The "Empire" podcast delves into the British Empire in India, examining the true impact of imperialism and debunking romanticized notions. The podcast explores the East India Company's control over India, the decline of the Indian textile industry, and the rise of independent states in India.
"Empire" is a new podcast hosted by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand that explores the British Empire in India and the broader phenomenon of imperialism.
"Empire" aims to critically evaluate the romanticized portrayal of the British Empire in India and explore the facts of what actually happened, covering various empires throughout history and their impact on politics today.
Powys Castle in Wales houses a collection of Indian loot, including objects of imperial plunder, which raises the question of why these items are in a private house and not in a museum.
The East India Company, led by Robert Clive, obtains control over the three richest provinces of the Indian empire through deception and coercion, ultimately leading to British control over India and the decline of the Indian textile industry.
The East India Company, initially focused on Indonesia and the spice trade, appeals to Tudor patriotism and recruits privateers and ordinary people from various professions as shareholders through the invention of stock shares.
The Elizabethan state outsources its colonial activity to merchant companies, including the East India Company, which raises vast sums of money through the sale of shares, although there is no guarantee of success.
The British pirates of the nascent East India Company encounter a Portuguese ship, take its contents, and sail home with a million pounds worth of goods, marking the beginning of their success in the spice trade.
The British, by moving from the spice trade to the textile trade and focusing on India, have a clear run in the textile market and successfully export cheap Indian cotton around the globe, leading to deindustrialization in Mexico.
The Mogul Empire begins to fall apart after the death of Orangzeb, leading to the rise of independent states in India and the competition between the British East India Company and the French Company de Zand.
Robert Clive, an unruly delinquent sent to India, becomes a successful soldier and helps the British East India Company gain an upper hand over the French Company de Zand in the Seven Years War.
Clive recaptures Calcutta and Chandanagar from the French, solidifying his reputation and success in India, but receives a letter from the jugat set, the wealthy bankers who have devised a system for transferring funds in India, which changes his plans.
Clive receives an offer from the jugat sets to attack Sarajadana at his capital in Murshidabad, and in return, he will be paid one million pounds personally and the company will be paid another million pounds, making Clive the richest self-made man in Europe overnight.