Inglorious Empire

A clearheaded and comprehensive account of what the British did to India.

I remember watching Sashi Tharoor's Oxford speech and going on a YouTube binge of all his interviews relating to the topic. It captivated me because as an Indian I had no idea about India's position in the world before the British Empire. I've had disagreements with fellow Indians who believed India is where it is in the global economy now because the British empire had the mercy to industrialize India. I have British mates who grow up with a heroic sympathy towards Winston Churchill. Sashi Tharoor just clears all these notions and doubts by factual evidences. He makes no mistakes in conveying the history of how a prosperous region was systematically destroyed to rubbles all in the name of trade by the empire.

I was sceptical when I read the title. I was expecting a one-sided story of all the ill done by the British empire from the perspective of an Indian, but I was proved wrong. The quotes from books and speeches by non-Indian historians, writers and economists made it clear that it wasn't just the complaints and rants of the subjugated. Will Durant is my favourite of all such writers mentioned in this book.

It was also reassuring to learn that among the stone-hearted, racist and wealth hungry British elites, there were some rare gem's who saw Indians as equals and genuinely cared for the people. I would recommend this book for every Indian. Knowing our history means knowing ourselves.