In this podcast, Ajam Media Collective interviews MEI Research Fellow Dr Ameem Lutfi, where he attempts to look at how “mercenary” soldiers and the land they help conquer have created a deep and rich network of links between the shores of the Western Indian Ocean. To watch the full interview, click here.

Image caption: Men of 26th Baluchistan Regiment, Bombay Infantry, in 1897. Photo by Frederick Bremner, shared on Wikimedia Commons.