In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice, Sathnam Sanghera discusses his ground-breaking book, exploring the enduring global legacies of the British Empire and its profound impact on modern history and identity.
Choosing the world of ‘Empire World’
In three years of writing the book, Sathnam had the whole globe to choose which countries he would cover while working on ‘Empire World’. Describing how he shortlisted the key countries, he said, “I went to India, as it was always part of my plan, being such an important country to include. I also felt it was crucial to visit Africa, so I chose Nigeria because of its significant role in the Imperial story. Additionally, I needed to explore the history of Indian indentured labour, a story that remains poorly understood, even in India. For this, I had to decide between Guyana and Mauritius. While I initially considered Guyana, I ultimately chose Mauritius.”
Changing names from the colonial era
The first chapter of the ‘Empire World’ vividly mentions how the Indian government has been rapidly changing the names of the cities from the colonial era to names more rooted in the soil. Commenting on that, Sanghera said, “It's interesting how many parts of the world are named after British places, a fact that often goes unnoticed by British people. This topic has resurfaced recently, as Donald Trump has proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Many of his actions seem to mirror the British Empire, from threatening to invade Greenland and Canada to discussing the removal of citizenship rights for Native American communities. Even his ambition to plant a flag on Mars feels like a supercharged version of the British Empire. Place names are a significant aspect of this, and there’s fascinating work being done around renaming, not only in India but also in countries like Australia and Canada. However, it poses challenges, especially for those of us who speak English or Indian languages, as some of the new names in places like South Africa and Canada can be quite difficult to pronounce.”
White Saviours
One of the most strikingly important chapters in the book is ‘White Saviours’. Elaborating on it, Sanghera said, “Not many people seem to want to discuss it, but I think the issue has come back into the public eye. In America and Britain, especially with figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk, there’s a growing conversation about the rise of a new far-right, racist atmosphere. Elon Musk, being South African, is part of this dynamic, with racists in America collaborating with counterparts in Britain and Australia. Many frame this as a new phenomenon, but as you’ll see from the chapter, it was already happening in the 19th century. Back then, leaders and intellectuals from America, Australia, South Africa, and Britain were coalescing, exchanging racist policies, and finding ways to exclude Asian migrants, such as through literacy tests or opposing Japan’s request for racial equality during the Treaty of Versailles. This isn’t new; it’s a continuation of what was already an obsession in the 19th century. People of that era were even more fixated on race and racism than we are now—it dominated their discussions. What we’re witnessing today is simply history repeating itself.”
Products of shared history
Inevitably both British and Indians still share a common history and have embraced each other culture. “It’s like trying to take an egg out of a baked cake—you just can’t. When you’re in Britain or India, you’re a product of our shared history, and you can’t simply remove parts of it because they’re uncomfortable. It’s complicated, isn’t it? I often think of historian Alan Lester, who I reference in the book. He explains how, in the 1920s, an Indian might have a terrible experience of imperialism in the morning—being denied entry to a building because of their skin colour—but later in the day, they might receive help from an imperial officer, perhaps resolving a dispute with a neighbour. That was the nature of empire: it meant different things at different times of the day, in different places, and to different people. The legacies of empire are deeply contradictory, and they continue to shape our lives in complex and multifaceted ways,” Sathnam told Asian Voice.
Why Britons must read ‘Empire World’
Since Britons will never read about the colonial past in their academic experiences, Sathnam’s book is a must-read for those who would like to learn more about the shared past between Britain and India. Explaining the importance of this book, he said, “For me, the most striking issue is the narrative in Britain that suggests brown people, black people, and Indians only arrived recently—since the 1950s and 60s—and came uninvited, supposedly to take advantage of British hospitality. This narrative completely ignores the deep, centuries-old relationships between Britain and India.
“There’s no acknowledgement of the millions of Indians who fought in both World Wars or of the immense wealth, culture, textiles, spices, and food that India contributed to shaping modern Britain. Instead, the focus is solely on British Indians “fitting in” and assimilating, with no recognition that this relationship is, in fact, a two-way exchange.
“White English people should also make an effort to understand this shared history because it’s their history too. We’re here for a reason, and that’s why understanding British imperial history is so crucial—it helps bridge the gaps in understanding and challenges these one-sided narratives.”
