Jeremy Paxman travels the world exploring different aspects of the British Empire. He sets off in search of the extraordinary characters, burning ambitions and surprising principles which created an empire four times the size of ancient Rome. Explorers and businessmen, soldiers and visionaries, missionaries and crooks play their part in a story that spans three centuries and five continents.

This special version made for the Learning Zone contains a number of films of two- to six-minute durations.

Each film explores a specific question, including: Why does the empire matter? How did the British gain control of India? What were relations like between rulers and ruled? How did Victorian values affect life in the empire? Why was India so valuable to the empire? What was the role of money and trade in the empire? Was the empire a force for good? How did the empire affect migration? What can cricket tell us about the empire? What traces has the empire left behind? Show less