223. Empire of Plants: From Kew Gardens to Botany Bay

In this episode of "Empire," Anita Anand and William Dalrymple, along with guest Sathnam Sanghera, delve into the intricate relationship between botany and the British Empire, particularly focusing on the role of Kew Gardens. They discuss how botanical gardens became repositories of imperial plants, exploited for economic gain, and how figures like Linnaeus and Joseph Banks contributed to this system. The conversation covers the economic importance of plants like cinchona and rubber, the impact of colonial practices on indigenous populations, and the ongoing debates around decolonizing institutions like Kew Gardens, highlighting the complex and often contradictory nature of this history.