The Origins of the British Empire in Asia
David Veevers

We think of the English East India Company as an unremitting success: striding from one victory to another in a supposed ‘relentless’ rise. This talk will emphasise the Asian genesis of the British Empire. Only when the Company and its servants learned to subordinate themselves to Asian rulers, gain the patronage of Indian elites, and establish durable partnerships with Asian merchants, were they able to succeed, flourish and emerge during the 18th century as a major power.

Dr David Veevers is the author of The Origins of the British Empire in Asia (2020). He is a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow at Queen Mary, University of London.

Bookings: https://www.britishinindia.org.uk/