The EIC's Forgotten Leader: Sir Josiah Child and the Company's First War

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the complex legacy of Sir Josiah Child, the East India Company's most powerful governor in the late 17th century. Child transformed the Company from a struggling trading enterprise into a political and military force, but his aggressive policies sparked the First Anglo-Mughal War (1686–1690). We dive into Child's rise as a 'merchant prince,' his infamous conflict with Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the siege of Bombay, and the humiliating treaty that followed. Along the way, we meet Child's rival Sir John Wyborne, the English ambassador Sir William Norris, and witness the Company's first major clash with the Mughal Empire. This episode reveals how Child's ambition nearly destroyed the Company—and how his successors learned from his mistakes. #SirJosiahChild #EastIndiaCompany #MughalEmpire #Aurangzeb #Bombay #FirstAngloMughalWar #SiegeOfBombay #SirJohnWyborne #SirWilliamNorris #ChildsWar #MughalHistory #EarlyModernIndia #BritishEmpire #IndianHistory #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast #ColonialHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo