Inglorious Empire

What the British Did to India

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Inglorious Empire

By: Shashi Tharoor

Narrated by: Shashi Tharoor

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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Inglorious Empire written and read by Shashi Tharoor.

In the eighteenth century, India's share of the world economy was as large as Europe's. By 1947, after two centuries of British rule, it had decreased six-fold. The Empire blew rebels from cannon, massacred unarmed protesters, entrenched institutionalised racism, and caused millions to die from starvation.

British imperialism justified itself as enlightened despotism for the benefit of the governed, but Shashi Tharoor takes demolishes this position, demonstrating how every supposed imperial 'gift' - from the railways to the rule of law - was designed in Britain's interests alone. He goes on to show how Britain's Industrial Revolution was founded on India's deindustrialisation, and the destruction of its textile industry.

In this bold and incisive reassessment of colonialism, Tharoor exposes to devastating effect the inglorious reality of Britain's stained Indian legacy.

18th Century

Asia

Colonialism & Post-Colonialism

Europe

Great Britain

India

Modern

Politics & Government

South Asia

Colonial Period

Imperialism

Self-Determination

Thought-Provoking

Africa

England

Capitalism

Social justice

Socialism

Taxation

Middle Ages

British Empire

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Critic reviews

Tharoor convincingly demolishes some of the more persistent myths about Britain's supposedly civilising mission in India ... [he] charts the destruction of pre-colonial systems of government by the British and their ubiquitous ledgers and rule books ... The statistics are worth repeating. (Victor Mallet)

Remarkable ... The book is savagely critical of 200 years of the British in India. It makes very uncomfortable reading for Brits (Matt Ridley)

Tharoor's impassioned polemic slices straight to the heart of the darkness that drives all empires. Forceful, persuasive and blunt, he demolishes Raj nostalgia, laying bare the grim, and high, cost of the British Empire for its former subjects. An essential read (Niljana Roy)

Most relevant

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, I had never known this side of the story regarding England's relationship with India during its colonial days.

Simply by listening I felt educated.

I also feel both informed and disappointed at the same time. The reason for this is that I idolised Churchill above all other PMs for his "in my oppinoin" can do attitude coupled with common sense... however after listening to what I felt was a fairly neutral view, drenched in evidently researched facts, I can no longer see Churchill in the same way.

Another disappointing part being how Britian was so ruthless and self serving whilst in controller of India... I strongly feel that after listening to this account that if Britain had either left India alone or simply reinvested part of the sums they made back into India , we could as a people be so much further on globally, both socially and technologically.

Thank you to the author for publishing such a work to pay tribute to his country that suffered such hardship under mine. I wanted to say sorry for what happened myself although as he stated today's generations where not at fault for their ansestors past ventures, but during those century's I don't believe my ansestors where british either prior to Churchills time, more likely they where colonials from Ireland and else where...My point being anyone who loves thier country and hears how ruthless it was in the past would feel guilt towards those wronged as I did listening to this account of events.

The book is well read, encaptures the open minded and inquisive reader/listener. It has also given me an interested in learning more about other lands colonised by Britain during its emipers rein.