British East India Company
Definition
The British East India Company was an English company formed for the exploitation of trade with East and Southeast Asia and India, incorporated by royal charter on December 31, 1600.
Analogy
Think of the British East India Company as a giant octopus. Its head is in England, but its tentacles reach out across the globe, grabbing onto valuable resources and pulling them back to the homeland.
Related terms
Opium Wars: Two wars in the mid-19th century involving Anglo-Chinese disputes over British trade in China and China's sovereignty.
Sepoy Mutiny: A violent and very bloody uprising against British rule in India in 1857.
Charter Act: Series of acts passed by the British Parliament between 1793 and 1853 to regulate the activities of the British East India Company.
"British East India Company" appears in:
Study guides (3)
Practice Questions (2)
- If the British East India Company hadn't gained control over Bengal after the Battle of Plassey, how could that have influenced Indian-European relations?
- How did trade companies, like the British East India Company, affect European economies during this period?
Resources
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