The British Empire’s formula: Sea, trade and control | Al Jazeera Untangles

A masterclass in maritime power and corporate reach. From the legacy of the Armada to the rise of the East India Company, Britain fuses naval supremacy with global trade control and divide-and-rule governance. Case studies include India, Africa, and Atlantic circuits. Watch the second episode, French Empire: Civilising Mission, here:    • The French Empire’s formula: Culture, educ...   Watch the third episode, Spanish Empire: Sword and Cross, here:    • The Spanish Empire’s formula: God, gold an...   From the legacy of the Spanish Armada and the rise of the Royal Navy to the emergence of the British East India Company as one of history’s most powerful corporations, this episode reveals how sea power enabled territorial expansion, resource extraction, and political influence across continents. Britain’s command of shipping routes, ports, and chokepoints allowed commerce and conquest to move hand in hand. Through detailed case studies in India, Africa, and the Atlantic world, the documentary explores how imperial rule was enforced not only by warships and soldiers, but by financial systems, monopolies, chartered companies, and local intermediaries. In India, corporate rule evolved into colonial administration. In Africa, trade networks and naval patrols reshaped borders and economies. Across the Atlantic, shipping lanes connected slavery, raw materials, and industrial wealth. The film also draws clear connections between British colonialism and modern capitalism. Many of today’s global economic structures, from multinational corporations and extractive supply chains to financial hubs and trade law, evolved directly from imperial systems designed to concentrate wealth and manage distant territories. The practices pioneered under empire continue to influence how power, labour, and resources are organised in the global economy. By examining how maritime dominance underpinned colonial capitalism, global trade networks, and modern geopolitics, the documentary shows how the legacy of empire remains embedded in contemporary international relations. It asks how corporate power, military force, and economic strategy merged to build an empire, and what that history reveals about globalisation, inequality, and the world we live in today. #aljazeera #britishempire #colonialism #colonialhistory #aljazeerauntangles #british #history #india #africa #britain #aljazeeraenglish