Politics on Trial: Warren Hastings vs the British Empire

Past Present Future

D&HR Media Ltd

Society & Culture, History, News, Politics, Philosophy

4.8 • 747 Ratings

🗓️ 20 July 2025

⏱️ ? minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

To start our new instalment of episodes about the most consequential political trials in history David explores the trial of the eighteenth century: the impeachment of Warren Hastings that ran in the British parliament from 1788-95. Hastings had been Governor-General of Bengal, controlling much of India for Britain and for the East India Company and making himself and many others rich in the process. So why did his former allies turn on him? Why did his trial last for seven years? Why did it end up as a festival of hypocrisy and madness? And why would its closest twenty-first century parallel be the impeachment of Elon Musk? Out now on PPF+: Part 2 of David’s conversation with Alexander Douglas in which they talk about how Silicon Valley took a philosophical concept of identity and turned it into a commodity to be marketed. Plus, how should we think about ‘impostor syndrome’? To get this and all our bonus episodes plus ad-free listening sign up now to PPF+ https://www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus For all the information about our autumn season of screenings and live recordings, 'Films of Ideas', and to book tickets, go to our website: https://www.ppfideas.com/events Next time in Politics on Trial: Louis XVI vs the People Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	So, what are you watching at the moment?
0:01.8	Squid Game, Dad.
0:03.0	Let's watch it together this weekend.
0:04.9	Would that be nice?
0:06.0	What's it on again?
0:06.8	Netflix. You've got EETV, so you just switch it on. What season are we up to? Um, four? That's Stranger Things, Mum. And what about the kids? Don't worry, they'll watch Coca-Mellon for the hundredth time. Switch on Netflix with EETV, plus change up sports and entertainment.
0:04.5	It's TV with the ultimate flex for the hundredth time. Switch on Netflix with EETV. Plus change up sports and entertainment.
0:22.4	It's TV with the ultimate flex for the whole family.
0:25.4	EETV requires EEB Broadband, separate 24-month contracts for TV and broadband content of airy-tend supply.
0:30.2	You've reached the final level.
0:32.6	The spicy McNuggets side mission.
0:35.4	Maximum flavour, crispy crunch,
0:39.4	and a spicy dip with a kick.
0:41.3	Are you ready?
0:43.9	Spicey McNuggets, for a limited time only.
0:47.3	Until the night of September 25, fees apply to delivery.
0:48.5	Participation and price may vary.
1:05.3	Subject to availability, serving times apply. Hello, my name's David Rumsman and this is past, present, future, the History of Ideas podcast. Today, we are going back to the series that we were doing earlier in the year and then
1:11.2	paused to do the history of bad ideas. It's politics on trial, a series about great
1:17.3	political trials and what they tell us about the time in which they happened, but also the
1:21.7	political systems themselves. And today's trial is one that's probably not that well known
1:27.3	today, but it really mattered in its own time.
	...

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