It’s truly become sickening how many British young adults have been convinced by algorithms to hate their own history and culture, and to perceive themselves as being especially morally conscious when they espouse myopic views of history. Why do we not see these kinds of debates at Al-Azhar University, where students express their loathing of undeniably barbaric caliphates? Where but in the West will you find a university union full of people from all over the world? I’m glad we’ve welcomed people - but ask yourself why it is that the world has been pouring into the West, and not the West fleeing to the rest. These students seem to be unaware of human nature, as they ascribe immoral actions only to their own culture.

That first woman seems absolutely miserable

So far, the president has handled this debate's insolence pretty well. Respect.

@-1:07:08 after professor Hall shamelessly implies that too many men have spoken, she attempts to solicit an interjection from the female members (as though they couldn’t have spoken had they’d been inclined). The young woman who volunteered, “on that point”…“yes?!”… “The stage is his.” What a beautiful expression of the true spirit of equality of the sexes. The female members didn’t need Prof. Hall to solicit questions from them. Only a few minutes into her rebuttal, she’s argued racism and sexism; these are not arguments, but a smear tactics.

Dr. Zaheer Masani follows the Anglophile path set by Nirad C Chaudhari. Masani is polite. Chaudhari was assertive. Masani turned to Macaulay, Chaudhari to Max Mueller. Both settled in England.

What is special about the British Empire is that the majority of Brits are, to whatever degree, apologetic about it. This is only paralleled on a large scale by Germans (Nazism) and Americans (slavery), and perhaps Aus/Can (aboriginals). Try asking a Han Chinese if they are apologetic for the exploitation of millions or tens of millions of so-called enemies of the revolution. In both cases, atrocities were perpetrated in the name of the state. Don't fall victim to the facile view that exploitation of one nation-state or empire by another is worse than, for example, internal exploitation, or exploitation of the stateless within one's borders.

As Shakespear said: "More of your conversation would infect my brain" and "The rankest compound of villainous smell that ever offended nostril"

I really did enjoy this debate!

The Speaker from Singapore was very well balanced and rational it's a breath of fresh air

Dr Zareer Masani fr ruined the whole debate because he made the remaining 1 hour and 15 minutes pointless; he already won the debate, why did it continue?

Question. How do I discern between students, and " young visitors? The boys in the back are fidgeting, and seem very innatentive? Thanks.

Dr Masani is the only knowledgeable person in the whole debate. Or at least the only person who used his knowledge in the debate. Everyone else was mainly just hot air, only he was actually well-informed on history and able to rebut other people's points, because he knew their arguments better than they did.

52:57 If i was a drug dealer I would hire you as my lawyer Nicholas Davis Nailed it (46:35 -58:40)

Oh no

Correction for Declan - There are no UN Peacekeepers in Sierra Leone which effectively drew down 14 years ago.

36:23 "this is not fascism!" lmao

Well that went well for the Proposition, eh?

1:00:00 the sheer arrogance of the “oh well we have food and things like that so not all bad” argument is revolting

Of course, it was rather sad.

23:40, 29:38, 30:14, 31:00, 35:34, 39:19, 51:20, 59:02, 59:44, 1:05:28, 1:06:15, 1:07:00, 1:07:35, 1:24:28

For a subject that the professional baiters say is never taught or discussed, it's all I hear about.

6:10 "The [British imposed] rule of law in India meant that the courts did not distinguish between different caste groups, people were equal before the law provided it of course they could afford to pay for it" - well that is pretty telling isn't it

Why don't you Mic people who don't have a mic?

Wrong 1935 was not the basis for Indian constitution the home rule declaration of 1918 was

Beside the clapping seal at the back(obviously unintentional ) I especially enjoyed Dr Masani, Dr Dauda. Although I enjoyed Baroness Chakrabarti I think she needs to research the modern empire of America, and their exploitation of Ukraine. I will help you on your way in research by giving you some names. Victoria Nuland, John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Hunter Biden. Shell companies. Household Energy bills 25%.

Be optimistic guys...! My grandma still looked alive and exist last year then still has a chance to find good successor ... I still believe too that what her belief still alive until now or forward...accordance her sword still lives too... For every single person who believes her...🌐🇬🇧👑❤️

"This house regrets the fall of the Third Reich UND HIER IST KEIN WARUM".

No one disputes the evils of the British Empire according to the geopolitical ethics of today. It is the interpretation of the British Empire in its own time that seems contentious, and more so by those who tend to emote rather than think critically. You cannot interpret history anachronistically. Masani is more or less spot on.

23:45 That default 'mode of production' that she describes is what has allowed humanity to grow and prosper. Is she really suggesting that the industrial revolution was a bad thing? Edit: 25:50 Okay so this woman is ridiculous.

Why didn't the Muslims have different system of law like Triple Talaq, or polygamy still practised within Muslim communities.

Nick was the best!

Well, if modern-day India and Pakistan were both in some type of confederation, with their militaries intertwined with the British military, then they wouldn't have been on the verge of nuclear war for the past 50 years and presumably for the foreseeable future. I don't know enough about the 1940s to speculate if things could have gone another way. And I like the little golf claps of who I believe is one of the vice presidents of the house.

Terms like "British Empire" are a necessity - they are because if we instead simply talked about those who ruled and those where were ruled it would suddenly reveal what the term helpfully hides (for those who want it to hide) - that rulers have always been a combination of virtue and vice in varying proportions - and yet we won't don't have debates about every example of rulership. Sure - it's fine to ask questions about the way in which the British ruled - but only as evidence of human nature - not as proof of some kind of failed British Project. But many don't like talking about human nature - because it's a lot more difficult to be self-righteous when talking about human nature.

We paid for there wars

35:58 52:57

The British in the UK are still blighted by Empire control. One family claims ownership of 31% of all the land plus the entire surrounding sea-bed, Prince Charles still takes income from property sales in Cornwall (he really needs the money !!). Chakrabarti was good. Nicholas Davies was excellent. As for the word Regret. Not much point, those times were those times, humans were still grasping education, many thought the world was flat, 99.9% had zero knowledge of the cosmos and cosmology. To evolve to a compassionate understanding of all people, nature and living things, including the planet's oceans (seas) - that has to be the aim but it won't come from the USA. That idea of a Union is circling the drain. Good work from the President. Finally, my Step-father left India when he was 20, I took him back for a 3 week visit when he was 72, a gap of 52 years, he was disappointed that the people were still so divided and the infrastructure had not advanced significantly in that half a century.

37:58 I hope that was a sarcastic comment and he is not serious about feeling guilty for being white british.

35:18 spot on

School for snobbery.

Maria Dacuda doesn't seem to have a clue about the human civilisation or history but some scraps here and there. She is more like an actress on a stage! 😀

Are you publishing this uber-entitled debate to tarnish the international image of Cambridge University (and the UK)? Because that's what you're doing.

The way they are encouraging the women in the audience to ask questions as though its a problem that only men are asking questions but then no women have any questions. How about you just answer questions regardless of gender you dont need to encourage women to ask questions theyre not being silenced if they have a question then they will ask.

I'm honestly shocked a leading university has even entertained such a subject for a debate. Incredibly tactless. Shout-out to the individual at 35:30 , who is unable to distinguish the United Kingdom from the British Empire. Utterly ignorant of the complexities here in Northern Ireland.

@26:30 "the first empire instead of just going onto contiguous landmasses but" haha have you never heard of the Chola empire, the Islamic Empires stretching from Spain to Afghanistan, the Ottomans? Even in Europe, Spain and Portugal had overseas empires first. Calm down and read more you silly fool.

Dr Daouda is quite the awful speaker, meandering away in favour of….something?

All the improvements in infrastructure, helped colonial interests continue their practices, i.e. ease of importation. Those who'd been subjugated obviously benefited by default. It wasn't"altruism,nor was it's creation intended to be a gift.

OK, I’m gonna say something. I had the privilege of growing up in America in the 1970s. But I have a grandfather. He lost his unit in the battle of the bulge and the only reason I exist is because he had to go find a tree at the right time on Christmas Eve. My grandfather raised me on Irish songs of rebellion. I Sang about the Foggy Dew before I knew what it meant. Thomas Francis Kenny Here I stand I can do no other. Those songs are still the favorites of my son to this day. I have uncles who say to never trust an Englishman. I can acknowledge the English empire spread concepts of equality, democracy and the rule of law around the world. The fact that bright eyed and bushy tailed English children want to scream about it, frankly it makes me want to vomit. You and your ancestors didn’t suffer. My ancestors did. Two of the oldest photos I have of family members are a member of the Scots guard and the lady in waiting for Queen Victoria. They had to flee to America. Their relationship was not allowed. So I look at privileged college students in England screaming about the past and I cry out your family was not forged by this. Mine was. Good God the guy speaking at 50 minutes is completely clueless. He speaks about his grandfather in Cyprus. And how he can only exist right now outside of empire. Those tools of democracy, rule of law, equality under the law were granted to you by that empire. Your independence to demand those things was granted because that empire pulled back. That empire enslaved, and I mean that literally a quarter of my heritage. Another quarter of my heritage it swore in the servitude under a uniform and a petticoat. I can still look back at the heritage of that empire that has hurt my family so badly and say that they brought good ideas to the world. So, you privileged or little snot. If you think that you have some moral leg to stand on well I have an Irish Polish German and dutch Scots Irish ass that you can kiss.

British should see Shashi Tharoor Oxford Union Speech. This Would end the Debate that Brish Empire In India was evil. As Shashi Tharoor Said " No Wonder That The Sun Never Set On The British Empire Because Even God Couldn't Trust the English In The Dark.

I am sorry to say that British rule have been nothing but scaring for India, and we celebrate the fall of the British Empire. I don't even know who called this debate but this debate would be treated as a joke anywhere except for the British soil. This itself speaks a lot about how the nations under colonialists felt.

What's next, "that this house regrets the fall of third Reich"...

You foolish Baroness, India got democracy under the British. Were the people able to elect any officials in pre-British India?