“Muscat and Oman, the UAE...were once part of the British Indian Empire,” says Nithin Kamath; netizens criticise

Nithin Kamath’s recent post has reopened a buried chapter of colonial history, exposing how the Gulf and Southeast Asia were once governed as part of British India.

“I didn’t realise that lands from Muscat and Oman, the UAE, all the way to Burma were once part of the British Indian Empire,” Kamath wrote on X, after reading The Shattered Lands by Sam Dalrymple. 

Nithin Kamath talks about lesser-known history

Dalrymple’s research deconstructs assumptions that British India consisted of only present-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

As recently as 1928, the Indian Empire bound Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

These territories were administered by the Indian Political Service, defended by Indian troops, and reported to the Viceroy in Delhi.

Under the Interpretation Act of 1889, they were legally part of India.

“The Persian Gulf was the heart of the Indian sphere,” historian Robert Blyth writes in Empire of the Raj.

The British strategically controlled the Gulf against French and Russian threats in the 19th century. 

The Zerodha co-founder said, “Shattered Lands by @SamDalrymple123 is a must-read for history buffs. And thanks to good genes, I guess.”

He also mentioned that “The Anarchy” by William Dalrymple is one of his favourites.

“It tells the story of how the East India Company came to India to trade, became immensely wealthy, and, in their pursuit of more, became ruthless,” Kamath elaborated.

Comparing with the modern-day scenario, Nithin Kamath concluded the post saying, “It makes me wonder: today, as trillion-dollar companies rise, what happens if they turn evil, too?”

I didn't realise that lands from Muscat and Oman, the UAE, all the way to Burma were once part of the British Indian Empire. I'd always thought of India's partition as only involving India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Shattered Lands by @SamDalrymple123 is a must-read for history… pic.twitter.com/GFfXFpK8Pj

— Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) August 24, 2025

Netizens respond

An X user commented, "First, your grasp of history is pretty shaky. The British Indian Empire did include Burma (now Myanmar) and, for certain periods and in key strategic ways, extended its administration and influence across parts of the Gulf—like Aden, Oman, and the Trucial States (now UAE, Bahrain, etc.)—mainly for trade, naval power, and as political outposts. But these were not “integral” provinces like Punjab or Bengal, and their association with India was often administrative and strategic, not cultural or demographic. Anyone pitching them as “part of India” in the way we understand today is oversimplifying to the point of distortion."

"With full respect Nithin, we should think of these lands as part of erstwhile Bharat and Not British empire. Brits only came in the 17th century but we have existed for thousands of years as a civilisation with all these parts," said another user.

A third individual asked, "Why is it that our elites only read foreign authors? Do we have none from our own country?"

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