Empire

How do empires rise? Why do they fall? And how have they shaped the world around us today? William Dalrymple and Anita Anand explore the stories, personalities and events of empire over the course of history.

Empire

Up to 10 minutes

Series 5: Empires of Iran

While preparing your breakfast

Up to 15 minutes

Welcome to the Empire Club

On your way to work or back home

Up to 45 minutes

197. The Pirate Hunter

196. Blackbeard’s Reign of Terror

195. Blackbeard & the Pirates of the Caribbean

194. Empire of Numbers: Fibonacci and the Birth of Modern Money

184. The Buddhist Merlin

181. The Dragon Empress: China’s Game of Thrones

180. Gold & God: Connecting India & Ancient Rome

171. The Bengal Famine: Chaos in Calcutta

170. The Bengal Famine: A Disaster on the Horizon

169. Freedom Fighters Betrayed: Colonising the Philippines

166. How To Hide An Empire

159. The American Revolution: Building The New Rome (Ep 4)

150. Worlds Colliding: Seizing Settlers in New England

148. America: The Empire of Liberty

141. Nur Jahan: The Most Powerful Mughal Woman

140. The Light of the World & Empress of India

138. The Graceful Reed: Ruling the Islamic Empire

136. Empress Theodora: From the Brothel to the Throne

134. Cleopatra: The Would-Be Empress of Rome

131. Buddhism Goes to China

127. Inventing Curry: The British Taste for India

120. The Iranian Revolution: The Rise of Ayatollah Khomeini

114. The Persian Renaissance

113. Timur: Scourge of God

111. Shackleton: The Hero of Antarctica

110. Antarctica: The Continent that wouldn’t be Conquered

109. The Endeavour: Into the Unknown

China's Greatest Admiral: The Story of Zheng He

107. China's Greatest Admiral: The Story of Zheng He

The Rise of Islam

Alexander the Great: Defeating Darius

The Battle of Marathon and the Rise of Greece

Great for a workout at the gym

Up to 60 minutes

193. Empire of Numbers: The Indian Origin of Arabic Numerals

191. Slave, Slaver, Abolitionist: Three Scots in Africa

190. Rags to Riches: The Scots in India

188. Bonnie Prince Charlie: The Young Pretender

187. The Birth of Britain

186. Scotland: A Nation in Crisis

185. The God Kings of Angkor Wat

183. The Poet Kings: Taking Hinduism to Southeast Asia

175. The CIA vs Fidel Castro

174. The Cuban Revolution

173. The Korean War: Dividing the Peninsula

172. The Birth of North Korea

168. Teddy Roosevelt Takes on the Old World

167. Paradise Lost: The Taking of Hawaii

160. Native Nations vs Thomas Jefferson

158. The American Revolution: Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness (Ep 3)

157. The American Revolution: The Shot Heard Around the World (Ep 2)

156. The American Revolution: No Taxation Without Representation (Ep 1)

151. The Founding Fathers: George Washington

149. Pocahontas: Kidnapped in Virginia

147. Queen Victoria: Empress of India (Ep 4)

146. Queen Victoria: The Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets (Ep 3)

145. Victoria & Albert (Ep 2)

143. Isabella of Castile: The Spanish Inquisition, the conquest of Granada, and Columbus

142. Isabella of Castile: Uniting Spain

139. Mrs Genghis Khan

137. Empress Theodora: Making Heaven on Earth

135. Helena: Queen of the World and Finder of the One True Cross

132. Journey to Nalanda and the Library of Jewels

130. India meets Rome: Making the Image of the Buddha

129. Ashoka: The Great Buddhist Emperor of India

128. The Buddha & The Golden Road

126. Punch & Chilli: The East India Company at the Table

125. The Origin of the Houthis

124. Saddam Hussein vs The Ayatollah

123. Hezbollah: The Party of God

122. Iran & Saudi Arabia: The Rivalry that Split the Islamic World

121. The Fall of the Shah of Shahs