I suppose I am the last generation to be brought up on stories of Empire, when in countless lessons at school we were told of the quarter of the globe which was painted red.
In the case of India, I only vaguely knew of the role of the East India Company in the history of the sub-continent, and how that played out with the British Empire.
It was the first multinational company and its ships were often just referred to as “Indiamen”.
It had been founded in 1600 to trade in the Indian Ocean region, and until 1858 controlled large parts of the Indian sub-continent, along with parts of Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, and arguably damaged the
the Indian economy which its asset-stripped, looted, and plundered.
All of which means I have been fascinated by Anarchy, on the wireless this week.
In five episodes Radio 4, has taken “William Dalrymple's new and acclaimed history of the East India Company [and explored] how a small trading company founded in 1599 led to the formation of the British Raj. The reader is Alistair McGowan.
Adapted by William Dalrymple
Produced by Elizabeth Allard”*
Today is the last of the five episodes, but all are available to listen to, for the next month.
Picture; East India coin, 1835, courtesy of the National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History
*The Anarchy, Radio 4, https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000b4wf
It was the first multinational company and its ships were often just referred to as “Indiamen”.
It had been founded in 1600 to trade in the Indian Ocean region, and until 1858 controlled large parts of the Indian sub-continent, along with parts of Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, and arguably damaged the
the Indian economy which its asset-stripped, looted, and plundered.
All of which means I have been fascinated by Anarchy, on the wireless this week.
In five episodes Radio 4, has taken “William Dalrymple's new and acclaimed history of the East India Company [and explored] how a small trading company founded in 1599 led to the formation of the British Raj. The reader is Alistair McGowan.
Adapted by William Dalrymple
Produced by Elizabeth Allard”*
Today is the last of the five episodes, but all are available to listen to, for the next month.
Picture; East India coin, 1835, courtesy of the National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History
*The Anarchy, Radio 4, https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000b4wf
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