Epitomised as one of the ‘tools of empire’, the electric telegraph is considered both foundational to late imperialism and global communication networks today. Both on land and undersea, telegraph networks were the ‘nerves of empire’ that abolished the great barriers of time and space by facilitating rapid communication to the furthest reaches of Britain’s colonial possessions. But how did telegraph networks function on the ground? What did their implementation mean for the workers, officials and local communities on the edge of empire?

Focusing on the British run Indo-European telegraph network in Iran and the Persian Gulf, this talk offers a novel perspective on the role of imperial technologies from below. By tracing the uses of telegraph infrastructure through the stations and peoples who interacted with it, Sebastian Rose argues that imperial telegraphy was much more than a tool. Focusing on the disruptions and unintended consequences of the network, the talk analyses how the communication infrastructure of empire was challenged and appropriated by subalterns and revolutionaries.