Video Description

A small kingdom on a rainy Atlantic island ruled the world and became the largest empire in human history: The Britis Empire. But why did it collapse? First, it was strengthened with the help of pirates empowered by the Crown to plunder and rob the rest of the European powers. Furthermore, the English monarchs granted "privileged companies" monopolies over trade in many regions of the world. The most powerful of all was the East India Company: no other private company in history had ever enjoyed such power. But for all its dominance and wealth, when the British Empire abandoned its colonies, it left behind more suffering than progress. Almost a century later, far from the British, many of the borders they established are still a source of conflict. However, they have also shaped our political systems: the spread of the ideals of parliamentarism across five continents and the spread of English as the lingua franca par excellence in every corner of the globe are part of the legacy of an empire that has shaped the world like few other. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 06:18 Religion and Slavery in America 09:48 Military Rule and Looting in Asia 18:13 Human and Commercial Exploitation in Africa 25:14 Racism and Banishment in Oceania 27:02 After the Glory - Decadence 29:06 What's Left? Script: Laura Iglesias San Martin, Jaime Gonzalez Arguedaz Edit: Victor Cubillas Host: Aisha Sharipzan Producer: Meike Krüger, Laura Iglesias San Martin, Jaime Gonzalez Arguedaz #dwhistoryandculture #dwhistoryexplained For more visit: https://www.dw.com/en/culture/s-1441 Please follow DW's netiquette: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G