Description
The rise and fall of empires and the events that shaped world history.
William Dalrymple and Anita Anand explore the intricate stories of revolutions, imperial wars, and the people who built and lost empires.
From the British Empire to the Ottomans to Ancient India, history is shaped by power struggles and territorial conquests. How does it continue to affect the world today?
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Episodes
- 2026 / 4 / 30Should The Koh-I-Noor Be Returned? Mamdani vs King Charles III EXPLAINEDWho does the Koh-I-Noor diamond truly belong to? Why is it considered cursed? And should it be returned? The Koh-I-Noor diamond has been in the headlines this week with Mayor Zohran Mamdani stating that he...
- 2026 / 4 / 29355. Liberator of Latin America: Napoleon & The Legions of Hell (Part 2)Who were the cowboys and Indigenous people who made up the “Legions of Hell” and why did Bolívar fear them so deeply? How did Napoleon’s invasion of Spain speed up the collapse of its empire? What was Simón...
- 2026 / 4 / 27354. Liberator of Latin America: Simón Bolívar vs The Spanish Empire (Part 1)Who was the man who liberated Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia from Spanish rule? How did a privileged upper-class teenage boy become South America’s leading revolutionary of the 19th...
- 2026 / 4 / 22353. Hezbollah, Hostages, & Exploding Pagers (Part 8)What lessons have been learned from Occupation? How did Hezbollah emerge in the wake of the Iranian Revolution and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon? How did Hezbollah evolve from 1982 to 2023? In the final...
- 2026 / 4 / 20352. Israel’s 1982 Invasion of Lebanon (Part 7)Is the current invasion of Lebanon a direct ancestor of the 1982 Israeli invasion? How did broken American promises lead to the tragedies of the Sabra and Shatila massacres? Who was Ariel Sharon and why did...
- 2026 / 4 / 15351. Camp David: The Day Israel & Egypt Made Peace (Part 6)**Binge the entire series ad-free by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com** In November 1977, Egyptian President Sadat shocked the entire Arab world by boarding a flight to Israel. After refusing to...
- 2026 / 4 / 13350. 1973: The Yom Kippur War & The First Oil Crisis (Part 5)**Binge to the entire series ad-free by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com** How did the oil crisis totally transform the wealth of the Gulf states and alter the power balance of the Middle East? Who...
- 2026 / 4 / 9What Is Life Like For Palestinians Under Occupation?To listen to the full bonus episode, join the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com. William is joined by Raja Shehadeh, the leading Palestinian writer, lawyer and human rights activist, to discuss his experience...
- 2026 / 4 / 8349. Occupation of The West Bank (Part 4)What happened to the Palestinians who chose not to flee the West Bank in 1967? How did Israel use old British and Ottoman laws to seize land and control the occupied territory? And what happened in Jordan...
- 2026 / 4 / 8349. Arab-Israeli Conflict: Occupation of The West Bank (Part 4)What happened to the Palestinians who chose not to flee the West Bank in 1967? How did Israel use old British and Ottoman laws to seize land and control the occupied territory? And what happened in Jordan...
- 2026 / 4 / 6348. Arab-Israeli Conflict: How 1967 Changed The Middle East Forever (Part 3)How did The Six-Day War redraw the map of the Middle East and establish Israel as a regional superpower? How did the catastrophic Arab defeat unleash a new wave of armed Palestinian resistance? Did the road...
- 2026 / 4 / 6348. How 1967 Changed The Middle East Forever (Part 3)How did The Six-Day War redraw the map of the Middle East and establish Israel as a regional superpower? How did the catastrophic Arab defeat unleash a new wave of armed Palestinian resistance? Did the road...
- 2026 / 4 / 2Jung Chang On Life Under Mao & Being Banned From ChinaTo listen to the full bonus episode, join the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com. Wild Swans author, Jung Chang, joins William to discuss her family’s harrowing experiences during Mao’s Cultural Revolution and...
- 2026 / 4 / 1347. The Six Day War (Part 2)**Listen to the first 4 episodes of the series today by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com.** How did Israel defeat the armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria in just six days in 1967? Why did Egyptian...
- 2026 / 4 / 1347. Arab-Israeli Conflict: The Six Day War (Part 2)**Listen to the first 4 episodes of the series today by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com.** How did Israel defeat the armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria in just six days in 1967? Why did Egyptian...
- 2026 / 3 / 30346. Arab-Israeli Conflict: From Suez To The Palestinian Liberation Organisation (Part 1)**Listen to the first 4 episodes of the series today by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com.** What was the Arab Cold War, and how did it violently divide the Middle East in the 1950s and 60s? What is...
- 2026 / 3 / 30346. From Suez To The Palestinian Liberation Organisation (Part 1)**Listen to the first 4 episodes of the series today by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com.** What was the Arab Cold War, and how did it violently divide the Middle East in the 1950s and 60s? What is...
- 2026 / 3 / 26345. Chairman Mao: The Cultural Revolution (Ep 6)What were Mao’s motivations for launching The Cultural Revolution? Who were the Red Guards, and why did Mao indoctrinate teenagers? How did Mao die, and who came next? Anita and William are joined once again...
- 2026 / 3 / 24344. Chairman Mao: The Great Leap Forward (Ep 5)Why did Mao declare war on sparrows as part of The Great Leap Forward? What caused China to attack India in 1962? How did Mao use a swimming pool to embarrass Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev? Anita and...
- 2026 / 3 / 20Christiane Amanpour On Iran & Trump’s MiscalculationsWilliam and Anita are joined by renowned British-Iranian journalist, Christiane Amanpour, to discuss the war in Iran, and how it has echoes of the events she has covered since leaving Tehran in 1979. How...
- 2026 / 3 / 19343. Lebanon: Hezbollah, Israel, & Fifty Years As A BattlegroundWhat is the long history behind the current Israeli strikes on Lebanon? Why did Israel sell weapons to Iran in the 1980s? How was the Lebanon’s map drawn by European powers after the collapse of the Ottoman...
- 2026 / 3 / 17342. Iran: The Three Ayatollahs – From Revolution to DynastyHow did Ayatollah Khamenei ensure his son, Mojtaba, would take over after his death? How is this war a product of deep historical trends? What internal crises have been plaguing Iran’s government in recent...
- 2026 / 3 / 12341. Chairman Mao: The Clash With Stalin (Ep 4)Mao has declared that China is a communist republic. How did life change for ordinary people living in this new nation? To what extent was Mao’s China modelled on the USSR, and how did Mao and Stalin feel...
- 2026 / 3 / 10340. Chairman Mao: World War II, Japanese Invasion, & Massacre in Nanjing (Ep 3)How did World War II break out in Asia in 1937? Why did Mao Zedong and his fellow communists live in caves after the Long March? How did the notorious Nanjing Massacre occur? ** Binge all six episodes of the...
- 2026 / 3 / 5339. Chairman Mao: China's Communist Uprising (Ep 2)Why did the communists and nationalists join forces with the USSR during the Chinese Civil War? When did the nationalists purge communists in what is known as the “White Terror”? Why did 80,000 communists...
- 2026 / 3 / 3338.Chairman Mao: Birth of A Dictator (Ep 1)A revolutionary hero or a brutal despot? Mao Zedong has one of the most recognisable portraits on Earth. How did he rise to become the founder of the People’s Republic of China? ** Binge all six episodes of...
- 2026 / 2 / 26337. Bronze Age Apocalypse: Philistines, Israelites, & Rebuilding The Ruins (Ep 6)How did the Phoenicians create the alphabet we still use today? Was the Bronze Age collapse comparable to the fall of Rome? What does DNA evidence tell us about the origins of the Philistines and...
- 2026 / 2 / 26337. Bronze Age Apocalypse: Philistines, Israelites, & Rebuilding The Levant (Ep 6)How did the Phoenicians create the alphabet we still use today? Was the Bronze Age collapse comparable to the fall of Rome? What does DNA evidence tell us about the origins of the Philistines and...
- 2026 / 2 / 24336. Bronze Age Apocalypse: How To Survive The End of The World (Ep 5)Which ancient civilisation was the best at surviving the Apocalypse, and which was the worst? Who were the Hittites, and what did they actually call themselves? Does the Bronze Age collapse serve as a warning...
- 2026 / 2 / 19335. Bronze Age Apocalypse: Solving The Mystery of The Collapse (Ep 4)Who were the ‘Sea Peoples’? Was the Bronze Age Collapse caused by a single catastrophic event? How did the Egyptians try to adapt to the changing climate? From the scientific evidence hidden in ancient pollen...
- 2026 / 2 / 17334. Bronze Age Apocalypse: Did Homer Write History? (Ep 3)The legendary ancient Greek poet, Homer, is a key source to our understanding of the Bronze Age Collapse, but did a single genius named Homer even exist? How could sophisticated poems like The Iliad and The...
- 2026 / 2 / 12333. Bronze Age Apocalypse: The Fall of Troy with Stephen Fry (Ep 2)Stephen Fry joins William and Anita to discuss how Greek Myths have shaped our understanding of the Bronze Age Collapse. Was the Trojan Horse real? What can we learn about the end of ancient civilisations...
- 2026 / 2 / 12333. Bronze Age Apocalypse: The Fall of Troy (Ep 2)Stephen Fry joins William and Anita to discuss how Greek Myths have shaped our understanding of the Bronze Age Collapse. Was the Trojan Horse real? What can we learn about the end of ancient civilisations...
- 2026 / 2 / 10332. Bronze Age Apocalypse: Before The Collapse (Ep 1)This is the beginning of the most dramatic imperial collapses in history. Why were Ancient civilisations so interconnected 3000 years ago? How did this interconnectedness lead to their downfall? Did people at...
- 2026 / 2 / 5331. The Iranian Revolution: Will The Shah Return To Iran? (Ep 2)In 1979, the people of Iran took to the streets to topple the Shah. This year they are back in the streets shouting “Long Live The Shah”. How did this happen? How did a country which so volcanically threw out...
- 2026 / 2 / 3330. The Iranian Revolution: 1979 vs. 2026 (Ep 1)In recent weeks, protestors have swarmed the streets in Iran in defiance of the regime, and it feels as if the country is on the precipice of a transformative change. Yet these scenes feel familiar. In the...
- 2026 / 1 / 29329. Indian Uprising 1857: The British Raj is Born (Part 8)How did Lucknow become the final battleground of the 1857 Uprising? Who was Begum Hazrat Mahal, and how did she hold together a rebellion against overwhelming odds? How did the 1857 Uprising lead to the fall...
- 2026 / 1 / 29329. India’s Greatest Rebellion: The British Raj is Born (Part 8)How did Lucknow become the final battleground of the 1857 Uprising? Who was Begum Hazrat Mahal, and how did she hold together a rebellion against overwhelming odds? How did the 1857 Uprising lead to the fall...
- 2026 / 1 / 27328. India’s Greatest Rebellion: The Reign of Terror (Part 7)How did the British finally break into Delhi during the 1857 Uprising? Why did a sudden solar eclipse change the fate of the siege overnight? Why is the British victory considered one of Delhi’s greatest...
- 2026 / 1 / 27328. Indian Uprising 1857: The Reign of Terror (Part 7)How did the British finally break into Delhi during the 1857 Uprising? Why did a sudden solar eclipse change the fate of the siege overnight? Why is the British victory considered one of Delhi’s greatest...
- 2026 / 1 / 22327. Indian Uprising 1857: The British Strike Back (Part 6)How did the tide turn towards the end of 1857 as British reinforcements gathered to strike the hearts of the rebellion: Delhi and Lucknow? Who was the British Commander, John Nicholson, and why was he feared...
- 2026 / 1 / 22327. India’s Greatest Rebellion: The British Strike Back (Part 6)How did the tide turn towards the end of 1857 as British reinforcements gathered to strike the hearts of the rebellion: Delhi and Lucknow? Who was the British Commander, John Nicholson, and why was he feared...
- 2026 / 1 / 20326. India’s Greatest Rebellion: The Indian Joan of Arc – Rani of Jhansi (Part 5)The warrior queen who fought the British on the battlefield, Rani of Jhansi –or Rani Lakshmibai– is still a hero in India, with comic books and Bollywood movies about her. But what’s the true history behind...
- 2026 / 1 / 20326. Indian Uprising 1857: India’s Joan of Arc – Rani of Jhansi (Part 5)The warrior queen who fought the British on the battlefield, Rani of Jhansi –or Rani Lakshmibai– is still a hero in India, with comic books and Bollywood movies about her. But what’s the true history behind...
- 2026 / 1 / 15325. India’s Greatest Rebellion: The Siege of Lucknow (Part 4)An entire city turns on the British and revolts in unison. 3000 East India Company soldiers and civilians in Lucknow are under siege in one compound, hiding in tunnels and surrounded by snipers. But who will...
- 2026 / 1 / 15325. Indian Uprising 1857: The Siege of Lucknow (Part 4)An entire city turns on the British and revolts in unison. 3000 East India Company soldiers and civilians in Lucknow are under siege in one compound, hiding in tunnels and surrounded by snipers. But who will...
- 2026 / 1 / 13324. India’s Greatest Rebellion: Massacre and Revenge in Kanpur (Part 3)In one of the darkest chapters of the 1857 uprising, brutal massacres are met with revenge brutal massacres as the rebellion reaches the East India Company garrison town of Kanpur or “Cawnpore”. Who was...
- 2026 / 1 / 13324. Indian Uprising 1857: Massacre and Revenge in Kanpur (Part 3)In one of the darkest chapters of the 1857 uprising, brutal massacres are met with revenge brutal massacres as the rebellion reaches the East India Company garrison town of Kanpur or “Cawnpore”. Who was...
- 2026 / 1 / 8323. India’s Greatest Rebellion: The Rebels March On Delhi (Part 2)How did the mutiny amongst sepoys –Indian soldiers– turn into a national crisis? What ultimatum did the rebels give the Mughal emperor when they reached the Red Fort in Delhi? Why did the British fail to see...
- 2026 / 1 / 8323. Indian Uprising 1857: The Rebels March On Delhi (Part 2)How did the mutiny amongst sepoys –Indian soldiers– turn into a national crisis? What ultimatum did the rebels give the Mughal emperor when they reached the Red Fort in Delhi? Why did the British fail to see...