Event Type: Branch

Takes Place: 10th February 2027

Time: 7.30

Venue: Queen's College, Taunton

Description: The East India Company played a crucial role in creating the British Empire in Asia. From its modest origins as a small Elizabethan trading venture, it grew into a global empire which brokered Britain’s relations with Asia for nearly 250 years. It is a story of wealth, power, and the pursuit of fortune. But it is also one of conflict, conquest, and piracy on the high seas; politics, intrigue, and ruthlessness on land. The Company’s activities are an early example of globalisation in action. By introducing a whole host of coveted commodities to British consumers, the scale and impact of its operations changed the lives of millions of people around the world. In Britain, it affected what we eat, what we drink, the clothes we wear, and the language we speak. And in India, the Company laid the foundations of the British Empire in the subcontinent.

How to book: Pay at the door.

Price: £3.00

Tel: 07888641587

Email: geoff.bisson51@gmail.com

Organiser: Geoffrey Bisson

Lecturer: Professor John Mcaleer (University of Southampton)

Comments: Tea, coffee and biscuits are available for which a donation is welcome.

Region: South-West England

Branch: Taunton Deane