Episode 3: The Indian Ocean

A Very Brief Introduction to the British Empire

Today we are excited to release the third episode of A Very Brief Introduction to the British Empire, highlighting colonisation in the Indian Ocean.

Historian Olivia Durand takes a longer view of the concept of 'exploration', explaining how the Indian Ocean and South Asia in general has a long history of different explorers, travelling east to west, as well as west to east. Contextualising the larger cultural context of the region alongside the movements of different empires, this lecture outlines the tactics of the East India Company and its traders as they waged war and conquered land on the Indian Peninsula. Aproximate time period covered is 1500 - 1800 BCE.

The content for this episode is based on a public lecture given in a local pub in the city of Oxford, back in November 2019. The content is tailored for a non-specialist audience who is interested in learning more about the legacies of the British Empire.

This podcast is run by Uncomfortable Oxford and features bi-weekly releases of our public lecture series on the history of the British Empire. Uncomfortable Oxford is run by Doctoral students at the University of Oxford and aims to raise awareness and discourse about 'uncomfortable' issues in the modern world.