William Dalrymple, host of the globally acclaimed podcast "Empire: World History" - which currently boasts over a million monthly downloads - is a man who views the chaos of the present through the long, often bloody lens of the past.
NDTV caught up with the popular historian at the Jaipur Literature Festival to discuss the geopolitical fault lines currently dominating global headlines: the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the escalating tensions over Greenland, and the protests in Iran.
The "Mad King" Parallel
For a scholar who has spent decades chronicling the rise and fall of dynasties, the current global "regime roulette" feels hauntingly familiar.
"The period of stability we have enjoyed since the end of World War II is drawing to a close," Dalrymple told NDTV. Expressing deep concern over the current American administration, he likened the political climate to a dark fable. "It is like a fairytale where a mad king sits thumping the table. I am no fan of Donald Trump; indeed, few outside the Republican Party are. History is full of parallels to figures like him."
When pressed for a specific historical counterpart, Dalrymple pointed to Henry VIII.
"The figure I would compare Trump to most is Henry VIII. While Henry was perhaps more traditionally educated, both share that dangerously fragile ego. You do get these figures with fragile egos rising to positions of power in history. They can behave erratically," he said.
#NDTVExclusive | Speaking candidly with NDTV's @harsha_ndtv, Author and Historian William Dalrymple (@DalrympleWill) says 'he is not a fan of Donald Trump, and in fact, very few people outside the Republican party are fans of the US President' pic.twitter.com/bVGEbcGXln
— NDTV (@ndtv) January 19, 2026
Greenland, Gaza, and the Brink of Madness
Dalrymple was particularly blunt regarding the current standoff over Greenland, where President Trump's renewed threats of annexation and tariffs against European allies have sparked a diplomatic firestorm.
"What is happening with Greenland, Gaza, and Venezuela is beyond parody; it borders on madness," Dalrymple warned. He argued that the United Nations was established specifically to prevent these types of "random, ego-driven conflicts." The current crisis, he noted, could effectively signal the end of the post-war peace.
When asked jokingly if the situation would be better if the Vikings still ruled Greenland, Dalrymple quipped, "I'm not sure the Vikings would be an improvement over Trump, though I could certainly draw a few parallels between the two."
Iran: A Revolution in Reverse
The conversation shifted to Iran, a country Dalrymple first encountered as a 21-year-old traveller. His debut travelogue, In Xanadu, chronicles his journey through the volatility of revolutionary Iran in the late 1980s. Though he faced brief imprisonment there, he remains moved by the "immense hospitality" of the Iranian people.
However, he views today's Iran as a "mirror reverse" of 1979.
"Iran used to be one of the most liberal and wealthiest countries in the Middle East-richer than Saudi Arabia or Dubai," Dalrymple explained. "The rise of the 'black-robe mullahs' was a reaction to the repression and constant surveillance of the Shah's regime. But the Mullahs took over and became even more oppressive than the Shah ever was."
Demonstrations sparked by anger over economic hardship exploded into protests late December in what has been widely seen as the biggest challenge to the Iranian leadership in recent years.
The human cost of this oppression was visible on the festival grounds.
Dalrymple recounted meeting a fellow author in tears because her brother had vanished following a protest.
"She doesn't know if he is in a cell or a body bag," he said.
His comments come as rights groups, including Iran Human Rights (IHR), report that verified protester deaths have reached 3,428, a figure that continues to climb amidst a nationwide internet blackout.
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