'Veevers provides richly detailed examples to reinforce his argument and convince the reader ... The Origins of the British Empire in Asia is a deeply researched and well-written monograph that makes an important contribution to the historiography of the British empire.' Michael D. Bennett, Journal of British Studies
Introduction. 'A hundred gates open for entrance'; Part I. Weakness and Adaptation: 1. 'A boddy without a head': the failure of an English enterprise; 2. 'Soe fayre an opportunitie': Madras and the reconstitution of the company; 3. 'Not as absolute lords and kings of the place': the success of an Anglo-Asian enterprise; Part II. Subordination and Expansion: 4. 'To be determined by the Moor's justice': searching for legitimacy in Mughal Bengal; 5. 'A firm settlement in this place': war, negotiation and imperial integration; Part III. Limitations and Devastation: 6. 'The Malays will not preserve ye countrey themselves': Sumatra and the failure of suzerainty; 7. 'The company as their lords and the deputy as a great Rajah': the making and unmaking of an imperial power; Part IV. Empire: 8. 'The end of these things will not be good': legacies of empire in mid-eighteenth century India; Conclusion. Rethinking the origins of the British Empire in Asia.