The British East India Company

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15 Dec 2007

The British East India Company : How a Business Organization Overwhelmed a Nation

There was a time when England and the Royal Family can rightfully declare that the sun does not set on the British Empire . So vast was their territory and so extensive was their reach that their pervasive presence is seen in both Europe and Asia . It is indeed true that when the sun sets in the West and rises in the East , an English colony is there to greet its

shining rays

One of the British colonies can be found in the subcontinent of India But it was not like that from the start . British influence in India was limited to mercantilism . Englishmen and women in the pre-Industrial Age world of India are there simply to trade . Yet somewhere along the way after close to one hundred years doing business with the locals , the traders began to grow in power , wealth , and influence . An all encompassing trading firm was established - the British East India Company . And then began the rise and fall of English hegemony in India

This will provide an overview regarding the historical development of a small group of traders who grew into the most dominant trading firm in India . This can be accomplished by tracing the early beginnings of British trade relations with India and then going through the political and economic changes that occurred in the subcontinent that provided for an impetus for British domination of the region . But all of these can be clearly understood by using a turning point in the history of India and British relations - the Sepoy Rebellion - which is an event that encapsulates all the influences and impact of British rule in India . Moreover , the Sepoy Rebellion planted a seed in the hearts and minds of the natives , that the occupying forces , the foreigners in their land are not invincible after all . The British East India Company was never the same again . The following pages tell the story

In the Beginning

When European nations finally achieved a level of stability and economic power , each nation , state or kingdom sent their finest sons and most daring adventurers to travel the world 's ocean 's and bring back to their Motherland news of discoveries and knowledge of foreign lands that can be conquered or influenced by the supposed to be superior Western culture . In the ranks of these great men one can include the names Magellan , Marco Polo and Columbus

These men and others like them braved the dangerous waters and sailed to the ends of the known world . As a result , they did not only discover new lands but new routes as well . One of the most significant and perhaps history changing consequence of these sea travel was the discovery of a route to the East Indies (see Canny , 1998 . The prospect of trading in spices sparked the one of the greatest quests in the history of maritime travel . But the British...