A History of British India

By: The Great Courses, Hayden J. Bellenoit

Narrated by: Hayden J. Bellenoit

Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

No era is more pertinent to understanding how present-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh evolved than the nearly 200 years of British rule. This colonial period was a time of deep change and transformation - for India and for the world. These 24 engrossing lectures offer you new perspectives on the history of European imperialism, on world economic history, on the features of British colonialism, and on the rich cultures of the Indian subcontinent.

Over the course of this remarkable saga you'll explore:

• How the English East India Company, a commercial trading entity, established a presence in India and took the reins of power in one of the strangest political transformations in world history
• How the monumental Mughal Empire, builders of the Taj Mahal and longstanding Muslim rulers in India, gradually came apart in the face of British conquest
• How Britain extended its rule across the subcontinent, built a huge economic machine in India, and ultimately exacted a heavy price from the Indian people
• How India finally achieved independence in 1947, through one of humanity's most noteworthy examples of resourceful and philosophically sophisticated leadership

You'll trace the economic motives that brought the British and other Westerners to India, like how the emergence of the English as a stereotypically tea-drinking society was directly related to the Indian colonial economy. You will also take stock of the incredibly lavish lifestyles of India's maharajahs and how the British leveraged alliances with them. And you'll grasp the fundamental moral contradiction of the Raj, the conflict between Britain's economic interests and the human needs of the empire's Indian subjects, and more. In A History of British India, you'll relive a crucial era in international relations, one with deep and lasting implications for our contemporary world.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 The Great Courses (P)2017 The Teaching Company, LLC

Weak History

The narrator really wants you to know the British were racist and exploited Indians, That's historically accurate of course and needs saying but the problem with the book is the script was clearly written for a US audience & the analysis is puddle deep.

I could have done with more global and historical context, less outrage from the narrator and a more objective analysis of key British and Indian players.

Excellent overview

This is a useful introduction to recent subcontinental history. it is particularly strong in describing the different developments among subregions. Recommended

its crucial you listen to this.

pretty interesting, but the author needs to employ a thesaurus......it got to where I could tell when it was coming and thought if I heard the word CRUCIAL again I would stab my fu@kin eyeballs out.

A bit repetitive and tedious

Good: broad timeline. New perspectives like the role of smaller maharajahs and different classes like marwaris and zamindars
Bad: feels like a high school lecture. Too many times author asks ‘what do you think was the reason ‘ or similar. Answers it with ‘you got it’ Makes it sound obvious or rational. It’s not obvious many times. It becomes a bit juvenile and tedious.
Some paragraphs seems repetitive. They show up in multiple lectures. You will have a sense of deja vu.

learned a lot about British India

a lot of surprising information about British India including the starvation of 3 million during World War II and the death of another three million during the division of India and Pakistan

Great review for an ABCD

For someone who is an American Born Confused Desi, this was a great primer on India.

A great overview of British India

This course provides a very detailed history of British rule in India, from the earliest days of the British East India Company rule in the 1700’s through partition in 1947. The professor is well spoken and very knowledgeable on his topic. He’s also very easy to understand and listen to. I recommend the course to anyone who has even a cursory interesting Indian or Colonial history.

Fair and evenhanded. Worth listening

I put off listening to this because of the negative reviews. I was wrong to wait. I found the series immensely helpful in understanding British India. DON'T BELEIVE THE HATERS. The negative reviewers apparently do not like fairness. I found the presentation to be as non-biased as you can be on such a topic. Were the British racist in the 19 & 20th centuries? YES. Only a racist would call it PC to state this simple, indisputable fact. But, the original motivation was the profit of the East India company. Were Gandhi and Nehru perfect? No! The presenter makes this very clear. Was Muhammad Jenna evil? He was certainly an opportunist and hypocrite, but no, not evil. Were the British evil? Presenter does not absolve the British, which I think is more than fair. Anyone who lives in the UK or has visited cannot help but realize how much money the British Empire took out of India. By the way, I'm a white American, and I lived in England for several years. Well worth the listen.

Now I Understand

A few weeks ago, someone asked “how did Britain take over India? “. Years ago I saw a Bollywood movie where the British were cast as bad guys. I had always heard that Britain had left a Legacy of ‘good institutions’ in India. Now I understand how all of these fit together.

Colonialism and it's Aftermath

Good summary of British rule in India focusing on cultural, economic and social dynamics exploited by the British and how their centuries of rule forever changed India and not in good ways. Real damning critique of British rule and then neglect as they scrambled to get out before facing the results of their abuse.