Book
The Anarchy
First published 2019
The Anarchy traces how the East India Company developed from a commercial corporation into the dominant military and political power in eighteenth-century India. As Mughal authority fragmented, Company officials used private armies, revenue collection, diplomacy and financial leverage to intervene in Indian succession disputes and seize territory.
The narrative follows the conquest of Bengal and the expansion that brought the Company into conflict with Mysore and the Maratha states. Dalrymple emphasises the role of Indian bankers, rulers, soldiers and administrators as well as British officials, presenting Company rule as an early example of corporate power operating with the resources of a state but the priorities of shareholders.
Historical Periods
Historical people
More from this period
5 more top-rated novels about East India Company Ascendancy
Ranked by rating and voting volume; books already shown on this page are omitted.
More from this period
1 more top-rated novel about Second Anglo-Maratha War
Ranked by rating and voting volume; books already shown on this page are omitted.
More from this period
2 more top-rated novels about Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
Ranked by rating and voting volume; books already shown on this page are omitted.
Discover more
Authors similar to William Dalrymple
Recommended from shared genres and periods.
Sarah Gristwood
2 books
Charles Spencer