The East India Company

The East India Company traces the English trading corporation that grew from a commercial venture into a territorial power in South Asia. It follows the establishment of coastal factories, rivalry with European competitors and the military and political changes surrounding Plassey and Buxar.

The book examines revenue collection, private fortunes, famine, parliamentary regulation and the company armies that expanded British rule. It concludes with the rebellion of 1857 and the transfer of government to the Crown, showing how corporate power helped create the British Raj.