Empire: World History
Episodes
46. The Mau Mau, the court case, and the hidden documents
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Mau Mau emergency began in 1952. Over the next eight years, the British abused thousands of Kenyans; detaining them, torturing them, murdering the...
45. Successors to the Romans, progressive harems, and living Ottomans
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Did the Ottomans see themselves as the successors to the Roman Empire? Was the Ottoman harem more progressive than others? How tolerant was the Ottoma...
44. The Legacy of the Ottomans, Queen of the Desert, and giant turbans
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How did Ataturk view the Ottomans? What is the status of the Ottoman Empire today? Who was Gertrude Bell? And how did Ottomans wear such big turbans? ...
43. The Birth of Saudi Arabia
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A Saud. A Bin Laden. A Philby. They all, along with the discovery of oil and a BBC demon, come together in the birth of the modern state of Saudi Arab...
42. The Fiery End of the Ottoman Empire
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Greeks are retreating to Smyrna in the face of Ataturk’s victory. The city, once one of the jewels of the Ottoman kingdom, is set to face devast...
41. The Rise of Ataturk
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The First World War is over. There is unrest across Anatolia, exacerbated by the Greek invasion coming through Smyrna. Turkish forces are swelling to ...
40. Origins of the Israel-Palestine Conflict
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Balfour Declaration was published on the 9th November 1917. It stated the intent of the British government to create a Jewish homeland in Palestin...
39. Lawrence of Arabia and the Arab Revolt
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Often understood through Peter O’Toole’s iconic display, who really was Lawrence of Arabia? His role in the First World War and the Arab Revolt ha...
38. Sykes-Picot: Carving up the Middle-East
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
3 characters. 2 nations. 1 disastrous deal. The Sykes-Picot agreement is often blamed as the cause for much of the unrest in the Middle-East today, bu...
37. The Armenian Genocide: Death Marches
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The secret orders have been given. The Armenian community is to be destroyed. Ordered to march across the desert, to unsupplied camps in Deir ez-Zor. ...
36. The Armenian Genocide: Road to the Deportations
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Armenian community has ancient, deep roots in Anatolia. But from the late 19th century onwards, violence and forced deportations at the hands of t...
35. Gallipoli: Death at the Cliff Edge
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Great War has begun. The British want to open supply lines through the Black Sea to support their Russian allies. Therefore they must take the Gal...
34. The Sick Man of Europe
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The winds of nationalism are blowing through Ottoman territory in the Balkans. Unrest is rife and the Empire is bankrupt. The young sultan Abdülhamid...
33. Lady Mary: Our Woman in Constantinople
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
She was a pioneering scientist, proto-feminist, and letter writer extraordinaire. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu escaped a marriage to Clotworthy Skeffingt...
32. The Greatest Ottoman Adventurer
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Evliya Çelebi travelled for 41 years. He documented his adventures, which included interactions with vampires, humans transforming into chickens, and...
31. Conquering the Night: The History of Coffee
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Coffee is everywhere today, but where does it come from? Was it originally a sex drug? What is the connection between Starbucks and a medieval goat he...
30. Sultanas to Slaves: Voices from the Harem
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What was life like for women in the Ottoman Empire? Was the Sultanate of Women the golden era? What was the role of the Harem? Listen as William and A...
29. The Tudors and the Turks
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Slave raids in Cornwall. Englishmen spying for the venetians. The East India Trading Companies’ older brother. Join William and Anita this week as t...
28. The Battle of Lepanto
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dawn breaks on the 7th October 1571 over the Gulf of Patras. On this day, the Holy League will face down the Ottomans in one of the most pivotal battl...
27. The Siege of Cyprus
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Selim II leads the Ottomans. Marco Brigadin the Venetians. They will clash over the island of Cyprus. But who will be victorious, and who will be defe...
26. Suspicion and Sorrow in Suleiman's Court
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Murdered love interests, intellectual curiosity, incredible barbarity, and body doubles all make an appearance in this week’s episode. Listen as Wil...
25. Suleiman the Magnificent
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Who is Selim the Grim? How does a slave come to be one of the most powerful members of Suleiman’s court? How does Suleiman anger the Christian power...
24. The Fall of Constantinople
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The biggest gun in history. A giant underwater chain. A previously unconquerable fortress. Inspirational leaders. Join William and Anita as they discu...
23. The First of the Ottomans
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How did the Ottomans seize the Balkans? Who is their first leader? How did the fourth crusade pave the way for their rise to power? Join William and A...
22. Byzantium and the Rise of the Turks
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The lights are dimmed. A hush has fallen. The curtain is rising. Season two of Empire is here. Our topic? The Ottoman Empire. In the opening epis...
21. The Ottoman Empire
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How did an Empire that stretched over thousands of miles and over half a millennium impact the world we live in today? William and Anita explain the f...
20. Nationhood, the Indian constitution, and the railways
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Join William and Anita for the second part of this week’s special question time bonanza where they answer all of your queries. In this episode they ...
19. Federal India, indentured labour, and naked yogis
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Anita and William are doing two episodes in which they answer all of your questions about Empire. Join William and Anita today as they disc...
18. The Empire Implodes
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the finale of our series on the British in India, William and Anita are joined by Sathnam Sanghera. With him they discuss the legacies of the Empir...
17. Rishi Sunak's Ancestry: Indians in East Africa
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Anita and William are joined by Mahmood Mamdani to discuss the East African Indian diaspora. How did Indians come to live in East Afr...
16. Partition
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The line has been drawn. India and Pakistan have been divided. Mountbatten and Radcliffe have left. But how will ordinary people caught up in this geo...
15. The Last Viceroy of India
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Anita and William are joined by Alex von Tunzelmann to discuss Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India. Listen in to hear a...
14. Muhammad Ali Jinnah
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Listen as William and Anita discuss the life of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. They will discuss the pivotal role he played in the creation of Pakistan, his riv...
13. The Patient Assassin
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Join William and Anita as they discuss the life of Udham Singh, who is as much man as he is myth. Coming from nothing, he killed a leopard with a knif...
12. Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Join William and Anita as they discuss the extraordinary life of Princess Sophia. Her story includes a debut at Buckingham Palace, a meeting with Gand...
11. Queens and the Koh-i-Noor
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Join William and Anita for the final episode in their series on the Koh-i-Noor diamond. This remarkable story includes Prince Albert’s inadvertent c...
10. Killing for the Koh-i-Noor
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Divide and rule, a man described as Brian Blessed but ‘with a bigger, bushier, blacker beard’, and a whole lot of regicide. Join Anita and William...
9. The Curse of the Koh-i-Noor
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Intense paranoia, palatial looting, and murder. Join Anita and William as they discuss the bloody origins of The Curse of the Koh-i-Noor. Twitter: @E...
8. The Koh-i-Noor Diamond
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A single stone has been fought over for at least 250 years by four different empires, and now sits in the Queen Consort's crown as part of the British...
7. Mahatma Gandhi
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest episode of Empire, William and Anita are joined by Ram Guha to explore the incredible life and story of Mahatma Gandhi. LRB Empire offe...
6. Queen Elizabeth II & Empire
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Anita and Willie are joined by David Olusoga for a special episode of Empire, where they discuss the Queen, the Commonwealth, the future of the monarc...
5. The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest episode of Empire, Willie and Anita dive into the story of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, alongside Professor Kim Wagner. Plus a discuss...
4. Between Two Massacres: 1857-1919
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Join William and Anita for the latest episode of Empire, which picks up in the aftermath of the 1857 Rebellion and the establishment of the British Ra...
3. Mutiny, Uprising, and Rebellion
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1857 tensions in Company-controlled India came to a head in what the British called 'The Indian Mutiny', now referred to in India as the First War ...
2. Company Rule in India
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Emerging victorious from the Battles of Plassey and Buxar, The East India Company cements its grip on power in India. Join Anita and William as they ...
1. The East India Company
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Empire, a brand new history podcast hosted by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand. The first series looks at the British in India: The East ...
Trailer
12 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do empires rise? Why do they fall? And how have they shaped the world around us today? William Dalrymple and Anita Anand explore the stories, per...