Episode 1: The Decline of the British Empire
Episode 2: The Fall of the British Empire
Episode 3: The Legacy of the British Empire
The Decline of the British Empire
Rare footage and eyewitness accounts chronicle the decline of a once vast power.
The British Empire brought education, technology, law, and democracy to the four corners of the globe. It also brought prejudice, discrimination, cultural bigotry, and racism. With an unblinking eye, this three-part series examines the complexities, contradictions, and legacies of empire, both positive and negative.
Rare and often very early color film from major archives and private collections gives a front-row view of history in the making: the Partition of India, the birth of the state of Israel, the Suez crisis, the rise of black nationalism in Africa, the handover of Hong Kong, and more. Personal letters and diary excerpts describe the experiences of the rulers and the ruled.
Produced by a BAFTA- and Peabody-winning team, narrated by Art Malik, this fascinating series charts Britain’s imperial path from the zenith of the Raj to the disintegration of the empire and the multicultural future it faces today.
- This first episode sets off with Art Malik narrating the story of British imperial rule, beginning with the possession of India.
Rare colour footage illustrates the splendour of the Delhi Durbar : but unrest was not far away. Gandhi and Nehru both pushed for Indian independence and, despite a period of co-operation during World War Two, the ensuing new world order saw Britain finally forced out.
Released in 2002. 50 min. TV documentary series.
