The British Conquest of India (1798-1806) I. Background & Grand Strategy

Why did Britain decide to conquer India? In this video (Part 1 of a 5-part series), we examine the situation in the subcontinent during the 1790s, as well as the policy debates in Britain over the purpose of Empire. While many wanted to keep to the status quo in India (including, ironically, the East India Company), they were ultimately no match for the ambition of Governor-General Richard Wellesley, who eventually got approval for expansion through a combination of political skill, luck, and rampant Francophobia.

All errors are my own.

▬ CHAPTERS ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

▬ SOURCES ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Bowen H. The Business of Empire. Cambridge University Press 2006.

Chowdhury M. Empire and Gunpowder. Routledge 2023.

Cooper R. The Anglo-Maratha Campaigns and the Contest for India. Cambridge University Press 2007.

Roy K. War, Culture and Society in Early Modern South Asia. Routledge 2011.

Severn J. Architects of Empire. University of Oklahoma Press 2007.

Stewart G. The New Cambridge History of India. Cambridge University Press 2008.

Yazdani K. India, Modernity and the Great Divergence. Brill 2017.

Ahuja R; Christof-Füchsle M (eds). A Great War in South India. Walter de Gruyter 2020.

Bayly C. Empire and Information. Cambridge University Press 1999.

Habib I (ed). State and Diplomacy under Tipu Sultan. Tulika 2001.

Wink A. Land and Sovereignty in India. Cambridge University Press 1986.

Rosen D. Border Law. Harvard University Press 2015. (Re: US-Native relations BUT relevant)

▬ CREDITS ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Alex

▬ ATTRIBUTIONS ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Wikipedia (basic facts + dates)

Maps:

Google Maps

(India Topography)

(Rann of Kutch)

(India 1700)

(India 1750)

(India 1794)

(India 1807)

(European Empires 1800)

(DEI 1800)

Made using Microsoft Office 2013, Remote Mouse, ShureMV7, Audacity, WavePad, VideoPad and Poe.