Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireworld, joins the hosts to discuss the complicated legacy of British imperialism in gardening. They explore how the obsession with exotic plants fueled environmental destruction while also sparking early conservation efforts. Topics include the role of monocultures and invasive species in ecological harm, the imperial roots of plant classification, and the racial implications woven into botanical history. Ultimately, they advocate for honest conversations about colonial impacts on our environment.
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Linnaeus and Racial Classification
Linnaeus created the modern system of classifying plants and organisms.
He also controversially classified humans by origin and skin color, reinforcing racist ideologies.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Classifying People Like Plants
Anita Anand recounts how Sir Michael O'Dwyer classified people like plants, assigning simplistic labels.
This reflects a broader trend of categorizing humans, hindering their potential.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Racist Classifications in "The People of India"
William Dalrymple discusses "The People of India," an 1868 book with racist descriptions of ethnic groups.
This book demonstrates how biological studies were used to justify prejudiced views.
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In 'Empireworld', Sathnam Sanghera extends his analysis of British imperial legacies beyond Britain to the wider world. The book explores how the British empire, built on slavery but also pioneering abolition, spread democracy while seeding geopolitical instability, and devastated nature while giving birth to modern environmentalism. Sanghera travels to various former colonies, including Barbados, Mauritius, India, and Nigeria, to reveal the nuanced and deeply researched history of how these contradictory forces have shaped our world today. The book connects historical legacies to current global challenges such as decolonization, climate justice, and systemic inequality, making it a crucial read for understanding the ongoing impact of the British empire[1][3][4].
The Anarchy
The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire
William Dalrymple
The Anarchy recounts the remarkable rise of the East India Company from its humble beginnings in 1599 to its military dominance over the Indian subcontinent by 1803. The book details the company's territorial conquests, starting from the Battle of Plassey in 1757, and its eventual control over large swaths of Asia. Dalrymple draws from previously untapped sources, including Indian, Persian, and French materials, to provide a vivid and detailed story of corporate greed, violence, and the fall of the Mughal Empire. The book also explores the broader implications of corporate power and its impact on colonial rule.
How did plants power imperialism?
Gardening may be a quintessentially British hobby, but many of the familiar plants in our lives have a global – and colonial – history. From “fern-mania” leading wealthy Victorians to decimate environments around the world collecting ferns for their drawing rooms, to mahogany harvested by enslaved workers in the Caribbean, plants played an important role in the British Empire. Even official scientific names for plants included blatantly racist language up until the 1990s.
Over-harvesting of popular imperial products created monocultures and environmental destruction on a huge scale, and the movement of native plants across continents allowed invasive species to run riot. Yet the same imperialists who caused these problems also led the way in the early environmentalist movement, creating National Parks and protection schemes for animals on the risk of extinction.
Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireworld, to explore the ways in which imperialists both destroyed and protected the natural world.
Empire 
