The east indian compagny

The east indian compagnie

Indroduction

• The city of London : center of economic and commercial activity, positioned as Europe's stock exchange

• One of the most important compagnies due to its position as defender of the British crown : armies, de facto state government of the entire subcontinent wich is India.
• The logo of the east Indian compagnie : Coat of Arms by HM Queen Elizabeth I : a symbol of trust. We can observe two sea lions and waving St. George pennants, supporting a shield featuring ships and roses.

• The ships :  open sails facing to the east (God’s help)
• The roses : England
• Royal family coat of arms :  symbol of loyalty
• At the top there is a blue globe, signifying the world.
• The Company’s motto “Deus Indicat. Deo Ducente Nil Nocet”, meaning “God is our leader. When God leads, nothing can harm.”

Operation of the East Indian compagnie

As a join stock compagnie :

• purchase of shares by shareholders, who can then sell them
• shareholders earn money if the company does well
• Possibilitie of  putting pressure on the government, since its shareholders are close to the royal family.
• the company's stability is not guaranteed, as the stock market fluctuates rapidly

Interest of the charter (granted by the queen in December sixteen hundred)

• Commercial monopoly : all other compagnies are considered illegal, which reduces the number of rivals.
• Legal Authority in the English colonies
• Colonial expansion : Indian Company lands protected by English army
• Economic importance : the company became famous and aristocrats supported it
• Right to collect taxes

Map with Elisabeth II

• Sir James Lancaster took command of five of the company's ships in 1601: founder

A rich and powerful company

Main ressources :

• cotton, silk,indigo dye,sugar, salt, spices, saltpetre, tea, and later, controversially, opium
• these resources are rare and highly prized: spices, for example, are very expensive

Slave trade

• Beginning in the early 1620s, the East India Company started using slave labor.
• From Africa to Europe
• Exploitation and Impact : role :preventing England from being accused of slavery, already strongly condemned by the Church

The east Indian company trough ages

• Creation by HM Helisabeth I
• Swally : against Portugal, the Company won the favor of the Mughal emperor Jahangir.
• seven years' war: against france - final victory at Plasey, enabling the establishment of trading posts. Robert Clive : general of the company's army
• Anglo-Mysore wars from 1766 to 1799 and Anglo-Maratha wars from 1772 to 1818.
• End of the company in 1874 due to illegal traffic

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