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The Anarchy

The Relentless Rise of the East India Company

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About this listen

Bloomsbury presents The Anarchy by William Dalrymple, read by Sid Sagar.

THE TOP 5 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S BEST BOOKS OF 2019
THE TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR
FINALIST FOR THE CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE 2020
LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2019
A FINANCIAL TIMES, OBSERVER, DAILY TELEGRAPH, WALL STREET JOURNAL AND TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘Dalrymple is a superb historian with a visceral understanding of India … A book of beauty’ – Gerard DeGroot, The Times

In August 1765 the East India Company defeated the young Mughal emperor and forced him to establish a new administration in his richest provinces. Run by English merchants who collected taxes using a ruthless private army, this new regime saw the East India Company transform itself from an international trading corporation into something much more unusual: an aggressive colonial power in the guise of a multinational business.

William Dalrymple tells the remarkable story of the East India Company as it has never been told before, unfolding a timely cautionary tale of the first global corporate power.

©2019 William Dalrymple (P)2019 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 18th Century Asia Colonialism & Post-Colonialism India Military Modern Politics & Government South Asia Wars & Conflicts
William Dalrymple delivers yet again. His ability to weave sub plots together and bring history alive remains unequalled.

A very important book for every Indian who thinks that the British were the best thing to happen to India.

Powerful, evocative, unsettling - do give it a listen

Sid Sagar, who delivers it to us should have acquainted himself with Indian names before embarking on this project. The pathetic rendition of the names is the biggest blemish of the audio book.

A brilliant book covering a massive canvas

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My first William Dalrymple. Went into a time machine. Such a brilliantly researched book. A must read.

A Lucid Narrative of British East India Company.

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I love William Dalrymple and I also love the narrator brilliant work brilliant insightful so well researched

Great

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William Darlymple has done absolute justice to the topic of the book by not getting into taking to popular narratives and presented a well researched factual account, so it seems and so I believe from the style and coverage of the contents. This is a good read especially after plethora of Books written to eulogize Brit occupation of India and underplaying the brutal sufferings inflected upon Indian populace, leaders, kings and freedom fighters. it also presents in an absorbing manner the wealth, strength and weaknesses of very many indian kings of those times from Moghuls to Marathas to Afghans and from south to north and east to west. This Book also creates a perceived impression that British Government wasn't responsible for the loot of India rather a corporation called EIC... but it fails to capture the imagination of Indians who firmly believe today that British Government played hands in gloves with EIC in looting India and enriching Britain and that at least in public Britain must apologise if not return the proceeds of loot. voice is good, narrative is excellent, coverage is interesting. a worth read.

A must reads for one keen in Indian modern history

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An English view point on part of Indian history

Overall I believe this was a good perspective on some of the details that history textbooks do not teach. At the same time I see few discussions on social media which point to done factual inaccuracies. Given the references quoted through the book I would expect them to be none unless there are known uncertainties about done events.
This book however gives a good perspective on how the chapter in Indian history on the introduction of the East India Company in India and its transition into the British Raj. The interplay of men, money and military is well captured. A small detail that I liked was the writing of the monies involved in all kinds of deals made in today's terms gives a good perspective on the size of these deals that we can compare. It in turn makes one, atleast from India, angry and sad at the same time.
Would I refer this book to someone? Yes I would. Probably will. However with the asterix indicating that one should take it with a pinch of salt and not believe each detail blindly. Do your own research before judging.

An English view point on part of Indian history

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Captures the decline of Mughal empire from Aurangzeb's death and the politcal conquest of India by East India company. Along conquest of Mysore, grand Maratha alliance and the fall of Delhi. Master storytelling by Dalrymple - can be easily turned into TV series. but it does miss out conquest of many kingdoms in South, north west, and Eastern India. He should covered the era upto 1857, when entire India came under East India Company control and then British crown took over. Audiobook is masterfully narrated , giving all pauses and emphasis to give grand experience.

Master story -political conquest and personalities

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The Anarchy

By William Dalrymple
==========
If there is one book that completely destroys all the notions that you had formed about our Colonial history aided by the "history" taught in our schools, is The Anarchy.
The Anarchy outlines the story of rise of The East India Company in India from 1700 to 1799. And what a colorful story it is.

If you subscribe to the agendas of one party or the other, you will always be blinded to the truth.
Nothing in our history was absolute black and white. Every King, banker, governer, emperor worked in the interest of their self gain, and that includes Hindus, Muslims, Marathas, Bengalis, Mughals.
Ultimately it was the worker class, the common people who suffered through epidemics and drought and struggled for a morsel of food.
And we still haven't learnt anything.

Brilliant!

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If u r interested in Indian history, this is one book that will entertain you. It's written in a storytelling format. The characters have been described in flesh and blood rather than merely mentionables. The writer writes well.

Brilliant storytelling

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An amazing book of the rise of East India company. More importantly, it covers the most potent part of Indian history not known to many. North has brought about a sequence of event in an easy to understand manner and has made it interesting by citing various examples using authentic sources and references from archives and notable books and authors . Must read for all Indians

amazing and breathtaking

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Loved it. Wish it would have another chapter from 1806 to 1857 and also cover First War of Independence.

Brief insights into East India Company

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