Hooghly, Cradle of Empires with Dr. Robert Ivermee

Today, we have with us noted historian Shri Robert Ivermee on our show.
Welcome, Robert!

Today, we will discuss Robert's book 'Hooghly: The Global History of a River.'
The Hooghly, a distributary of the Ganges flowing south to the Bay of Bengal, is now little-known outside of India. Yet for centuries it was a river of truly global significance, attracting merchants, missionaries, mercenaries, and others from all over the world. The book Hooghly seeks to restore the waterway to the heart of global history.
Traveling up and down the river, Robert Ivermee explores various themes: the dynamics of modern capitalism, human migration, and societal changes due to technology. Hooghly's global history, he concludes, may offer lessons for India as it emerges as a world superpower.

Robert Ivermee is a global and cultural historian focused on colonialism in South Asia. He works at SOAS University of London and teaches at the Catholic University of Paris.

▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
00:00 - Highlights
00:48 - Hello Robert!
02:31 - Book motivation
04:08 - In the book, you predominantly talk about the history of European settlement on the banks of the river and the development of cities such as Calcutta, Serampore, and others. Why did you choose to write only during this period? Is there a rich history of Hooghly prior to European settlements?
07:13 - In your book you talk about how the Portuguese merchants first settled on the western parts of India and then on the eastern part. Why were the western boundaries preferred over the eastern?
08:55 - How did Portuguese flourish on the eastern side of Hindustan?
10:50 - When Shah Jahan came to power he decided to end Portuguese occupation from Hooghly? Why did he do that?
12:41 - Tell us about the political condition of the time that led to the rise of Murshid Quli Khan?
15:17 - The British defeated Siraj-ud-Daullah in the battle of Plassey. It was not because of British military might but due to the lack of statesmanship of Siraj-ud-Daullah. He would denigrate and insult his subjects - no wonder they plotted behind his back and the British took advantage of this situation. Why was Siraj not an able administrator despite being trained to rule Bengal?
18:16 - The Third Battle of Panipat, which happened in 1761, was a huge setback for Marathas. How did the British benefit from it?
21:57 - Why did the British not rule from Murshidabad or Patna?
26:04 - Cities similar to Calcutta in 18th Century
30:30 - How did the presence of the British, French, and Danish impact the socio-cultural structure of Bengal?
36:31 - The French had their presence in Chanderpore in Bengal. How did the British-French Seven Year War impact the French operations there?42:33 - Why did the Danish set up missionary work at Serampore?
45:27 - Future work

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