le roi d’Angleterre a 15 couronnes de royaumes autonomes, mais tous membres d’une alliance commerciale : le Commonwealth. Alors comment les Anglais ont-ils dominé l ... Show More
14m 22s
Dec 2022
20. Nationhood, the Indian constitution, and the railways
Join William and Anita for the second part of this week’s special question time bonanza where they answer all of your queries. In this episode they discuss the impact Jallianwala Bagh had upon Indian nationhood, the influence that Britain had upon the writing of the Indian consti ... Show More
39m 16s
Mar 2024
129. Ashoka: The Great Buddhist Emperor of India
Ruling in the 3rd century BC, Ashoka was one of India’s greatest ever rulers. Under his rule, the Mauryan Empire grew into the largest empire India had ever seen. Its capital, Pataliputra was a dazzling, glorious, cosmopolitan city that was eleven times larger than Athens. After ... Show More
50m 47s