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| The Anarchy by William Dalrymple |
I have read 'The Anarchy - The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire' by the celebrated historian, Willaim Dalrymple. It's a vivid and detailed tale that spans from the humble origins of the East India Company in 1599 to the relentless rise of the 'Kampany Saheb Bahadur' in 1803. Peppered with liberal and classic illustrations and backed by painstaking research, this book of nine chapters is 'unputdownable' for anyone with a cursory interest in Colonial History of India. I'm amazed at the way the author points to the relevance of lessons learnt from the past regarding the dominating and blinding role of corporations. The company takeover of a fragmented India in the Eighteenth Century is rightly pointed as perhaps the grandest corporate takeover in global history.
Right from the word go, I was extremely hooked with the author's approach - when we look at history from backwards, with the benefit of hindsight, we may miss the big picture. Thus the events of the establishment of an obscure company by Auditor Smith in London and the cultural shock faced by Thomas Roe in the Mughal court of Jehangir make for an interesting read. How strange is destiny! As a famous telugu saying goes, Boats would turn to Cars! And the company's foray into Bengal, first as merchants and then as rulers - that takes up the crux of the book, is a profound read. How interesting that few namesake battles and events dictated by chance would lead to the Company acquiring the Diwani right over Bengal Subah, and it's rapacious greed finally culminating in the Famine of 1770s. After that, the fall of Tipu Sultan and the Marathas was detailed as the Mughal emperor to the role of nominal puppet, as an orgy of blood and greed descended upon India.
The author offers an interesting sketch of the personalities involved, including - the impressive but unfortunate Shah Alam II, the greedy and India hating Clive, the good but misunderstood Hastings and the Francophobe imperialist Wellesley. I've got to also understand and appreciate the role played by mercenary European adventurers and historians like Count De Boigne, Count Modave, Walter Sumru, Rene Medec, Ghulam Haider Khan, Jean Gentil etc. Another interesting but hitherto unknown fact to me is the role played by Naga Sadhus as crack troops in the service of Nawab of Awadh & later Mughal Empire. Another recurring theme that runs in the book, with subtle hints is the 'State vs Corporation' struggle, that plays out as series of acts and impeachments, finally culminating in the abolition of East India Company in 1858.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the book and now, William Dalrymple's one of my favourites!
Book - 'The Anarchy - The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire' by William Dalrymple, Bloomsbury (2019)
