Politics of Empire at the Accession of George III: The East India Company and the Crisis and Transformation of Britain's Imperial State

James M. Vaughn's book challenges the scholarly consensus that British India and the Second Empire were founded in "a fit of absence of mind" and argues that the origins were rooted in political conflicts and movements in Britain. He shows how the East India Company was transformed from a corporation into an imperial power in the service of British political forces opposed to the rising radicalism of the period.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 02 April 2019
Publisher: Yale University Press

In this groundbreaking debut work, historian James M. Vaughn challenges the prevailing scholarly view that British India and the Second Empire emerged as a result of a mere "fit of absence of mind." Instead, Vaughn presents a compelling argument that the roots of the Raj and the largest empire in modern history can be traced back to political conflicts and movements within Britain. It was the conservative forces within British society that shaped the Second Empire into a vehicle for conquest and dominance, with a keen focus on resource extraction and the subjugation of colonial populations. Through a meticulous examination of a wide range of sources, Vaughn reveals how the East India Company, initially a corporation, metamorphosed into an imperial power at the service of British political forces opposed to the rising radicalism of the time. The Company's dominance in Bengal, where it generated substantial territorial revenue and maintained a large army, served as an autocratic bulwark of Britain's established order. This monumental work of political and imperial history offers a fresh and insightful perspective on the era, its global implications, and the enduring legacies it has left behind.

Weight: 604g
Dimension: 239 x 161 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300208269