Who wrote 'The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company'?

"The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company" is a history book by the Scottish historian and writer William Dalrymple, published in 2019.

About the book:

It tells how the English East India Company, founded by a royal charter in 1600 as a trading company, grew into a powerful private army and state that took control of large parts of India.

It covers the period from the decline of the Mughal Empire after Aurangzeb's death, through the Battle of Plassey (1757), the Battle of Buxar (1764) and the grant of the Diwani of Bengal (1765), to the capture of Delhi from the Marathas in 1803.

It shows how a company run by shareholders in London used corruption, violence and military power to become the ruler of India, and it warns about the dangers of unchecked corporate power.

The title refers to the period of chaos that followed the collapse of Mughal authority.

About William Dalrymple:

• He was born in 1965 in Scotland and has lived for many years near Delhi.
• He is a co-founder and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival.

His other books include:

• "City of Djinns" (1993), a travel book about Delhi.
• "White Mughals" (2002), about British men who adopted Indian customs.
• "The Last Mughal" (2006), about Bahadur Shah Zafar and the Revolt of 1857.
• "Return of a King" (2013), about the First Anglo-Afghan War.
• "Koh-i-Noor" (2017, with Anita Anand).
• "The Golden Road" (2024), about how ancient India influenced the world.

Other books on British rule:

• Shashi Tharoor: "An Era of Darkness" (2016), on the harm done by British rule.
• John Keay: "The Honourable Company" (1991), a history of the East India Company.
• Nick Robins: "The Corporation That Changed the World".

Why not the other options?

• ✗Shashi Tharoor wrote "An Era of Darkness".
• ✗John Keay wrote "The Honourable Company".
• ✗Nick Robins wrote "The Corporation That Changed the World".