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Inglorious Empire

What the British Did to India

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Inglorious Empire

Written by: Shashi Tharoor
Narrated by: Shashi Tharoor
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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 19th Century Asia Colonialism & Post-Colonialism Ideologies & Doctrines India Modern Politics & Government South Asia
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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)
Inglorious Empire is a timely reminder of the need to start teaching unromanticised colonial history in British schools. A welcome antidote to the nauseating righteousness and condescension pedalled by Niall Ferguson in his 2003 book Empire
His writing is a delight and he seldom misses his target ... Tharoor should be applauded for tackling an impossibly contentious subject ... he deserves to be read. Indians are not the only ones who need reminding that empire has a lot to answer for.
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)
Ferocious and astonishing. Essential for a Britain lost in sepia fantasies about its past, Inglorious Empire is history at its clearest and cutting best (Ben Judah)
Those Brits who speak confidently about how Britain's "historical and cultural ties" to India will make it easy to strike a great new trade deal should read Mr Tharoor's book. It would help them to see the world through the eyes of the ... countries once colonised or defeated by Britain (Gideon Rachman)
Rare indeed is it to come across history that is so readable and so persuasive (Amitav Ghosh)
Eloquent ... a well-written riposte to those texts that celebrate empire as a supposed "force for good"
Tharoor's book - arising from a contentious Oxford Union debate in 2015 where he proposed the motion "Britain owes reparations to her former colonies" - should keep the home fires burning, so to speak, both in India and in Britain. ... He makes a persuasive case, with telling examples
All stars
Most relevant
Great story telling by Mr. Shashi Tharoor. Whether you are a Congress supporter or not this unbiased rendition of the Indian history under British rule is a must listen. You never learn this stuff in school but should!

A must read for every Indian citizen

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This book covers the history which we are not taught. While this is not a history book, it provides context to what happened during the 200 years of the Raj and how the situation India found itself after independence and to some extent even now, is due to what happened in those 200 years.
Everyone in India should read this book to understand our history. "History belongs to the past, but understanding it is the duty of the present"

Glorious accout of the inglorious empire

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it was quite engrossing, right from the chapter-1,Shashi Through was in full flow,his mastery over the facts,n references was all indisputable.Any objective, unbiased observer will get convinced of his case.It is a high time the Britain should apologize to India n as a penance stop projecting the colonial era as a boon to India n other enslaved nations.The schools in Britain be taught the history of imperialism de novo in the light of scholarly findings of Tharoor n other independent historians who are not captives of British culture.The arguments made by Shashi Tharoor would keep reverberating in the ears of all objective ,fair minded Britons too till they purge themselves of their sins boldly n with full humility.The narration by Tharoor himself was outstanding n I finished this book on my morning walks in straight 8-10 days.This book is must for all educated Indians.

Review of Inglorious Empire.

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Sashi Tharoor at his best as ever. Must read for every Indian and British alike.

An immensely empowering Read

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Dr Shashi Tharoor has emerged as a great nationalist and as he is a great orator,this book is a listening pleasure.

Excellent narrative and narrated well too.

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