Dr Amrith, of Birkbeck, University of London, details the various crossings of the Bay of Bengal, as world powers sought access to new resources in the East, and various waves of migrants crossed the ocean in search of new lives, or in flight from drought and other disasters, all of which created some of the most diverse and dynamic societies. The seminar also charts the decline of these movements, as patterns of connection were constrained by economic and environmental pressures in the early-mid 20th century.