British East India Company 19th century


Week 24: Imperialism IDs

 

 

  Tea anyone?

 

The British East India Company was an English chartered company formed to trade with East and Southeast Asia and India.  It was first incorporated in 1600 by Queen Elizabeth I.  The company exported mainly opium and tea, which happened to be the tea used in the Boston Tea Party.  The company evolved into a trading enterprise by 1813 and England had most of India under control as a royal colony.  Throughout this period, the Company fought many battles with the native people to gain control of provinces such as Sindh and Punjab, but the English occupation of India began to get shakey when rebellions by the Indian people against the British started to take place, the most famous being the Indian Rebellion of 1857.  In 1874, the company was dissolved and their control over India was given directly to the British government, who continued to rule over India for the next 90 years. 

 


 

 

 

                   

^^ a later flag of the B.E.I. Co.        ^^ the indian rebellion of 1857                   ^^ seal of the Co.