William Dalrymple: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company
The devastating story of how the British came to rule India is one characterised by aggression, ruthlessness and violence. From trading silks and spices to running a vast private security force twice the size of the British army, the East India Company mercilessly conquered the entire Indian subcontinent.
So how did a company headquartered in a single office, five windows wide, bring down one of the world’s most magnificent empires?
Historian and best-selling author William Dalrymple delivers a rich account of Britain’s harrowing colonial history, exploring how a dangerously unregulated private enterprise managed to corrupt the most senior British politicians and officials in the process.
We still talk about the British conquering India, but that phrase disguises a more sinister reality.
