Calcutta in the late 18th century was a chaotic, fast-growing city, filled with fortune seekers, towering mansions, and an ever-present sense of impermanence. Inspired by the botanical and zoological paintings they encountered in Lucknow, Sir Elijah Impey, the first Chief Justice of Bengal, and his wife, Lady Mary Impey, brought this style to Calcutta, where they assembled an artistic salon and commissioned Indian artists to document the natural world in beautiful detail.

Lady Impey, a passionate naturalist, became the unlikely patron of some of India's greatest animal painters, including Sheikh Zayn al-Din, Bhawani Das, and Ram Das. Working with delicate squirrel-hair brushes, these artists captured birds, mammals, and even bats with stunning precision. Their art, once viewed merely as scientific record-keeping, is now recognized as some of the finest examples of Indian painting from the colonial period.

Listen as William and Anita trace the journey of this artistic tradition from Lucknow to Calcutta and beyond, exploring how European patrons influenced Indian artists - and how, in turn, Indian artistry left an indelible mark on Western botanical and zoological illustration. 

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Company School painting is a fascinating yet often overlooked artistic tradition that emerged during the British East India Company’s rule in India. Indian artists blended Mughal, Rajput, and European styles to create detailed and vibrant artworks focused on flora and fauna. What makes these paintings extraordinary is how they capture not only scientific precision but also the rich artistic traditions of India. 

At the heart of this story is the city of Lucknow, a hub of artistic and cultural refinement, where European imperialists like Claude Martin sought to document India’s natural world. Martin, a French adventurer-turned-British officer, was so committed to this project that he imported thousands of sheets of European watercolour paper and assembled a team of Indian artists to create meticulous botanical and zoological illustrations. 

But as much as these paintings were a product of imperialism, they also provided an unprecedented opportunity for Indian artists to leave a lasting impression. Unlike earlier court art, which often left artists anonymous, Company School paintings are some of the first works where individual Indian painters were credited by name. 

Listen as William and Anita unravel the intricate web of art, science, and empire, revealing a world where botanical illustrations were not just scientific tools, but also symbols of a rapidly changing society.

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Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Anouska Lewis

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How did plants power imperialism?

Gardening may be a quintessentially British hobby, but many of the familiar plants in our lives have a global – and colonial – history. From “fern-mania” leading wealthy Victorians to decimate environments around the world collecting ferns for their drawing rooms, to mahogany harvested by enslaved workers in the Caribbean, plants played an important role in the British Empire. Even official scientific names for plants included blatantly racist language up until the 1990s. 

Over-harvesting of popular imperial products created monocultures and environmental destruction on a huge scale, and the movement of native plants across continents allowed invasive species to run riot. Yet the same imperialists who caused these problems also led the way in the early environmentalist movement, creating National Parks and protection schemes for animals on the risk of extinction. 

Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireworld, to explore the ways in which imperialists both destroyed and protected the natural world.

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Kew Gardens near London is one of the most famous botanical gardens in the world, welcoming countless visitors every year. But what many visitors may not know is that the history of Kew and that of the British Empire are intimately intertwined…

At the height of the empire, Queen Victoria visited the iconic glass Palm House six times in the first few weeks it opened, and palm houseplants became a proud symbol because of her patronage. The botanical gardens also served as a laboratory that allowed imperial industries to boom. For example, seeds collected by Kew gardeners developed rubber plants that were shipped around the empire. The rubber plantations in British Malaya became so valuable that Britain fought a bloody war in 1948 to keep them.

Listen as Anita and William are joined by Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireworld, to discuss how Kew was instrumental to the empire.

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Aurangzeb is arguably the most controversial figure in Indian History. The mere mention of his name provokes fierce debate. Aurangzeb succeeded in seizing the throne by betraying his father and brothers. Infamous for his cold and ruthless vengeance against those in his way, Aurangzeb imposed puritan policies of religious intolerance on his subjects. He forced conversions and banned the wine and hashish so adored by his forbears. Aurangzeb would become defined by his battles with the Marathas. Despite his powerful autocracy, how did the end of his reign leave him broken? Why did it herald the beginning of the end for the Mughals? And what might have been, had he not won the war of succession? 

Listen as Anita and William explore how Aurangzeb’s reign led to the disintegration of the Mughal Empire.

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With their father in very bad health and rumours of his death swirling around the empire, Shah Jahan’s four sons decide it is their time to take his place. Only one has been chosen by Shah Jahan… The accomplished oldest son Dara Shukoh. However the war of succession has begun, and it will be brutal and stained by betrayal. 

The people of Delhi are terrified at the coming storm. Shops are boarded as they prepare for a possible bloodbath. Two of Shah Jahan’s sons, Murad and Shuja, make the first move. They go through coronation ceremonies while Aurangzeb bides his time. He sends his father letters and fruit from the Deccan, acting like a loyal son. 

Miraculously Shah Jahan does not die but begins to recover, only to see his sons tear each other apart and in open rebellion against him. Dara Shukoh, his anointed heir, rallies the imperial army to protect the weakened emperor. Aurangzeb, springs into action, rallying his own armies to advance not only on his brother but his father too. This will be one of the most crucial battles in the subcontinent’s history…

Listen as William and Anita are joined again by Supriya Gandhi to discuss the rise of Aurangzeb, one of the most controversial historical figures in India today.

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The battle of succession that erupted during a severe illness of Shah Jahan is often regarded as one which determined the fate of India.

The eldest of Shah Jahan’s sons was Dara Shukoh—the Glory of Darius. Contemporary miniatures show that Dara bore a striking resemblance to his father, and like him he was luxurious in his tastes and refined in his sensibilities. He preferred life at court to the hardships of campaigning; he liked to deck himself in strings of precious stones and belts studded with priceless gems; he wore clothes of the finest silk and from each ear lobe he hung a single pearl of remarkable size. Dara was a tolerant Sufi and composed a study of Hinduism and Islam, ‘The Mingling of Two Oceans’, which stressed the affinities of the two faiths and what he believed to be the Vedic origins of the Quran.

Then there was Aurangzeb, unloved by his father, a bitter and bigoted puritan, as intolerant as he was grimly dogmatic. He was a ruthlessly talented general and a brilliantly calculating strategist, but entirely lacked the winning charm of his predecessors. 

Listen as William and Anita are joined by Supriya Gandhi, author of The Emperor Who Never Was: Dara Shukoh in Mughal India, to discuss the brothers who fought for the crown, and with it the future of India.

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Within days of his beloved wife’s death, Shah Jahan starts designing his grandest architectural project yet to express his love for her. Her mausoleum is to be a domed, symmetrical, bright white building surrounded by aromatic gardens. But the Taj Mahal is not the only beautiful structure the Mughal Emperor commissions. One of the most extravagant examples of his work is the Peacock Throne, a dazzling display of precious gems, including the Koh-i-Noor diamond and the Timur Ruby. And Shah Jahan's architectural vision soon extends beyond Agra. He later leaves the capital, perhaps to escape the grief associated with his wife’s death, and embarks on building the city of Shahjahanabad, otherwise known as Old Delhi. 

Listen as William and Anita discuss Shah Jahan’s magnificent architecture…

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Shah Jahan, the third son of the opium-addicted Jahangir, was born in 1592 with the name Khurram. More interested in precious gems and architecture than dancing girls at court, Khurram was reserved and carefully crafted his image as the “millennial sovereign”. Upon Jahangir's death, Khurram finds himself embroiled in a fierce succession struggle. His cunning and military experience, honed from years of avoiding his father's armies, proves invaluable in this fight for the throne. 

But Khurram was not powerful on his own. He was surrounded by powerful women – raised by his step-grandmother Ruquiya Sultan, adored by his eldest daughter Jahanara, and most important of all loved and supported by his wife Mumtaz Mahal. She was his confidante and best friend, and to lose her would break his heart. But his broken heart would lead to the building of one of the most beautiful buildings in the world…

Join Anita and William as they explore the early life of the fifth Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan.

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Often overshadowed by his son’s architectural wonders like the Taj Mahal, Emperor Jahangir was a true connoisseur of beauty. 

His reign witnessed a flourishing of art, architecture, and craftsmanship through his patronage of impressive workshops of artists who created vibrant masterpieces. Jahangir continued expressing his love of the natural world through the paintings he commissioned: from zebras to squirrels to exotic birds. And women were not excluded from his world of art. His powerful wife Nur Jahan oversaw architectural projects like the “Baby Taj”, and female painters at court documented the intimate life of the imperial harem. But beyond documenting the world around him, how did Jahangir use art as propaganda, and what is the meaning behind the mysterious zodiac coins he created?

Listen as William and Anita are joined by Susan Stronge, curator of the V&A exhibition, The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence, to discuss the visual culture of the court of Jahangir.

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Assistant Producers: Anouska Lewis & Aaliyah Akude

Producer: Callum Hill

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