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A History of British India

Written by: The Great Courses, Hayden J. Bellenoit
Narrated by: Hayden J. Bellenoit
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Publisher's Summary

No era is more pertinent to understanding how present-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh evolved than the nearly 200 years of British rule. This colonial period was a time of deep change and transformation - for India and for the world. These 24 engrossing lectures offer you new perspectives on the history of European imperialism, on world economic history, on the features of British colonialism, and on the rich cultures of the Indian subcontinent.

Over the course of this remarkable saga you'll explore:

  • How the English East India Company, a commercial trading entity, established a presence in India and took the reins of power in one of the strangest political transformations in world history
  • How the monumental Mughal Empire, builders of the Taj Mahal and longstanding Muslim rulers in India, gradually came apart in the face of British conquest
  • How Britain extended its rule across the subcontinent, built a huge economic machine in India, and ultimately exacted a heavy price from the Indian people
  • How India finally achieved independence in 1947, through one of humanity's most noteworthy examples of resourceful and philosophically sophisticated leadership

You'll trace the economic motives that brought the British and other Westerners to India, like how the emergence of the English as a stereotypically tea-drinking society was directly related to the Indian colonial economy. You will also take stock of the incredibly lavish lifestyles of India's maharajahs and how the British leveraged alliances with them. And you'll grasp the fundamental moral contradiction of the Raj, the conflict between Britain's economic interests and the human needs of the empire's Indian subjects, and more. In A History of British India, you'll relive a crucial era in international relations, one with deep and lasting implications for our contemporary world.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 The Great Courses (P)2017 The Teaching Company, LLC

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Narrator

Why is this person calling the Moghul empire the ‘MOOCALL’?
This is really annoying to me. I have never heard it pronounced this way before - am I wrong?

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Oh India, Where art Thou today?

Fascinating history! The partitioning of India is a sobering moment for humanity. Could it have been avoided?

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My humble opinion

it was very informative and well laid out. My only complaint would be a slight anti empire bias. It made me need to take a break once or twice but overall it doesn't take away from the information being presented. It helps that the presenter/author is seems sincere.

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"think about it could be a drinking game"

"think about it could be a drinking game" other than that its fine. i learned alot. thanks

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Good Information

The professor has a couple quirky things he likes to say, was fine at first, then they became amusing, then they became annoying. Still thinking back now, it's amusing again. Who knows, you may not mind. This is definitely lecture style format, that's what I expected so I rated the story 5. Just know going in its not really supposed to be a story.

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