The East India Company: The Corporation That Conquered Nations

The East India Company: The Corporation That Conquered Nations podcast cover
Fexingo History · Europe

The East India Company: The Corporation That Conquered Nations

How did a London trading company become the de facto ruler of India? The East India Company started as a joint-stock venture in 1600, chasing spices, but by the mid-18th century it ran armies, minted coins, and governed millions. Lucas and Luna trace the Company's transformation from merchant fleet to imperial machine: the battle of Plassey (1757) where Robert Clive bent Bengal to Company will; the scandalous 'nabobs' who returned with fortunes; the opium trades that forced open China; and the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 that finally brought Crown rule. They explore how a corporation waged war (Anglo-Mysore conflicts, Anglo-Maratha wars), administered justice (Warren Hastings' impeachment), and reshaped global trade—tea, silk, saltpeter. Along the way, they question whether the Company was a rogue state or just capitalism ahead of its time. This is the story of how profit and power fused to build an empire that still echoes in today's debates over corporate influence and colonial legacies.

#EastIndiaCompany#BritishEmpire#RobertClive#BattleOfPlassey#WarrenHastings#SepoyRebellion#OpiumWars#Nabobs#AngloMysoreWars#AngloMarathaWars#Imperialism#ColonialIndia#JointStock#CorporatePower#TeaTrade#History#WorldHistory#FexingoHistory

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Episodes

186 episodes

The First English Ship in Japan: William Adams and the EIC

Aug 1, 2026 · 10:22
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Battle of Swally How the East India Company Beat the Portuguese

Jul 30, 2026 · 5:40
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Battle of Buxar: How the EIC Became the Ruler of Bengal

Jul 30, 2026 · 7:41
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The Black Hole of Calcutta: Myth, Propaganda, and Reality

Jul 29, 2026 · 8:20
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The EIC's Forgotten War: The Treaty of Salbai

Jul 29, 2026 · 6:15
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The Sepoys of the East India Company

Jul 28, 2026 · 6:14
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The EIC's First Fleet: Lancaster's Voyage to the East Indies

Jul 28, 2026 · 4:49
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Sir Thomas Roe at the Mughal Court: When the EIC Begged for Permission

Jul 27, 2026 · 4:28
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The Amboyna Massacre: When the Dutch Executed English Traders

Jul 27, 2026 · 9:16
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Mir Jafar and the Dual Government of Bengal

Jul 26, 2026 · 7:26
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The EIC's Permanent Settlement: The Land Tax That Shaped Bengal

Jul 26, 2026 · 6:14
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The EIC's Forgotten Cargo: Slaves and the Oceanic Trade

Jul 25, 2026 · 6:32
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The EIC's Forgotten Tea: From Canton to the Boston Tea Party

Jul 24, 2026 · 4:54
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The EIC's Forgotten Mapmaker: Jean-Baptiste d'Anville and the Atlas of Asia

Jul 24, 2026 · 6:56
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The EIC's Forgotten Rebel: Yakut Khan and the Siege of Bombay 1689

Jul 23, 2026 · 6:21
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The EIC's Forgotten Opium: How the Company Addicted China

Jul 23, 2026 · 10:06
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How the East India Company Nearly Went Bankrupt in 1772

Jul 22, 2026 · 6:09
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The EIC's Forgotten Execution: Company Bahadur and the Trial of Warren Hastings

Jul 22, 2026 · 6:40
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The EIC's Forgotten Shipwright: Lowji Nasarvanji Wadia and Bombay's Dockyards

Jul 21, 2026 · 6:43
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The EIC's Forgotten Fortress: Bombay Castle and the Island City

Jul 21, 2026 · 6:02
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The EIC's Forgotten Bankers: The Jagat Seth and the Battle of Plassey

Jul 20, 2026 · 6:06
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The EIC's Forgotten Failure: The Siege of Bombay 1689

Jul 20, 2026 · 8:37
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The Company's First Factory: Masulipatnam and the Coromandel Coast

Jul 19, 2026 · 6:11
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The EIC's Forgotten Cartographer: James Rennell and the Map of Bengal

Jul 19, 2026 · 7:52
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The EIC's Forgotten Naval Battle: The Bombay Harbour Clash of 1689

Jul 18, 2026 · 6:02
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The EIC's Forgotten Treaty: The Treaty of Paris 1763

Jul 18, 2026 · 4:49
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The EIC's Forgotten War: The First Anglo-Maratha Conflict

Jul 17, 2026 · 4:50
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The EIC's Forgotten Governor: Robert Clive's First Plassey

Jul 17, 2026 · 6:28
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The EIC's Forgotten Embassy: Thomas Roe at Jahangir's Court

Jul 16, 2026 · 7:59
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The East India Company's Forgotten Factory: Bombay Before the Castle

Jul 16, 2026 · 6:03
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The EIC's Forgotten Language: Persian and Company Diplomacy

Jul 15, 2026 · 6:09
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The EIC's Forgotten Island: St Helena and Napoleon

Jul 15, 2026 · 8:48
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The EIC's Forgotten General: Stringer Lawrence and the Madras Army

Jul 14, 2026 · 7:01
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The EIC's Forgotten Mint: How the Company Made Its Own Money

Jul 14, 2026 · 8:04
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The EIC's Forgotten Factory: Surat and the Birth of Empire

Jul 13, 2026 · 8:19
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The EIC's Forgotten Fortress: St. George and the Siege of Madras

Jul 13, 2026 · 7:02
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The EIC's Forgotten City: Calcutta Before the Empire

Jul 12, 2026 · 9:30
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The EIC's Forgotten Doctor: Helenus Scott and the Bombay Vaccine

Jul 12, 2026 · 5:54
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The EIC's Forgotten Island: Bombay Before the Castle

Jul 11, 2026 · 6:38
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The EIC's Forgotten Fortress: Bombay Castle and the Island City

Jul 11, 2026 · 7:15
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The EIC's Forgotten Pirates: William Kidd and the Indian Ocean

Jul 10, 2026 · 5:31
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The EIC's Forgotten Drug: Opium and the China Trade

Jul 10, 2026 · 6:25
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The EIC's Forgotten Shipwreck: The Grosvenor and Company Justice

Jul 9, 2026 · 8:31
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The EIC's Forgotten Doctor: John McNab and the Madras Smallpox Vaccination

Jul 9, 2026 · 5:52
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The EIC's Forgotten Constitution: The Charter Acts That Built Empire

Jul 8, 2026 · 8:00
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The EIC's Forgotten Currency: The Rupee That Built an Empire

Jul 8, 2026 · 10:59
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The EIC's Forgotten Rebellion: The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 and the Company's Fall

Jul 7, 2026 · 6:28
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The EIC's Forgotten Language: Persian and Company Diplomacy

Jul 7, 2026 · 8:17
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The EIC's Forgotten Spymaster: John Malcolm and the Anglo-Persian Gambit

Jul 6, 2026 · 5:11
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The EIC's Forgotten War: The First Anglo-Burmese War

Jul 6, 2026 · 6:03
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The EIC's Forgotten Mapmaker: James Rennell and the Survey of Bengal

Jul 5, 2026 · 8:23
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The EIC's Forgotten Spice: Cinnamon and the Secret Colony

Jul 5, 2026 · 9:16
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The EIC's Forgotten Ship: The East Indiaman's Hidden Voyages

Jul 4, 2026 · 6:04
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The EIC's Forgotten Spy: Jaswant Rao and the Network of Informants

Jul 4, 2026 · 6:14
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The EIC's Forgotten Rebel: The Sanyasi Uprising of Bengal

Jul 3, 2026 · 8:39
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The EIC's Forgotten Artist: Tilly Kettle and Company Painting

Jul 3, 2026 · 6:47
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The EIC's Forgotten Reformer: Lord William Bentinck and the End of Suttee

Jul 2, 2026 · 8:47
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The EIC's Forgotten Shipwright: Lowji Nasarvanji and Bombay's Dockyard

Jul 1, 2026 · 5:36
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The EIC's Forgotten Battle: Plassey and the Price of Betrayal

Jul 1, 2026 · 5:58
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The EIC's Forgotten Fortress: St. George and the Siege of Madras

Jun 30, 2026 · 4:32
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The EIC's Forgotten General: Stringer Lawrence and the Birth of the Company Army

Jun 30, 2026 · 9:55
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The EIC's Forgotten Architect: How Bombay Became a City

Jun 29, 2026 · 7:21
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The EIC's Forgotten Opium: Trade, War and Addiction

Jun 29, 2026 · 7:04
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The EIC's Forgotten Bodyguard: The Peons of Empire

Jun 28, 2026 · 4:01
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The EIC's Forgotten Plague: Smallpox and the Empire of Disease

Jun 28, 2026 · 6:40
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The EIC's Forgotten Rebellion: The Vellore Mutiny of 1806

Jun 27, 2026 · 5:27
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The EIC's Forgotten Food: Rice, Curry and the Making of Empire

Jun 27, 2026 · 6:40
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The EIC's Forgotten Fortress: Surat Castle and the Mughal Gateway

Jun 26, 2026 · 8:37
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The EIC's Forgotten Financier: Indian Moneylenders

Jun 26, 2026 · 5:39
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The EIC's Forgotten Fortress: St. George and the Siege of Madras

Jun 25, 2026 · 6:59
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The EIC's Forgotten Mint: How Company Silver Became Mughal Rupees

Jun 25, 2026 · 7:00
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The EIC's Forgotten Fortress: Bombay Castle and the Defence of Empire

Jun 24, 2026 · 8:20
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The Bombay Marine: The EIC's Forgotten Navy

Jun 24, 2026 · 6:30
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EIC's Forgotten Hospital: The Bombay Lunatic Asylum

Jun 23, 2026 · 4:33
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The EIC's Forgotten Envoy: Sir William Norris and the Court of Aurangzeb

Jun 23, 2026 · 9:41
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The EIC's Forgotten Admiral: Charles Watson and Bengal

Jun 22, 2026 · 8:52
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The EIC's Forgotten Trial: Maharaja Nanda Kumar and the Limits of Company Justice

Jun 22, 2026 · 7:06
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The EIC's Forgotten Ship: The Grosvenor Wreck

Jun 21, 2026 · 5:01
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The EIC's Forgotten Spies: Ross Daniels and the Secret Intelligence of Empire

Jun 21, 2026 · 5:03
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The EIC's Forgotten Ship: The Grosvenor Shipwreck and Survival

Jun 20, 2026 · 6:55
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The EIC's Forgotten Map: James Rennell and the Survey of India

Jun 20, 2026 · 6:25
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The EIC's Forgotten Diplomat: Sir John Wood and the Treaty of Titalia

Jun 19, 2026 · 5:45
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The EIC's War on Coasts: The Bombardment of Algiers

Jun 19, 2026 · 7:19
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The EIC's Forgotten War: The Battle of Buxar and the Birth of Empire

Jun 18, 2026 · 8:25
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The EIC's Forgotten War: The Battle of Buxar and the Birth of Empire

Jun 18, 2026 · 6:25
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The EIC's Forgotten Trade: Opium, Tea, and the China Market

Jun 17, 2026 · 6:17
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The EIC's Forgotten General: Eyre Coote and the Battle of Wandiwash

Jun 17, 2026 · 8:22
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The EIC's Forgotten War: The Anglo-Mysore Conflict and Tipu Sultan

Jun 16, 2026 · 6:49
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The EIC's Forgotten Governor: Gerald Aungier and Bombay

Jun 16, 2026 · 8:54
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The EIC's Forgotten Palace: Government House and Imperial Calcutta

Jun 15, 2026 · 9:52
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The EIC's Forgotten Factory: Surat and the Birth of Company Trade

Jun 15, 2026 · 9:43
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The EIC's Forgotten Mint: The Rupee and the Making of Empire

Jun 14, 2026 · 6:48
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The EIC's Forgotten Artist: Tilly Kettle and Company Painting

Jun 14, 2026 · 7:23
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The EIC's Forgotten General: Stringer Lawrence and the Madras Army

Jun 13, 2026 · 7:08
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The EIC's Forgotten General: Stringer Lawrence and the Making of the Madras Army

Jun 12, 2026 · 7:57
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The EIC's Forgotten Constitution: The Hastings Impeachment

Jun 12, 2026 · 6:51
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The EIC's Forgotten Enclave: Bencoolen and the Pepper Trade

Jun 11, 2026 · 6:00
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The EIC's Secret Revenue: The Khas Tariq and Land Tax

Jun 11, 2026 · 8:03
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The EIC's Forgotten Shipwreck: The Trial of the Ganj-i-Sawai Pirates

Jun 10, 2026 · 6:26
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The Siege of Arcot: Robert Clive's Daring Gamble

Jun 10, 2026 · 9:26
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The EIC's Forgotten Fort: Fort William and the Black Hole Controversy

Jun 9, 2026 · 5:56
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The EIC's Forgotten Mint: The Surat Mint and the Rupee

Jun 9, 2026 · 5:32
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The EIC's Forgotten Fort: Bombay Castle and the Island City

Jun 8, 2026 · 6:20
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The EIC's Forgotten Tax: The Dastak and Private Trade

Jun 8, 2026 · 5:47
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The EIC's Forgotten Armada: The Bombay Marine and Indian Ocean Piracy

Jun 7, 2026 · 7:46
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The EIC's Forgotten Shipwreck: The Grosvenor and Indian Ocean Piracy

Jun 7, 2026 · 6:10
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The EIC's Forgotten Shipwreck: The Grosvenor and Indian Ocean Piracy

Jun 6, 2026 · 6:27
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The EIC's Forgotten Navy: Bombay Marine and the Battle of Swally

Jun 6, 2026 · 7:36
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The EIC's Forgotten Spy: William Paxton and the Fall of Siraj-ud-Daulah

Jun 5, 2026 · 8:57
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The EIC's Forgotten Fortress: St. George and the Birth of Madraspatnam

Jun 5, 2026 · 7:04
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The EIC's Forgotten Enemy: The Maratha Navy and Angria

Jun 4, 2026 · 7:19
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The Company's Forgotten Fort: St. George and the Birth of Madras

Jun 4, 2026 · 8:25
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The EIC's Forgotten Ally: The Dutch Governor Who Saved Madras

Jun 3, 2026 · 6:40
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The EIC's Forgotten Prison: The Andaman Islands and Cellular Jail

Jun 3, 2026 · 7:00
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The EIC's Forgotten Spice: Nutmeg, Bandas, and the First Corporate War

Jun 2, 2026 · 9:23
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The EIC's Opium Trade: Drugs, Diplomacy, and the Canton System

Jun 2, 2026 · 6:18
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The EIC's Last Governor General: Dalhousie and the Annexation of Awadh

Jun 1, 2026 · 6:20
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The Company's Forgotten Banker: Jagat Seth and the Flow of Silver

Jun 1, 2026 · 7:03
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The EIC's Forgotten Army: How a Corporation Built a Military Machine

May 31, 2026 · 6:16
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The Company's Mughal Broker: Khwaja Wazid and Indian Banking

May 31, 2026 · 5:08
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The EIC's Forgotten Enemy: The Maratha Empire's Greatest General

May 30, 2026 · 4:44
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The EIC's Forgotten War: The First Anglo-Maratha War

May 30, 2026 · 5:29
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The EIC's Forgotten Frontier: The Anglo-Nepalese War and the Gurkha Legacy

May 29, 2026 · 5:49
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The EIC's Forgotten Chinese Trade: Hong Merchants and Canton

May 29, 2026 · 6:02
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The EIC's Forgotten Governor: Lord Wellesley and the Subsidiary Alliance

May 28, 2026 · 7:25
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The EIC's Forgotten Rebellion: The Vellore Mutiny of 1806

May 28, 2026 · 9:52
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The EIC's Forgotten Spies: Intelligence in Mughal India

May 27, 2026 · 5:34
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The EIC's Irish Governor: Lord Mornington in India

May 27, 2026 · 8:08
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Renewing the Charter: The EIC's Parliamentary Fight for Survival

May 26, 2026 · 9:24
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The EIC's Forgotten Governor: Lord William Bentinck and the Abolition of Sati

May 26, 2026 · 5:05
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The EIC's Forgotten Earthquake: Calcutta 1737

May 25, 2026 · 5:12
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The EIC's Forgotten Fort: The Siege of Bombay 1689

May 25, 2026 · 7:24
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The EIC's Forgotten Reformer: Lord William Bentinck

May 24, 2026 · 8:52
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The EIC's Forgotten Painters: Art and Advertising in Company India

May 24, 2026 · 5:43
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The EIC's Calcutta: From Mud-Flat to Imperial Capital

May 23, 2026 · 7:37
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The EIC's Forgotten Accountant: Who Audited the Company

May 23, 2026 · 5:10
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The EIC's Forgotten Trade: Tea, Opium, and Canton

May 20, 2026 · 8:17
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The EIC's Forgotten Ship: The Batavia and the Company's Darkest Voyage

May 20, 2026 · 6:31
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The EIC's Forgotten Pirate: Captain Kidd's Secret Mission

May 19, 2026 · 6:40
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The EIC's Forgotten Fort: Fort St. George and Madras' Rise

May 19, 2026 · 6:15
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The EIC's Forgotten Leader: Sir Josiah Child and the Company's First War

May 18, 2026 · 7:07
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The EIC's Forgotten Bank: Jagat Seth and the Credit Network

May 18, 2026 · 3:33
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The EIC's Forgotten Naval Disaster: The Battle of Colachel

May 17, 2026 · 5:36
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The EIC's Forgotten Architect: Gerald Aungier and Bombay's Rise

May 17, 2026 · 5:09
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The EIC's Forgotten Governor: Sir John Shore and the Non-Intervention Policy

May 16, 2026 · 5:44
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The EIC's Forgotten Rival: Surat's Merchant Republic

May 15, 2026 · 5:21
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The EIC's Forgotten War: The Third Anglo-Mysore War

May 13, 2026 · 7:36
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The EIC's Forgotten Army: The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857

May 12, 2026 · 4:24
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The EIC's Forgotten Siege: Seringapatam and Tipu Sultan

May 12, 2026 · 6:38
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The EIC's Forgotten Bank: Currency, Credit and the Birth of Modern Finance

May 11, 2026 · 5:22
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The EIC's Forgotten Mistress: Private Fortunes and Indian Women

May 11, 2026 · 5:38
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The EIC's Spice Island Massacre at Banda

May 10, 2026 · 4:18
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The EIC's Forgotten Founder: Sir Thomas Smythe and the First Voyage

May 10, 2026 · 8:13
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The EIC's Forgotten Currency: Cowries and the Indian Ocean Economy

May 9, 2026 · 4:05
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The EIC's Forgotten General: Sir Eyre Coote at Wandiwash

May 9, 2026 · 4:57
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The EIC's Forgotten Fortress: Bombay and the Rise of a Port City

May 8, 2026 · 4:21
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The EIC's Forgotten Governor-General: Lord Auckland and the First Afghan War

May 8, 2026 · 7:51
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The EIC's Opium Monopoly and the First Opium War

May 7, 2026 · 5:57
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The EIC's Forgotten War: The First Anglo-Maratha War

May 7, 2026 · 5:03
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The EIC's Forgotten Conqueror: Robert Clive at Arcot

May 6, 2026 · 3:56
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The EIC's Opium Trade: Drug Trafficking and Empire

May 6, 2026 · 7:02
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The EIC's Forgotten Conqueror: Robert Clive at Arcot

May 5, 2026 · 5:59
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The EIC's Tea Obsession: How China Lost Its Monopoly

May 5, 2026 · 7:03
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The EIC's Forgotten Fortress: St. George and Madras

May 4, 2026 · 7:52
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The EIC's Spice Islands Conquest: Banda Massacre

May 4, 2026 · 5:57
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The EIC's Pirate Hunters: The Bombay Marine

May 3, 2026 · 5:55
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The EIC's Forgotten Ally: The Story of the Nawab of Carnatic

May 3, 2026 · 5:12
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The EIC's Railway Revolution: Tracks of Empire

May 2, 2026 · 6:07
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The EIC's Secret Empire: The Private Trade of Company Officials

May 2, 2026 · 8:16
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Sugar and Sacrifice: How the EIC's Slave System Built the Caribbean

May 1, 2026 · 5:29
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The EIC's Forgotten War: The First Anglo-Burmese War

May 1, 2026 · 6:09
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The EIC's Antithesis: The Dutch East India Company

Apr 30, 2026 · 4:08
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The Battle of Plassey Myth and the Rise of Mir Jafar

Apr 30, 2026 · 5:55
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The Company's Last War: EIC vs Sikh Empire

Apr 29, 2026 · 6:57
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The Last Nawab of Awadh: How the EIC Consumed a Kingdom

Apr 29, 2026 · 5:20
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The EIC's Last Gasp: The Charter Act of 1833

Apr 28, 2026 · 4:43
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The Charter Act of 1813: Opening India to Missionaries

Apr 28, 2026 · 6:34
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The Last Battle: EIC vs the Maratha Confederacy

Apr 27, 2026 · 8:21
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The Trial of Warren Hastings: Impeaching a Corporate Empire

Apr 27, 2026 · 5:29
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The EIC's Private Armies: How the Company Raised Its Own Military

Apr 26, 2026 · 6:04
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The Great Famine: How the East India Company Starved Bengal

Apr 26, 2026 · 5:32
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The Opium Wars: How the East India Company Built an Empire on Drugs

Apr 25, 2026 · 6:14
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The Mughal Emperor Who Lost India: Shah Alam II

Apr 25, 2026 · 6:29
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Tipu Sultan and the Mysore Resistance

Apr 24, 2026 · 4:11
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Robert Clive and the Battle of Plassey

Apr 24, 2026 · 5:52
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The Birth of a Corporate Empire

Apr 23, 2026 · 5:47
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