The Anarchy The East India Company Corporate Violence And The Pillage Of An Empire

The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence and the Pillage of an Empire is a narrative history of how a London trading firm became a ruthless imperial power in India. Dalrymple traces the East India Company’s rise in the 17th and 18th centuries as the Mughal Empire crumbled and regional powers fought for control, showing how a private corporation built armies, toppled rulers, and ruled vast territories. Drawing on extensive primary sources, he exposes corporate greed, corruption, and the devastating impact of famine, war, and extraction on Indian society. Framed as a cautionary tale about unchecked corporate power, the book connects this “empire within an empire” to modern debates about multinational companies and global capitalism.