When he left Calcutta in February 1799 for a tour of Europe, Abu Taleb
Khan scarcely expected to spend so much of his time in England trying to keep out of the courts.
14
‘A City Greater than London’
ByRalph Fitch
In 1585, English merchant Ralph Fitch found himself at the heart of Mughal India,
as a guest at the court of Emperor Akbar the Great.
15
The Black Hole of Calcutta
ByEdward Fraser
In 1756, the Nawab of Bengal allowed his frustration with British merchants in
Calcutta to get the better of him.
16
The Battle of Plassey
ByHari Chahan Das
Before Siraj ud-Daulah became Nawab of Bengal in 1756, his grandfather
begged him to keep the English sweet, and put no trust in Jafar Ali Khan. If he had only listened...
17
The Desolation of Delhi
ByZiauddin Barani
In 1327, Mohammad bin Tughluq gave every man, woman and child in
Delhi just three days’ notice to quit.
18
Banner of Liberty
ByWilliam Ewart Gladstone
In 1840, Secretary at War Thomas Macaulay treated the Union Jack
like a bully’s visiting card, but backbencher William Gladstone believed it deserved better.
