History of the English East India Company

Did you know the English East India Company’s tea trade was fueled by the opium trade?

The English East India Company (EIC) – also known as the British East India Company – was an immensely successful trading company founded in 1600 that controlled trade on the Indian subcontinent until 1858. With a massive private army, and the backing of the British government, the East India Company essentially looted India while furthering Britain’s imperialistic policies. The shareholders of the company made millions while India became impoverished, and the British government supported the company’s policies because many of the shareholders were also high-ranking politicians.

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— CHAPTERS —
0:00​ Introduction
0:44 Introduction to the East India Company
1:28 Foundation & Trade
2:50 Triangular Trade
5:09 A State Within a State
6:17 Challenges and Government Regulation
8:14 Downfall & Takeover
10:18 Outro

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— ATTRIBUTIONS —

The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:

World History Encyclopedia

[WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

How do you think the East India Company’s policies affected India long term?

[GeeMocktan]

Though I am from Nepal, I was born in Assam, India. I have had the opportunity to study Indian History. Your story of EIC takes me back to my school days burried in my memorry. And enliven the story back to me. Though this story is not found in Nepali course book, I am going to share this video to my students in my class here. This will help them learn English as well as history that will enrich their mind. Thank you.

[maltesimusfraterdemassimo]

Small caveat: The East India Company did not take control over Bombay in 1661. It was granted to them only a few years later in 1668/69 by King Charles II. via a special Royal decree - which in turn also expanded their administrative privileges for all of their settlements in India.

[GoodWoman]

I just found your channel. Excellent…and a suggestion: explain the individuals and families involved across time. 200 company directors is too vague. This is significant because their descendants are alive and often in power and/or wealthy today. I’m in the USA and fun fact: SCOTUS, Supreme Court of the United States, has created the concept that corporation is legally a person..because it has the same rights as every person and the owners of the corporation, the shareholders are both a defined group and, to state the obvious, people. Convoluted? Of course, and so is the law. Here on the channel please name the families as a matter of routine practice and where possible the religious affiliation. As King Charles is the head of the Anglican Church today and head of state this is very relevant.

[alexisportail]

I've just discovered this channel and that so incredible you are a passionate and i love your videos! Im french and i can learn english and i love ancient history ! continue pls !

[anthonydecastro]

with the Dutch variety in Indonesia, the British East India Company was the most RAPACIOUS of all European commercial agents. it became, as Kelly says, a branch of the British government, but it is true as well to say that, for quite a long time, the British government was a branch of the company. the British monarchs were themselves shareholders in the company.

[philcrawford]

Thanks Kelly you know what you are talking about

[jamesharbaugh]

Thank you for your honesty. Adam Smith outlines the detrimental effects on growth of mother/colony nations quite well with the America's in the times of their 'disturbances.' Greater India along with Indonesia are sad cases of selfish mercantile policies influencing statecraft bane of Monopolistic motives tainting capitalistic systems and masquerading as free trade while doing more to kill it off than another other ideology. A blight well outlined in the "Wealth of Nations" and one that unfortunately cares little about about human rights in the conflicting nature of the sovereign (now sovereign citizens rather than a monarch) as apposed to the monopolistic merchant. Things are certainly better today but such a case study should always stand as a bulwark in terms of letting unfettered corporations and interests control government policy lest something like the EIC reemerge.

[gw]

Now today in almost every country, they have their own company that has undue influence over govt

[GeoffryGifari]

hopefully one on VOC one day
(maybe about the competition between the two?)

[anthonyhorstman]

I happened to buy and new laws limit the amount of storage but when the boat fills food goes out 😁

[alexisportail]

ps can you do a video about alexander the great pls i will do an presentation of him

[dipaksenapati]

You should work on the audio device.. it's very low

[RaneMAJ-rw]

Thank you for this video, well documented and presented. It is a pleasure to hear the history. Sri Lanka was under British rule for 150 years, it was really hard when it comes military conflicts between native people and English colonizers, every country has a painful history. But, at the end of the colonization, English left many things in our country, still we are called a third world country!

[PiyushKiChannel]

If it wouldn't have been EIC there were other foreign traders, and the hundreds of local rulers . Indians would have gotten a bad deal anyway.

[ForbiddenHistoryLIVE]

GREAT PRESENTATION KELLY <OvO> THANK YOU !
Peace & Enlyghtenment
Dezert-Owl

[GeoffryGifari]

did china have an organization like this?

[alexisportail]

and i would like know your job for that i do the same and know as more as you

[alcyonemusica]

I don’t like The information has lefty orientation. It sound like a history class in Cuba.

[GeoffryGifari]

everybody wants to trade with the east...