Evil Empire What Britain Did to India

Author Name: Shashi Tharoor

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In the 18th century, India's share of the global economy was comparable to Europe's; by 1947, it had fallen sixfold. In *An Evil Empire*, Shashi Tharoor tells the true story of the British in India, from the arrival of the East India Company in 1757 to the end of the Raj. He reveals how Britain built its rise by plundering India. India was Britain's most lucrative venture, and Indians literally paid the price for their oppression. The British Industrial Revolution was established by the contraction of Indian industry and the destruction of its textile industry. Under the British, millions died of starvation, including four million in 1943 alone, after national hero Churchill diverted Bengal's food supplies to the war effort. Beyond conquest and deceit, the empire cannonballed rebels, slaughtered unarmed protesters, and institutionalized racism. British imperialism justified itself as enlightened despotism for the benefit of the ruled. Tharoor challenges and demolishes the arguments for empire, showing how all of the empire's benevolence, from railways to the rule of law, targeted Britain's only interests. This sharp reappraisal of colonialism exposes the disturbing destructive effects of Britain's tarnished legacy in India. "Ferocious and stunning! Essential to illustrating a Britain lost in dark fantasies about its past, Evil Empire is history at its best and most lucid." Ben Yodah, author of This is London. "It is rare indeed to come across history as engaging and compelling as this." Amitav Ghosh. "Brilliant! A searing indictment of the Raj and its legacy in India. Recommended reading for all Anglophiles in former British colonies, and a must-read in Britain." Salil Tripathi, Chairman, Prison Literature Committee, PEN International, and author of The Colonel Who Would Not Repent