LOOT AND THE MAKING OF BRITISH INDIA

This lecture unveils the intricate and often contentious role of military looting and prize practices in shaping British imperial expansion on the Indian subcontinent. From the 18th century onward, the British army developed a unique system that transformed plundered property into 'booty' and redefined it as prize money, distributed under royal prerogative. James Hevia explores how these practices incentivised soldiering, constrained unregulated plunder and fuelled tensions between officers, soldiers and colonial authorities.

James L. Hevia is Professor Emeritus in the History Department and the College at the University of Chicago. His research has focused on the British Empire in India and the Qing Empire in China. His books on British India include The Imperial Security State: British Colonial Knowledge and Empire-building in Asia, Animal Labor and Colonial Warfare and, most recently, Loot and the Making of British India (2026).

General Admission: £5.00

Please contact the organiser if you would like to attend the lecture but are experiencing financial hardship. Or if you have any queries.