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East India Company: The World's Most Powerful Corporation
This groundbreaking study examines how the East India Company founded an empire in India at the same time it started losing ground in business. For over 200 years, the Company's vast business network had spanned Persia, India, China, Indonesia and North America. But in the late 1700s, its career took a dramatic turn, and it ended up being an empire builder. In this fascinating account, Tirthankar Roy reveals how the Company's trade with India changed it-and how the Company changed Indian business. Fitting together many pieces of a vast jigsaw puzzle, the book explores how politics meshed so closely with the conduct of business then, and what that tells us about doing business now. 'One of the first major attempts to tell the company's story from an Indian business perspective'-Financial Express
268 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 24, 2017
British rule in India can largely be divided into 3 phases
1) East India Company 1757-1857 (Battle of Plassey to First War of Indian Independence)
2) 1857-1914 (Pre-Gandhi era protests using constitutional methods mostly)
3) 1914-1947 (Gandhi era when independence became a mass movement)
While books for #3 abound and many books r available for #2 too, books for #1 r few. Even books on India's history under British tend to fast-forward this era. Hence, i am always on lookout for books on #1.
This book is a short but well-written history of d East India Company. And it tries to provide d reader with d British viewpoint of things without being an apologist for d Raj. Unlike conventional histories it highlights the role of (illegal) private trade carried out by the company's officials.
Paints a good picture of d economics and the conflict between d Parliament/Crown, d Company's management in London and the Company's employees in India.
1) East India Company 1757-1857 (Battle of Plassey to First War of Indian Independence)
2) 1857-1914 (Pre-Gandhi era protests using constitutional methods mostly)
3) 1914-1947 (Gandhi era when independence became a mass movement)
While books for #3 abound and many books r available for #2 too, books for #1 r few. Even books on India's history under British tend to fast-forward this era. Hence, i am always on lookout for books on #1.
This book is a short but well-written history of d East India Company. And it tries to provide d reader with d British viewpoint of things without being an apologist for d Raj. Unlike conventional histories it highlights the role of (illegal) private trade carried out by the company's officials.
Paints a good picture of d economics and the conflict between d Parliament/Crown, d Company's management in London and the Company's employees in India.
July 7, 2013
I started reading this thinking it will be a history book, but it turned out to be a business book. Well, it's actually a book about history of business!! I gives a new perspective on British rule in India. It answered a question I have had in my mind for many years - how did a small nation (Britain) rule almost the entire world? The answer is... They had a process for everything.
March 12, 2014
This book gives a contrary view to the general one that Indian students are taught at school. We are taught at school that the British came to India to do business and then took over India.
This book gives another view. It says that the East India Co. had no intention of ruling India - they were too busy making money trading. Along with East India Co, there were many independent traders who did trade on the sly. This was known to the EI Co, but they turned a blind eye to it. Ulltimately, everyone was making good money.
The Co made forts at Madras, Calcutta and Bombay to have a safe place to retreat in case of emergency - it was all with the aim of saving their business interests.
The mutiny of 1857 really shook up the British. It was something they had not anticipated. From then on, things changed and England decided to take over the ruling of India. It must be mentioned that India was never one entity, it was a collection of small states ruled by Rajas, who were constantly bickering with each other. So the British helped to bring up the idea of Pan-Indian identity, in a way!
The writing of the book is rather dry and factual. Things could have been fleshed out better by a fiction writer.
This book gives another view. It says that the East India Co. had no intention of ruling India - they were too busy making money trading. Along with East India Co, there were many independent traders who did trade on the sly. This was known to the EI Co, but they turned a blind eye to it. Ulltimately, everyone was making good money.
The Co made forts at Madras, Calcutta and Bombay to have a safe place to retreat in case of emergency - it was all with the aim of saving their business interests.
The mutiny of 1857 really shook up the British. It was something they had not anticipated. From then on, things changed and England decided to take over the ruling of India. It must be mentioned that India was never one entity, it was a collection of small states ruled by Rajas, who were constantly bickering with each other. So the British helped to bring up the idea of Pan-Indian identity, in a way!
The writing of the book is rather dry and factual. Things could have been fleshed out better by a fiction writer.
December 14, 2016
A quick but illuminating read, part of a larger series on the economic history of India and therefore more accessible/useful if you have a little knowledge of Indian culture/identities, as this was an attempt to write about the East India Company from an Eastern civilization perspective. Though Britain’s trade with India through the East India Company is often considered part of the beginning of the modern world, the capitalism practiced by the company was different from how we operate today. A nation today would not militarily invade another nation in order to force them to cooperate with the buying and selling of goods. Public funds were raised to establish a privately-owned company (a practice established by the Genovese), whereas today we use the public funds to bail out a private company (joke). There was often confusion in the early years of the East India Company as they didn’t report directly to the British government, but they were certainly not subjects of their host country. They were also allowed to conduct trade for themselves, so long as it didn’t interfere with establishing trade and alliances for the Company. British men could marry local women, but in doing so became “fallen men” whose career advancement became for limited.
The coasts and ports had not been a priority for Indian empires in the past – despite valuable trade (for other nations) along the coasts, much commerce had been over land. However, entrepreneurial minded Indian merchants found themselves drawn to the three major ports the British controlled, Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. Throughout the 1600s, the Dutch had a heavier military presence and the Portuguese built better forts, and the British eventually followed their lead as the Mughal Empire weakened to inner strife. At home, the British developed skills in banking, shipbuilding, languages, and factories that served their ascendance in foreign trade, setting the stage for the Industrial Revolution. The author states that, arguably, the Indian nation that exists now was pulled together by the British whose buildup of infrastructure enabled the unification of a politically fragmented region. After having lost the American colonies that became the United States, Britain needed another vast colony with limitless potential. Although the legal systems developed by Britain in India attempted to be pragmatically culturally sensitive, one of the reasons for the uprising in 1857 was the social confusion when commerce and governance were mingled. So the crown took over entirely.
The coasts and ports had not been a priority for Indian empires in the past – despite valuable trade (for other nations) along the coasts, much commerce had been over land. However, entrepreneurial minded Indian merchants found themselves drawn to the three major ports the British controlled, Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. Throughout the 1600s, the Dutch had a heavier military presence and the Portuguese built better forts, and the British eventually followed their lead as the Mughal Empire weakened to inner strife. At home, the British developed skills in banking, shipbuilding, languages, and factories that served their ascendance in foreign trade, setting the stage for the Industrial Revolution. The author states that, arguably, the Indian nation that exists now was pulled together by the British whose buildup of infrastructure enabled the unification of a politically fragmented region. After having lost the American colonies that became the United States, Britain needed another vast colony with limitless potential. Although the legal systems developed by Britain in India attempted to be pragmatically culturally sensitive, one of the reasons for the uprising in 1857 was the social confusion when commerce and governance were mingled. So the crown took over entirely.
April 29, 2023
This is a book about THE EAST INDIA COMPANY and mostly deals with its business aspects. A brief book written in simple language cover the period of 1590's to 1858. Within this small size it is obviously not possible to cover all the dimensions of subject matter, so author have chosen some selective themes and tried to build a narrative. By and large the narrative is just ok.
After reading this book I got to know many interesting fact and info. Like ..
1. The journey of Ralph Fitch
2. Voyage of James Lancaster
3. Officer turned Pirate William Kidd
4. Fight of Edward Winter and George Foxcroft
5. Book on corruption in Bengal written by William Bolt
6. Case of Edmund Bruke
7. Adam Smith took East India Company as primary example in his book Wealth of Nation
The book have a passing mentions of many Important personalities of that time and it is also studded with few good anecdote. I will consider this book as a very good primer if you are thinking to read about The East India Company.
Notably I like the discussion and analysis of the Final Chapter and I am very much in agreement with it.
After reading this book I got to know many interesting fact and info. Like ..
1. The journey of Ralph Fitch
2. Voyage of James Lancaster
3. Officer turned Pirate William Kidd
4. Fight of Edward Winter and George Foxcroft
5. Book on corruption in Bengal written by William Bolt
6. Case of Edmund Bruke
7. Adam Smith took East India Company as primary example in his book Wealth of Nation
The book have a passing mentions of many Important personalities of that time and it is also studded with few good anecdote. I will consider this book as a very good primer if you are thinking to read about The East India Company.
Notably I like the discussion and analysis of the Final Chapter and I am very much in agreement with it.
May 18, 2021
An overview of how the East India Company started, the dynamics of Indo-European trade between 1600 to 1863, and the role the company played to start the colonization of India.
An interesting read no doubt though the writer's style leaves a lot to desire.
It is a relatively small book given the subject it chooses to tackle, a good start if you want to know more about modern India.
An interesting read no doubt though the writer's style leaves a lot to desire.
It is a relatively small book given the subject it chooses to tackle, a good start if you want to know more about modern India.
December 21, 2017
Really interesting, well-balanced, well-sourced evaluation of the EIC, how it operated, why it was successful, and what it's legacy was.
March 11, 2020
This is a good book that would have been even better if edited well. I found a few mistakes that should not have been there in a published Penguin book. The edition I read was the one that was printed in India by Portfolio in 2016.
Having got that off my chest I have to say that Roy's research for this book must have been extensive. Unfortunately, writing a concise book with all the details that would have emerged from the research would be difficult. Nevertheless, there are interesting tidbits in this book about the life of British traders in India in the early years of the EIC. All this is possible because of meticulous record-keeping by the company that can now be researched.
It amazes me to see how a small company formed in London on Dec 31, 1600 (what a memorable date that is!) became an empire. That is story of the book. We all know that but reading about the small steps that resulted in the world-spanning empire makes for an interesting book. One thing that one can say is that the rule of law helps trade. Even Indian traders quickly realized that working with the EIC on the basis of English contract law had huge advantages compared to what existed in India then. However, the EIC also made 'laws' as they went along that were unfair to everyone else. I see shades of what is currently happening in the internet space. FAGAM (Facebook, Amazon, Google, Apple and Microsoft) are/were pioneers that set the new laws and bent the old ones when in uncharted areas just as the EIC did. Overall, one can learn a lot from this book.
Having got that off my chest I have to say that Roy's research for this book must have been extensive. Unfortunately, writing a concise book with all the details that would have emerged from the research would be difficult. Nevertheless, there are interesting tidbits in this book about the life of British traders in India in the early years of the EIC. All this is possible because of meticulous record-keeping by the company that can now be researched.
It amazes me to see how a small company formed in London on Dec 31, 1600 (what a memorable date that is!) became an empire. That is story of the book. We all know that but reading about the small steps that resulted in the world-spanning empire makes for an interesting book. One thing that one can say is that the rule of law helps trade. Even Indian traders quickly realized that working with the EIC on the basis of English contract law had huge advantages compared to what existed in India then. However, the EIC also made 'laws' as they went along that were unfair to everyone else. I see shades of what is currently happening in the internet space. FAGAM (Facebook, Amazon, Google, Apple and Microsoft) are/were pioneers that set the new laws and bent the old ones when in uncharted areas just as the EIC did. Overall, one can learn a lot from this book.
June 5, 2015
An excellent overview of the history of the East India Company. Busts many myths, including some that are a staple of Nationalist and Marxist pop history (though not necessarily a staple of serious historical work by the same). Well worth a read.
December 1, 2018
Gives a very brief history of the rise of the the East India company until its disbandment around 1857. Gives a good understanding about trade during those times but definitely light on details given the size of the book.
Read
June 3, 2018nice book on a different side of east India company.'s evolution as a business entity rather than political history we normally rear
July 16, 2019
Good book to understand East India Company and India during their time. But the translation is not up-to the mark
February 24, 2022
East India Company initiated capitalism and capitalist economy in India through the elimination of feudal economy along with the elimination of the feudal. Dalhousie's 3 engines, rail lines, telegraph, and postal service, along with English education, education based on empiricism and scientific experiment, the study of European philosophy, science, and technology brought a revolutionary change in the mindset of the Indians. East India Company initiated a renaissance and enlightened the Indians.
August 21, 2020
The book is neither well organized in terms of being able to present a narrative that fits in well with the chronology, nor does it provide retainable anecdotes that would help the reader build an effective chronology. Both of these, I felt, were important to understand the rise and fall (and everything in between) of the East India Company within the framework of the events of the time.
December 9, 2021
A fascinating read but like all history books not to be taken on its own. Tirthankar Roy is an Economic Historian, not a social historian. So, you will not find condemnation (well not much) of either the Company's or the British Governments actions in India. It is also not a comprehensive book, but a comprehensive introduction, and as such, a very good one. It is a book that can give a different perspective on the rise of the EIC from an early date to its' demise as an independent trading company, into little more than a branch of government and Empire. Concentrating on economics and the dynamics of trade with India and within India, the reflections on trade before the EIC are extremely useful for putting 'The Company' and Empire into perspective. Having read 'The Honourable Company' by John Keay, which I now need to re-read, I found this a useful addition to understanding The British Empire and its consequences. For another interesting perspective on Empire, I would recommend 'Evaluating Empire and Confronting Colonialism in Eighteenth-Century Britain by Jack Green. This gives contemporary accounts by those opposed to colonialism, slavery and Empire as it happened.
September 25, 2024
This thing is really a pamphlet. It’s so short, and it has a bit of a "casual summary" energy to it. The pace and scope never really make sense. But it provides a decent short history of the company and a useful 30,000 ft quantitative economist’s view of what it can and cannot be credited with in the scope of south asian history.
September 25, 2025
Good information, yet it is presented in a dry, textbook way. When I read history, I want some excitement, not just lists of names and dates and facts. I want human stories. I want origin stories. I had hoped to find that in a book written by someone coming from an Indian perspective.
September 24, 2020
This story deserves a better Author. Poor writing.
September 22, 2022
For history lovers
Must read book to understand Basic nature of east india company and starting of company raj !
Also contain Some unknown facts
Enjoy
Must read book to understand Basic nature of east india company and starting of company raj !
Also contain Some unknown facts
Enjoy
October 1, 2024
It’s more like a book on authors view to Indian history between 17 to 19 century
March 20, 2017
Deeply disappointed with the content.... Wrote in such a plain language you won't find anything interesting... Maybe I have too much expectations.... They dint even cover how they developed cities on coast and other developments they did.... First half is good how east India company started their voyages etc... Soon it becomes monotonous..... :(
January 15, 2013
Its a great little book focusing only on the creation, rise and fall of the East India Company. The Company thrived in the chaotic times both in Britain and India with a partnership between the English businessman cum adventurer and the Hindu Baniya. Together they managed to forge an opportunity where individuals, both English and Indians, made a lot of money. I agree with the author's view that the East India Company was able to introduce modernity into India but I also think that this modernity was inevitable as Indians would have latched onto superior goods and technology in any case as they have a natural eye for good and easy life. I cite the example of African countries and their current plight as evidence. African countries were colonized as well, but they did not soak all the technology and educational skills in a similar fashion. So the great Indian IT industry of today, selling its services all over the West, owes its birth and grooming directly to English occupation.
June 2, 2016
It is important for us to read about an organisation which changed the course of our history. Here is a joint stock firm which went on to rule over 300million people through grit, perseverance, deceit and ofcourse infighting among our erstwhile lords.
I'm sure we haven't read much about modern Indian history except what bipin chandra told us about 1915onwards. A lot of the story is yet to be unfolded and must it be. It's time to sit down and find out how exactly did we go from 1707 to 1916, from Aurangzeb to Gandhi!
I'm sure we haven't read much about modern Indian history except what bipin chandra told us about 1915onwards. A lot of the story is yet to be unfolded and must it be. It's time to sit down and find out how exactly did we go from 1707 to 1916, from Aurangzeb to Gandhi!
April 8, 2014
A straight forward and clinical detail of the East India Company written with a slight lean towards all things Indian. I put this book down feeling like I really learnt nothing new. The author fires a lot of facts at the reader without stringing them together in a cohesive story to make them easy to remember.
Ultimately it felt like an university essay on the topic, showcasing how much the author knew without any real substance or heart.
Ultimately it felt like an university essay on the topic, showcasing how much the author knew without any real substance or heart.
February 2, 2013
Opens a more balanced view of the life of East India company, a lot of unknown facts and perspectives. Detailed review here http://www.anureviews.com/the-east-in...
November 4, 2014
Not a particularly interesting read. Just bunch of spaghetti thrown at the ceiling hoping something will stick.
January 19, 2018
Good book
Nice interesting with lot of facts liked a lot to give a different view on east india company and British India
Nice interesting with lot of facts liked a lot to give a different view on east india company and British India
June 9, 2016
good stories inside and
February 1, 2018
Lacked in Details of historical enrichment which otherwise period books keeps one engrosed
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews