Inglorious Empire
What the British Did to India
Failed to add items
Add to cart failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
2 credits with free trial
Buy Now for ₹752.00
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Shashi Tharoor
-
Written by:
-
Shashi Tharoor
About this listen
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.
©2018 Shashi Tharoor (P)2018 Penguin AudioPeople who bought this also bought...
-
The Anarchy
- The Relentless Rise of the East India Company
- Written by: William Dalrymple
- Narrated by: Sid Sagar
- Length: 15 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Anarchy tells the remarkable story of how one of the world’s most magnificent empires disintegrated and came to be replaced by a dangerously unregulated private company, based thousands of miles overseas in one small office, five windows wide, and answerable only to its distant shareholders. In his most ambitious and riveting audiobook to date, William Dalrymple tells the story of the East India Company as it has never been told before, unfolding a timely cautionary tale of the first global corporate power.
-
-
Pronunciations not satisfactory
- By msvk on 26-05-20
-
Mossad
- The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service
- Written by: Michael Bar-Zohar, Nissim Mishal
- Narrated by: Benjamin Isaac
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Mossad, authors MichaelBar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal take us behind the closed curtain with riveting, eye-opening, boots-on-the-ground accounts of the most dangerous, most crucial missions in the agency's 60-year history.
-
-
Very engrossing and thrilling!
- By shashwat hota on 18-12-21
-
Return of a King
- The Battle for Afghanistan
- Written by: William Dalrymple
- Narrated by: Sagar Arya
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spring of 1839, Britain invaded Afghanistan for the first time. Nearly 20,000 British and East India Company troops poured through the high mountain passes and re-established on the throne Shah Shuja ul-Mulk. On the way in, the British faced little resistance. But after two years of occupation, the Afghan people rose in answer to the call for jihad and the country exploded into violent rebellion. The First Anglo-Afghan War ended in Britain's greatest military humiliation of the 19th century.
-
-
Must Listen
- By anup on 05-10-21
-
1962: The War That Wasn't
- The Definitive Account of the Clash Between India and China
- Written by: Shiv Kunal Verma
- Narrated by: Manish Dongardive
- Length: 19 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On 20 October 1962, high in the Himalayas, on the banks of the fast-flowing Nam Ka Chu, over 400 Indian soldiers were massacred, and the valley was overrun by soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army. Over the course of the next month, nearly 4,000 soldiers were killed on both sides, and the Indian army experienced its worst defeat ever. The conflict (war was never formally declared) ended because China announced a unilateral ceasefire on 21 November and halted its hitherto unhindered advance across NEFA and Ladakh.
-
-
Eye opening account of the Sino Indian war
- By dipanjanb on 05-03-19
-
Savarkar: Echoes of a Forgotton Past, Vol. 1: Part 1
- Written by: Vikram Sampath
- Narrated by: Pratik Sharma
- Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing from a vast range of original archival documents across India and abroad, this biography in two parts - the first focusing on the years leading up to his incarceration and eventual release from the Kalapani - puts Savarkar, his life, and his philosophy in a new perspective and looks at the man with all his achievements and failings.
-
-
Why are all Marathi names are pronounced wrongly?
- By Amrut on 21-11-21
-
The Origin Story of India's States
- Written by: Venkataraghavan Srinivasan
- Narrated by: Venkataraghavan Srinivasan
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story of the birth of India's states is the story of the birth and continuing rebirth of India, the nation. It is a story that everyone in India must know, from young to old. This rigorously researched book lays out the fascinating political and historical circumstances of the birth of India's states and union territories.
-
-
good but repetative
- By saransh j. on 06-10-22
-
The Anarchy
- The Relentless Rise of the East India Company
- Written by: William Dalrymple
- Narrated by: Sid Sagar
- Length: 15 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Anarchy tells the remarkable story of how one of the world’s most magnificent empires disintegrated and came to be replaced by a dangerously unregulated private company, based thousands of miles overseas in one small office, five windows wide, and answerable only to its distant shareholders. In his most ambitious and riveting audiobook to date, William Dalrymple tells the story of the East India Company as it has never been told before, unfolding a timely cautionary tale of the first global corporate power.
-
-
Pronunciations not satisfactory
- By msvk on 26-05-20
-
Mossad
- The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service
- Written by: Michael Bar-Zohar, Nissim Mishal
- Narrated by: Benjamin Isaac
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Mossad, authors MichaelBar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal take us behind the closed curtain with riveting, eye-opening, boots-on-the-ground accounts of the most dangerous, most crucial missions in the agency's 60-year history.
-
-
Very engrossing and thrilling!
- By shashwat hota on 18-12-21
-
Return of a King
- The Battle for Afghanistan
- Written by: William Dalrymple
- Narrated by: Sagar Arya
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spring of 1839, Britain invaded Afghanistan for the first time. Nearly 20,000 British and East India Company troops poured through the high mountain passes and re-established on the throne Shah Shuja ul-Mulk. On the way in, the British faced little resistance. But after two years of occupation, the Afghan people rose in answer to the call for jihad and the country exploded into violent rebellion. The First Anglo-Afghan War ended in Britain's greatest military humiliation of the 19th century.
-
-
Must Listen
- By anup on 05-10-21
-
1962: The War That Wasn't
- The Definitive Account of the Clash Between India and China
- Written by: Shiv Kunal Verma
- Narrated by: Manish Dongardive
- Length: 19 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On 20 October 1962, high in the Himalayas, on the banks of the fast-flowing Nam Ka Chu, over 400 Indian soldiers were massacred, and the valley was overrun by soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army. Over the course of the next month, nearly 4,000 soldiers were killed on both sides, and the Indian army experienced its worst defeat ever. The conflict (war was never formally declared) ended because China announced a unilateral ceasefire on 21 November and halted its hitherto unhindered advance across NEFA and Ladakh.
-
-
Eye opening account of the Sino Indian war
- By dipanjanb on 05-03-19
-
Savarkar: Echoes of a Forgotton Past, Vol. 1: Part 1
- Written by: Vikram Sampath
- Narrated by: Pratik Sharma
- Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing from a vast range of original archival documents across India and abroad, this biography in two parts - the first focusing on the years leading up to his incarceration and eventual release from the Kalapani - puts Savarkar, his life, and his philosophy in a new perspective and looks at the man with all his achievements and failings.
-
-
Why are all Marathi names are pronounced wrongly?
- By Amrut on 21-11-21
-
The Origin Story of India's States
- Written by: Venkataraghavan Srinivasan
- Narrated by: Venkataraghavan Srinivasan
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story of the birth of India's states is the story of the birth and continuing rebirth of India, the nation. It is a story that everyone in India must know, from young to old. This rigorously researched book lays out the fascinating political and historical circumstances of the birth of India's states and union territories.
-
-
good but repetative
- By saransh j. on 06-10-22
-
The Tatas
- How a Family Built a Business and a Nation
- Written by: Girish Kuber, Vikrant Pande - translator
- Narrated by: Rajiv Dadia
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 19th century was an exciting time of initiative and enterprise around the world. If John D. Rockefeller was creating unimagined wealth in the United States that he would put to the service of the nation, a Parsi family with humble roots was doing the same in India. The Tatas is a tribute to a line of visionaries who have a special place in the hearts and minds of ordinary Indians. Written by seasoned journalist Girish Kuber, this is also the only book that tells the complete Tata story spanning almost 200 years.
-
-
Very captivating.
- By Amit Kumar on 29-03-20
-
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
- A History of Nazi Germany
- Written by: William L. Shirer
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 57 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of the 20th century’s blackest hours. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich offers an unparalleled and thrillingly told examination of how Adolf Hitler nearly succeeded in conquering the world. With millions of copies in print around the globe, it has attained the status of a vital and enduring classic.
-
-
Almost an Anthropological Account of an Aeon!
- By Girish B Hukkeri on 07-03-20
-
Bravehearts of Bharat
- Vignettes from Indian History
- Written by: Vikram Sampath
- Narrated by: Anuj Datta
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fifteen Brave Men and Women of Bharat who Never Succumbed to the Challenges of Invaders But were Lost and Forgotten in the Annals of History. These are the stories of those Bravehearts who Fought to Protect their Rights, Faith and Freedom.
-
-
Excellent glimpse of Indian history
- By DATTADA V. on 22-09-23
-
BBC Classics: Ultimate Story Collection
- 90 Unmissable Tales
- Written by: Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle, Virginia Woolf,
- Narrated by: Sam Dale, Joseph Ayre, Carolyn Pickles,
- Length: 26 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A treasure chest of timeless short stories by some of the world's greatest authors.
-
-
One of the best collections I've come across
- By Kausar Madhyia on 23-09-21
-
Savarkar: Echoes of a Forgotton Past, Vol. 1: Part 2
- Written by: Vikram Sampath
- Narrated by: Pratik Sharma
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing from a vast range of original archival documents across India and abroad, this biography in two parts - the first focusing on the years leading up to his incarceration and eventual release from the Kalapani - puts Savarkar, his life, and his philosophy in a new perspective and looks at the man with all his achievements and failings.
-
-
This is only Part 2 of Vol 1 and not entire book
- By Anonymous User on 04-03-20
-
Bose: The Untold Story (Part 1)
- The Untold Story of an Inconvenient Nationalist
- Written by: Chandrachur Ghose
- Narrated by: Dev J. Haldar
- Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are not many Indian heroes whose lives have been as dramatic and adventurous as that of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. That, however, is an assessment of his life based on what is widely known about him. These often revolve around his resignation from the Indian Civil Service, joining the freedom movement, to be exiled twice for over seven years, throwing a challenge to the Gandhian leadership in the Congress, taking up an extremist position against the British Raj, evading the famed intelligence network to travel to Europe and then to Southeast Asia.
-
-
Mind numbingly dull
- By Alok on 06-03-23
Critic Reviews
What listeners say about Inglorious Empire
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Vishwa Hiremath
- 17-08-21
Great book.
Amazing book, depicting atrocities of colonial rule in India. Book aptly Covers the ill effects caused by colonialism in all the sectors and political and geographical influence. Pros and cons and relevance of Gandhian ideology covered in the last chapter was delicious. Overall great book. Thanks
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Deepanwita Nath
- 17-07-20
Stupendous!
Loved it. Listening to Indian history in the voice of Mr. Tharoor is a fan moment.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kewal Krishan Bhardwaj
- 19-03-21
Antique piece of history
Well narrated by socialist Shashi Tharoor. As Mr Tharoor concluded he must have joined CPIM not INC.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Atul Saboo
- 26-07-19
India's Pre independence history
Eloquent and informs the struggle India went through and that it still hunts it wounds so deep that still imped her growth.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 04-07-19
A part of history I never knew.
Amazing narration, and perfect speed, a detailed count of the British exploitation of India, her resources, and their divide & rule policy, explained beautifully by Mr Tharoor. This book must be read by all Indians.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Gaurav P likhite
- 05-08-20
Excellent book
Beautifully written and narrated, a great learning experience. Very thoroughly researched.
Must read for every Indian.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Shyam
- 20-11-19
Well-researched, written & narrated
Every word of this book was informative and interesting! Kudos to Shashi Tharoor for a wonderful research and extensive bibliography too!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Makrand Pataskar
- 19-11-21
Thank you for the facts about pseudo Brits rule
Brings our tears and anger, just listening to these facts and knowing how maliciously a great civilization and a commerce was brought down and reduced to dust. Sadly even today the mindset of a common Indian stays damaged as they look to the west for inspiration.
A public apology should have been issued after the release of these facts but knowing these shameless Brits, I am not surprised that none came.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Veedee
- 28-01-21
Must Read for History Lovers
Narration was Impressive. Shashi Tharoor proved his points with facts and figures. The Book is not just about his own ideas but he also mentioned views and opinions of various Historians, Politicians, Scholars by quoting their exact phrases. Book is well Researched and his narration really connects the reader. From time to time I got goosebumps listening to the Events which took place in Colonial India. The only nit picking if I had to mention is the use of the English words which is hard to understand for an Average Reader especially if his/her mother tongue is not English. Other than that, a Must Read Book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- RG
- 03-12-22
Perfect book for Children...
and an apt book that should have found its place in schools. This is the history that should be taught to every Indian right when they're in CBSE, ICSE, State board, Matric or any state syllabus. Like the memes in WhatsApp...Read this book if you're a true Indian hehe!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!