# @shabnamnasimi on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DCzq07JI28A
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/32261801-shabnamnasimi-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/a19490f8cf.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-11-25T20:12:59.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Shabnam Nasimi (@ShabnamNasimi) — https://gondola.cc/ShabnamNasimi

## Caption

“Ghosts of Empire” was recommended to me by a former MP in September and I’m so glad I eventually got round to finishing it. This book offers a brilliant and accessible look at British imperialism, bringing together the stories of six different regions—Kashmir, Nigeria, Iraq, Hong Kong, Burma, and Sudan. Kwasi Kwarteng delves into the policy of individualism at the heart of British rule.  Governance often depended on the personalities of key administrators who come from aristocratic backgrounds, rather than by a cohesive strategy. Administrators who would rule over native populations like Plato’s guardians. A Kitchener in the Sudan, or a Lugard in Nigeria, for example, could rule like a benign dictator with very little supervision from Whitehall. 

The details in this book are fascinating. Did you know that Kashmir was essentially treated as a land for sale, sold to Gulab Singh in 1846 for £500,000? Or that the seeds for South Sudan’s independence were planted as far back as 1930, when Britain announced its “Southern Policy”—81 years before South Sudan became a nation? In Hong Kong, British rule lasted 150 years as an autocracy, run by a handful of merchants and driven purely by trade and money-making.

Kwarteng concludes that the empire was never guided by a grand vision but instead left behind a chaotic legacy, from political instability to unresolved social divisions.

I really used this book—annotating, highlighting, and jotting down thoughts throughout—because I believe books are meant to be lived in and engaged with, not left pristine on a shelf.

If you’re curious about the legacy of British rule, this book offers an easy read and a thought-provoking narrative. 📖✨ 

#GhostsofEmpire #BritishEmpire #HistoryBookReview #Kashmir #Iraq #Sudan #Nigeria #HongKong #Burma

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## Tags

sudan, nigeria, britishempire, iraq, burma, hongkong, ghostsofempire, kashmir, historybookreview

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