Founding of the East India Company. East India Company. Error history. East India Company in world culture

The site's observer studied the history of the trading British East India Company, which practically seized control of India, became famous for its robberies and abuses, and also made the British Empire one of the most powerful countries in the world.

The British East India Company, like its Dutch counterpart, was effectively a state within a state. Having its own army and actively influencing the development of the British Empire, it became one of the most important factors brilliant financial situation states. The company allowed the British to create a colonial empire, which included the jewel of the British crown - India.

Founding of the British East India Company

The British East India Company was founded by Queen Elizabeth I. After winning the war with Spain and defeating the Invincible Armada, she decided to seize control of the trade in spices and other goods brought from the East. The official founding date of the British East India Company is December 31, 1600.

For a long time it was called the English East India Company, and became British at the beginning of the 18th century. Among its 125 shareholders was Queen Elizabeth I. Total capital was 72 thousand pounds sterling. The Queen issued a charter giving the company a monopoly on trade with the East for 15 years, and James I made the charter perpetual.

The English company was founded earlier than its Dutch counterpart, but its shares were listed on the stock exchange later. Until 1657, after each successful expedition, income or goods were divided among the shareholders, after which the money had to be invested again in a new voyage. The company's activities were led by a council of 24 people and the governor general. The British of that time had perhaps the best navigators in the world. Relying on her captains, Elizabeth could hope for success.

In 1601, the first expedition led by James Lancaster set off to the Spice Islands. The navigator achieved his goals: he conducted several trade transactions and opened a trading post in Bantam, and after returning he received the title of knight. From the trip he brought mainly pepper, which was not uncommon, so the first expedition is considered not very profitable.

Thanks to Lancaster, the British East India Company introduced a rule to prevent scurvy. According to legend, Sir James forced the sailors on his ship to drink three tablespoons of lemon juice every day. Soon other ships noticed that the crew of the Lancaster Sea Dragon were less sick, and began to do the same. The custom spread throughout the entire fleet and became another calling card of the sailors who served in the company. There is a version that Lancaster forced the crew of his ship to drink lemon juice with ants.

There were several more expeditions, and information about them is contradictory. Some sources talk about failures; others, on the contrary, report successes. We can say for sure that until 1613 the British were mainly engaged in piracy: the profit was almost 300%, but the local population chose between two evils of the Dutch, who tried to colonize the region.

Most of the English goods were of no interest to the local population: they did not need thick fabric and sheep's wool in the hot climate. In 1608, the British first entered India, but mostly robbed merchant ships there and sold the resulting goods.

This could not continue for long, so in 1609 the company’s management sent Sir William Hawkins to India, who was supposed to enlist the support of Padishah Jahangir. Hawkins knew the Turkish language well and really liked the padishah. Thanks to his efforts, as well as the arrival of ships under the command of Best, the company was able to establish a trading post in Surat.

At Jahangir's insistence, Hawkins remained in India and soon received a title and a wife. There is an interesting legend about this: Hawkins allegedly agreed to marry only a Christian, secretly hoping that a suitable girl would not be found. Jahangir, to everyone's surprise, found a Christian princess as his bride, and with a dowry at that - the Englishman had nowhere to go.

In effect, the royal decree gave the company a monopoly on trade in India. The company initially had 125 shareholders and a capital of £72,000. The company was governed by a governor and a board of directors, who were responsible to a meeting of shareholders. Commercial company soon acquired government and military functions, which it lost only in 1858. Following the Dutch East India Company, the British Company also began to list its shares on the stock exchange.

The company also had interests outside India, seeking to provide safe routes to the British Isles. In 1620, she tried to capture Table Mountain on the territory of modern South Africa, and later occupied the island of St. Helena. The company's troops held Napoleon on Saint Helena. Its products were attacked by American colonists during the Boston Tea Party, and the Company's shipyards served as a model for St. Petersburg.

Operations in India

The company was founded on December 31, 1600 under the name "Company of Merchants of London Trading in the East Indies" (eng. Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading with the East Indies). From 1601 to 1610, she organized three trading expeditions to Southeast Asia. The first of them was commanded by the famous privateer James Lancaster, who received a knighthood for the successful completion of his mission. Activities in India began in 1612, when the Mughal padishah Jahangir allowed the establishment of a trading post in Surat. At first, various names were used: “Honourable East India Company”, “East India Company”, “Bahadur Company”.

The strengthening of the company and its abuses in India forced the British authorities to intervene in its activities at the end of the 18th century. In 1774, the British Parliament passed an Act for the better management of the affairs of the East India Company, but it was hardly taken into account. Then in 1784 the Law on better management British East India Company and its holdings in India, which provided that the company's holdings in India and itself were transferred to the British Board of Control, and by 1813 its trading privileges were eliminated.

The expansion of the British East India Company took two main forms. The first was the use of so-called subsidiary agreements, essentially feudal - local rulers transferred responsibility to the Company foreign policy and were obliged to pay a “subsidy” for the maintenance of the Company’s army. If the principality failed to pay the “subsidy,” its territory was annexed by the British. In addition, the local ruler undertook to maintain a British official ("resident") at his court. Thus, the company recognized "native states" led by Hindu Maharajas and Muslim Nawabs. The second form was direct rule.

"Subsidies" paid to the Company by local rulers were spent on recruiting troops, consisting mainly of the local population, thus the expansion was carried out by Indian hands and with Indian money. The spread of the system of “subsidiary agreements” was facilitated by the collapse of the Mughal Empire, which occurred towards the end of the 18th century. De facto, the territory of modern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh consisted of several hundred independent principalities that were at war with each other.

The first ruler to accept the "subsidiary treaty" was the Nizam of Hyderabad. In some cases, such treaties were imposed by force; Thus, the ruler of Mysore refused to accept the treaty, but was forced to do so as a result of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. The Maratha Union of Principalities was forced to sign a subsidiary treaty on the following terms:

1. A permanent Anglo-Sepoy army of 6 thousand people remains with the Peshwa (first minister).
2. A number of territorial districts are annexed by the Company.
3. Peshwa does not sign any agreement without consulting the Company.
4. The Peshwa does not declare wars without consulting the Company.
5. Any territorial claims by the Peshwa against local princely states must be subject to Company arbitration.
6. Peshwa withdraws claims against Surat and Baroda.
7. The Peshwa recalls all Europeans from his service.
8. International affairs are conducted in consultation with the Company.

The most powerful opponents of the company were two states formed on the ruins of the Mughal Empire - the Maratha Union and the Sikh State. The defeat of the Sikh Empire was facilitated by the chaos that ensued after the death of its founder, Ranjit Singh, in 1839. Civil strife broke out both between individual sardars (generals of the Sikh army and de facto major feudal lords) and between the Khalsa (Sikh community) and the darbar (court). In addition, the Sikh population experienced tensions with local Muslims, who were often willing to fight under British banners against the Sikhs.

At the end of the 18th century, under Governor General Richard Wellesley, active expansion began. The company captured Cochin (), Jaipur (), Travancore (1795), Hyderabad (), Mysore (), Sutlej (1815), Central Indian principalities (), Kutch and Gujarat (), Rajputana (1818), Bahawalpur () . The annexed provinces included Delhi (1803) and Sindh (1843). Punjab, North West Frontier and Kashmir were captured in 1849 during the Anglo-Sikh Wars. Kashmir was immediately sold to the Dogra dynasty, which ruled the princely state of Jammu, and became a “native state”. Berar was annexed in B, and Oudh was annexed in B.

Britain saw the Russian Empire as its competitor in colonial expansion. Fearing Russian influence on Persia, the company began to increase pressure on Afghanistan, in which the First Anglo-Afghan War took place. Russia established a protectorate over the Bukhara Khanate and annexed Samarkand, and a rivalry for influence in Central Asia began between the two empires, which in the Anglo-Saxon tradition is called the “Great Game”.

Operations in Arabia

From the end of the 18th century, the company began to show interest in Oman. In 1798, a representative of the company, the Persian Mahdi Ali Khan, came to Sultan Said, who concluded an anti-French treaty with him, in fact, on a protectorate. Under this agreement, the Sultan pledged not to allow French ships into his territory in wartime, not to allow French and Dutch subjects to stay in his possessions, not to allow France and Holland to create trade bases on their territory in wartime, and to assist England in the fight against France. However, the Sultan did not then allow the company to create a fortified trading post in Oman. In 1800, the treaty was supplemented and England received the right to keep its resident in Oman.

Army

Company in the feudal system of India

At the time of the beginning of British expansion in India, there was a feudal system that was formed as a result of the Muslim conquest of the 16th century (see. Mughal Empire). Zamindars (landowners) collected feudal rent. Their activities were monitored by a council (“diwan”). The land itself was considered to belong to the state, and could be taken from the zamindar.

The British East India Company integrated into this system, receiving in 1765 divani for the right to collect taxes in Bengal. It soon became clear that the British did not have enough experienced administrators who would understand local taxes and payments, and the collection of taxes was farmed out. The result of the Company's tax policy was the Bengal famine of 1770, which claimed the lives of 7-10 million people (that is, from one quarter to one third of the population of the Bengal Presidency).

Monopoly

In subsequent years, Anglo-French relations deteriorated sharply. The clashes led to a sharp increase in government spending. Already in 1742, the company's privileges were extended by the government in exchange for a loan of £1 million.

The Seven Years' War ended with the defeat of France. She managed to maintain only small enclaves in Pondicherry, Meikha, Karikal and Chadernagar without any military presence. At the same time, Britain began its rapid expansion in India. The costs of seizing Bengal, and the ensuing famine that killed between a quarter and a third of the population, caused severe financial difficulties for the company, which were exacerbated by economic stagnation in Europe. The board of directors tried to avoid bankruptcy by turning to parliament for financial assistance. In 1773 the company received more autonomy in its trading operations in India and began trading with America. The company's monopolistic activities became the reason for the Boston Tea Party, which started the American War of Independence.

By 1813, the company had seized control of all of India, excluding Punjab, Sindh and Nepal. Local princes became vassals of the Company. The resulting expenses forced a petition to Parliament for help. As a result, the monopoly was abolished, excluding the tea trade, and trade with China. In 1833, the remnants of the trade monopoly were destroyed.

In 1845, the Dutch colony of Tranquebar was sold to Britain. The company began to expand its influence into China, the Philippines and Java. Lacking funds to purchase tea from China, the company began mass cultivation of opium in India for export to China.

The English merchants who created the East India Company in 1600 sought to gain access to eastern goods that were in demand in Europe. These were Indian fabrics, Malay pepper, dyes, tea, grains. If Elizabeth I granted the company the right to a trade monopoly in the East for 15 years, then James I made this privilege indefinite.

The 18th century opened up for Europeans new way get rich quick - opium. The opium poppy from which the drug was obtained was grown in India. The finished potion was sold in neighboring China. In 1799, the Chinese authorities banned the trade in opium, and later introduced the death penalty.

Chinese opium smokers. (Pinterest)

Draconian laws did not stop the company - it took up smuggling. The British government tacitly supported these illegal activities. The expansion of trade led to two Opium Wars in 1839-1842 and 1856-1860. Qing China lost every time, made economic concessions, established preferential customs tariffs and paid gigantic indemnities.

Other important exports from India to Europe for the company were satin, taffeta, silk, saltpeter, coffee, rice, indigo, etc. Due to frequent cases of famine, plantation farming was established in the colonies. Tea was in great demand in the metropolis and its American possessions. In 1773, a cargo of tea belonging to the East India Company was destroyed in Boston Harbor during a protest against the actions of the British government. This episode (the Boston Tea Party) was the impetus for the American Revolution and the American War of Independence.

How things stood with European competitors

The British East India Company was not alone. There were similar organizations in Holland and France. However, it was the English experience that turned out to be the most successful. The French company was completely dependent on the state; the expansion of the Dutch company stopped in the middle of the 17th century, and later it lost the Indian market to British competitors.

The irony is that the British were initially interested in the islands of Southeast Asia. But it was precisely because of the Dutch that they failed to gain a foothold in the disputed region. The ousted British company has refocused on India. There she earned her fabulous capital.

How India became British

East India trading post in Bengal, 1795. (Pinterest)

The first possession of the Honorable Company (as it was sometimes called) was a trading post in Surat in western India. The trading settlement was secured by the British in 1612 after defeating the Portuguese at the Battle of Suvali. The Portuguese colonial empire was never able to stop the onslaught of its opponents in India. In 1668, she leased Bombay to the company, where the organization's headquarters were soon moved.

The largest Indian state proper at that time was the Mughal Empire. In Childe's War (1686 - 1690), the British were defeated. However, already in the first half of the 18th century, due to internal contradictions, the previously monolithic empire began to disintegrate on its own. The map of India began to look like a patchwork quilt. The disunited feudal princes could no longer stop the expansion of the trading company, which was increasingly looking like a military-political force.

The Seven Years' War (1756 - 1763) was fought not only in continental Europe, but also in the colonies. In India, the interests of the British clashed with the interests of the French. Victory here again went to the British company. Having finally gotten rid of its European competitors, it established control over Bengal, a region in eastern India and modern Bangladesh.

The end of the East India Company was not caused by native revolts or losses. She could not withstand the pressure of her own state. For many years, the crown and the joint stock company coexisted on the principle of mutual benefit. The company received a monopoly from the state and support at the diplomatic level, and the government had a convenient buffer in the east, which generated income and allowed it to avoid direct annexation of native principalities.

Everything changed after the Seven Years' War. The large-scale conflict was not in vain: the British treasury was depleted. Meanwhile, the company continued to grow richer. In 1765, in addition to exclusive trading privileges, it received the right to collect Bengali taxes and began to serve as the colonial administration.

The London headquarters of the East India Company in the TV series Taboo. (Pinterest)

The organization has reached the pinnacle of its power and influence. But by its nature it was the fruit of capitalism in a pre-industrial economy. Meanwhile, the industrial revolution began in the metropolis. Moreover, in London the number of opponents of the East Indian monopoly increased.

In 1773, Parliament passed the Regulatory Act. The company was now required to report to the ministries of foreign affairs and finance. 20 years later, part of its fleet went to independent merchants. Finally, on July 1, 1813 (while the war with Napoleon was still going on and the country was experiencing a continental blockade), the company's trade monopoly was abolished. At the same time, the government took away more and more levers of internal governance of India, depriving the “state within a state” of administrative functions.

The British East India Company is unique in that it was an alternative to the state in India. Independent management of the colonies, replacement of trade profits with tax revenues - all this ran counter to the interests of the authorities who were building the largest power of their time.

1858 is the year the Indian Administration Act was passed. The document declared that the country was now under the sovereignty of the crown. The inhabitants of the subcontinent became Victoria's subjects. The act came at the height of the Sepoy Mutiny. Although it was suppressed by the colonial administration, local dissatisfaction with extortions and other hardships showed the obvious failure of the company's policies. It has completely outlived its usefulness as an administrative institution. And its economic decisions (for example, mass introduction continuous production textiles) led to the decline of entire industries. Subsequently, the organization existed exclusively as a commercial one. In 1874 it was liquidated.

The example of the British and Dutch, who successfully developed lands remote from Europe using private capital and private initiative in the form of trading East India Companies (OIC), in the 60s of the 17th century inspired the creation of a similar joint stock company and the King of France. Louis XIV and his associate Colbert set to work with energy. At the same time, one of the main obstacles to the creation of a new trading empire in the Indian Ocean was not the military fleets of competing states, but the inertia of thinking of their own French merchants. The merchants did not want to invest in a new enterprise with unclear prospects and huge risks.

How it all began

On April 1, 1664, Charpentier, a future academician of the French Academy of Sciences and protégé of Jean Baptiste Colbert, presented King Louis XIV with a 57-page memoir entitled "Note from Your Majesty's loyal subject on the establishment of a French trading company in India, useful to all Frenchmen". Louis greeted the offering favorably, and already on May 21, on the initiative of Colbert, the de facto head of the French government, a meeting of Parisian merchants was organized. At it, one of the merchants, Mr. Faverol, voiced some provisions on the creation of his own East India Company in France.

Naturally, this speech was approved by the king and Colbert, because they were the ones who stood behind Faverolles. Further confirmation of this is the presence at the meeting of Messire de Berrier, one of the secretaries of the royal council, and the already mentioned Charpentier. The result of the merchant meeting was the sending of 9 delegates to the king on May 26, 1664 with a request to organize the East India Company on the model of the English and Dutch. The delegates were received by Louis during the meeting of the Royal Court with great favor, and the king asked the merchants for a few days to familiarize himself with their proposals.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert, one of the founding fathers of the French East India Company

A new meeting was scheduled for July 5, with the participation of Louis himself, to which more than three hundred Parisian merchants gathered under the threat of possible disgrace in case of failure to appear. This time royal conditions were announced - Louis proposed to fix authorized capital new company of 15 million livres, which must be contributed by the shareholders within three years. The state agreed to make a first contribution of 3 million livres, and in addition - 300 thousand to equip the first expedition. The king also said that he agreed to contribute 300 thousand livres each time in the event that private shareholders contributed an amount of 400 thousand.

It was determined that the company would be managed by 12 directors, who would be selected among shareholders with shares of more than 20 thousand livres. Investors who have contributed more than 6 thousand livres will have the right to vote.

In August "The King's Declaration Establishing the East India Company" was introduced into the Paris Parliament, and on September 1 it was solemnly tested (approved) by the deputies. This declaration included 48 articles. Here are some of them:

« Article 36. The company has the right to send ambassadors and embassies to the rulers of India and Madagascar on behalf of the French king; declare war or peace on them, or carry out any other actions aimed at strengthening and expanding French trade.

Article 37. The above mentioned company can operate from the Cape of Good Hope to the Strait of Magellan in all the South Seas. Our permission is given to the company for 50 years, and the countdown begins from the day the first ships equipped by the company sail to the East. The Company shall engage in trade and navigation in the above-mentioned waters, while at the same time protecting any French ships in this region, for which purpose it is allowed to requisition or seize the ships, supplies, weapons necessary to it to protect our trade and our subjects.

Article 38. All lands and islands discovered by the company's ships will forever remain in its possession. Justice and Seigneurial Rights on company lands are administered by company representatives. In turn, the French King has the Right of Seigneur over the mines, gold deposits, money and jewelry, as well as any other minerals owned by the company. The King promises to use the Right of Seigneur only in the interests of the country.

Article 40. We, the King of France, promise the Company to defend its representatives and its interests against all and sundry, to use the force of arms in support of the Company's freedom of trade and navigation; remove the causes of any hardship or mistreatment by anyone; to accompany the company's ships and cargo at our expense with as many warships as the company needs, and not only off the coast of Europe or Africa, also in the waters of the West and East Indies."

Coat of arms of the French East India Company

The king approved the companies and the coat of arms. On the azure field was a golden lily (symbol of the House of Bourbon), which was bordered by olive and palm branches. At the bottom was the motto: “Florebo, quocunque ferar” (“I will bloom where I am planted”) .

Customs duties on goods imported by the OIC, according to the tariff of 1664, were determined at 3% of their estimated expert value. For the sale of French goods, the company received a reduction or exemption from customs duties, including from the tax on salt (if this salt was intended for salting fish).

The king provided a bonus of 50 livres for each ton of goods exported by the company and 75 livres for each ton of goods imported. Colonists and agents of the company, after 8 years in India, could return to France with the rank of master in their corporations. Officers and directors of departments received nobility from the king for themselves and their offspring.

The king and members of his family set an example by becoming shareholders of the OIC, but the matter was not without distortions. Members of the courts and masters of enterprises, under the threat of disgrace, were forced to bring money to the company. In the provinces, intendants used completely illegal methods of collecting shares. For example, in Auvergne, the sur-intendent locked all wealthy townspeople in prison and released only those who signed promissory notes in favor of the company.

A separate issue was the choice of the OIC headquarters. At first it was located in Norman Le Havre, where Louis ordered the construction of a rope production facility and a steam room for hemp cables. The board was then moved to Basque Bayona. And only on December 14, 1664, Louis gave the order to build shipyards near the Breton Port Louis, where the warehouses of the Duke of La Melière’s Company, popularly nicknamed the Orientals, had long been rotting. It was also decided to name the shipyard Eastern (L’Orient), hence the history of the glorious city of Lorient began.

Maiden voyage

In addition to the crews, the ships carried an additional 230 sailors and 288 colonists, who were planned to be landed in Madagascar. Among the settlers were Monsieur de Bosset, chairman of the Council of Eastern France (as they planned to name the future colony), his secretary, Sir Suchot de Renefort, and the lieutenant of the colony, Montaubon. It was these three people who were supposed to represent the power in the colony.

The organization of the expedition cost the OIC investors 500 thousand livres, including equipping ships, purchasing goods and provisions for the colonists.

On June 3, the French ships passed abeam the Cape of Good Hope, and on July 10 they appeared off the coast of Madagascar - near the village of Fort-Dauphine (now Taulagnaru), formed by representatives of the Company of de La Melière in 1635. It was announced to the chairman of the former colony, Mr. Chapmargue, that the Company de La Melière no longer had the exclusive privilege of trading with the East; now this right belonged to the French OIC.

Madagascar map

On July 14, the crew of the Saint-Paul landed on shore, and the same procedure was carried out for the acceptance of Madagascar into the citizenship of the French king. De Bosset became the manager of the colony, Chapmargu became the head of the local militia, de Renefort became the secretary (scribe), and Montaubon became the chief judge. About 60 colonists were left in Fort-Dauphine, and the ships sailed to the island of Bourbon (modern name - Reunion), where there was also a small French colony founded in 1642. There it was announced that representatives of the OIC had come to power and another 20 colonists landed. Then the ships separated. "Saint-Paul" headed for the northwestern coast of Madagascar, intending to then reach the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. However, the crew of this ship rebelled, the captain rounded Madagascar by the Mozambique Strait and headed for France.

"Aigle Blanc" from the island of Bourbon also went to the northwestern coast of Madagascar. He visited Fort Gallard, founded in 1642 by French merchants, where he found only two colonists (the rest had died by that time). They left 18 colonists (6 of them women) at the fort and headed for the island of Santa Maria, and then sailed back to Fort Dauphine.

The Thoreau crashed onto the rocks of Bourbon Island in November 1664; only 12 of its 63 crew members survived. The next day, the Vierge de Bon Port, which appeared off the island, picked up the survivors. Together with Toro, goods worth 100 thousand livres were lost (mainly sugar loaves, leather, cochineal).

The first trading yards of the French OIC in Bayonne

The ship "Vierge de Bon-Port" was engaged in the purchase of colonial goods and gold from the Mozambican and Madagascar kings. On February 12, 1666, the ship overflowing with goods was already ready to head home, but the French 120-ton boat "St. Louis", which, together with the 130-ton "Saint-Jacques", left Le Havre on July 24, 1665 (this small expedition cost the company's shareholders an additional 60 thousand livres). During the storm, the ships lost each other (“Saint-Jacques” was carried all the way to the shores of Brazil, to Pernambuco, where he stayed until 1666), and the captain of “Saint-Louis” reached the rendezvous point, to the island of Bourbon. The teams made several visits to each other's ships. Finally, on February 20, 1666, the Vierge de Bon-Port weighed anchor and went home.

On July 9, 1666, near the island of Guernsey in the English Channel, the ship was attacked by the English privateer Orange, commanded by Captain John Lyshe. Excerpt from the Orange report »:

"On the 9thHMS Orange attacked a French ship belonging to the French East India Company, which was sailing from Madagascar and the Red Sea. Groupage cargo - gold, brocade, silk, amber, pearls, precious stones, corals, wax and other scarce goods. The owner is Sir de La Chesnay from Saint-Malo. The declared value of the cargo is 100 thousand pounds sterling.”.

The British boarded the OIC ship, overloaded all the valuables, and sank the ship itself. Of the 120 people in the Vierge de Bon-Port crew, 36 people drowned (the English privateer, loaded to the brim with goods, refused to take them on board). During the boarding, 2 more people were killed, 33 French (including the captain) were captured. The rest were released by the British on a boat. Captain La Chenay died in captivity on the Isle of Wight, and Secretary de Renefort (who had sailed to France) was released after the end of the Second Anglo-Dutch War in April 1667.

Second expedition

According to the declaration on the formation of the East India Company, approved on September 1, 1664, the first meeting of its shareholders was to take place three months after the declaration was approved by Parliament, that is, December 1, 1664. The main purpose of this assembly was to elect permanent directors for a period of 7 years.

However, the meeting was postponed to early March 1665 due to the reluctance of the merchants to participate in the affairs of the new company. By January, 6 million 800 thousand livres were hardly collected for the authorized fund (including 3 million 300 thousand allocated by the king). At the same time, many French people who contributed their shares refused to contribute additional money, “preferring to lose what has already been given rather than throw away some more money on an absolutely meaningless undertaking”. Nevertheless, on March 20, the king managed to assemble an assembly. 104 shareholders (who contributed more than 20 thousand livres) applied for the seats of 12 directors.

The voting took place in the royal hall of the Louvre. Jean-Baptiste Colbert was elected president of the company. From the nobility, Sir de Thou became the director, from the financiers - the already familiar Sir de Berrieux, from the merchants - Enfen, Poquelin the Father, Cado, Langlois, Jabache, Bachelier, Eren de Fay, Chanlatte and Warren. It was decided to open six separate representative offices (chambers) of the company in Paris, Rouen, Bordeaux, Le Havre, Lyon and Nantes.

The directors received the task before May to consider the possibility of sending a new expedition to the East, which this time was supposed to reach the Indian coast. This task was set by the king and Colbert, but the death of the Vierge de Bon Port ship in the summer of 1666, along with valuables worth 2 million 500 thousand livres, was a strong blow to the shareholders. As a result, instead of 2 million 700 thousand livres, only 626 thousand livres were collected from investors. The main burden of the equipment of the second expedition again fell on the royal treasury.

The new squadron consisted of 10 ships:

François de Lopi, Marquis de Mondeverga, was appointed commander of the squadron, to whom the king granted the title of “admiral and lieutenant general of all French waters and lands beyond the equator.” As an escort, the detachment was assigned the division of the Chevalier de Rocher, consisting of the ships Ruby, Beaufort, Mercure and Infant.

The expedition was accompanied as directors by the Dutchman Caron, who had been accepted into French service, and sir Fay. In addition to the crews, on board the ships there were 4 infantry regiments, 4 French and 4 Dutch merchants with goods, 40 colonists, 32 women, and in total about two thousand people. Equipping the expedition cost 1 million livres, another 1 million 100 thousand were taken on board in the form of goods and hard currency.

The convoy and escort left La Rochelle on March 14, 1666. First, the ships headed for the Canary Islands, where they made a short stop. The 120-ton frigate Notre Dame de Paris was also purchased there, since the leaders of the expedition were seriously afraid of attacks by the British (the second Anglo-Dutch War was underway, in which France was an ally of Holland). On May 20, the squadron resumed movement, but a dangerous leak was discovered on the Terron, and Mondeverg headed for Brazil to repair the ship with the help of the Portuguese. On July 25, he arrived in Pernambuco, where he stayed until November 2 (there the expedition discovered the Saint-Jacques, which had been strayed during the first expedition, which was mentioned earlier). The convoy headed across the stormy Atlantic to the Cape of Good Hope.

Only on March 10, 1667, ships appeared in the Fort-Dauphin roadstead, where 5 women were landed. The expedition found this colony in a terrible state. The colonists are almost out of supplies. At the same time, the long journey of the convoy to the Indian Ocean played a cruel joke on Mondeverg - all the supplies on the ships were also eaten, and in Brazil they could not be replenished due to crop failure and the high cost of goods (Portuguese Brazil had not yet recovered from the Portuguese-Dutch colonial wars).

Mondeverg's desire to replenish provisions in Fort-Dauphine met with sharp rebuff from the colonists, who simply refused to transfer or sell anything to the crews. They justified this state of affairs by the fact that the squadron arrived six months later, and all the supplies left in the colony by the first expedition had long since run out. The settlers had no choice but to steal livestock from the locals, to which the Malagasy also began to respond with raids. Thanks to nine 4-pounder guns, the French managed to fend off their attacks, but there was very little gunpowder left. The Aigle Blanc, which remained in Madagascar, was pulled ashore, completely dilapidated and partly dismantled for firewood.

Having discovered this state of affairs in the colony, Caron and Fay insisted on a speedy movement to India, where the crews could replenish provisions, and the merchants could purchase scarce goods that would recoup the expenses of the expedition. Mondevergues nevertheless decided to stay in Fort-Dauphine to "to restore order in the colony". With the help of the crews, the village was surrounded by a stone wall, the Marquis introduced a rationing system for products, which everyone now received regardless of ranks and titles. He also allocated his money to purchase cattle and wheat from the Malagasy, and he banned most of the cows and pigs from being put under the knife, creating the first cattle yards in Fort-Dauphine.

Madagascan city of Tolanaro (formerly Fort-Dauphine)

Mondevergues also sent two ships to the island of Bourbon, where he requisitioned some of the food for the Madagascar settlers.

In the fall of 1667, another ship of the company arrived in Fort-Dauphine - the cargo flute "Coronne" under the command of Markar Avansha, a Persian by nationality. Since the ship arrived quite quickly (it left France in March 1667), it had an excess of provisions. It was immediately requisitioned by Mondeverg for the needs of the colony. Avanchy tried to be indignant, but after the Marquis hinted to the native of Ispagan that the gallows was crying for him, he ordered the supplies to be unloaded.

On October 27, 1667, Caron and Avenchy set sail for India on the ships Saint-Jean-de-Baptiste and Saint-Denis. On December 24, they entered the roadstead of Cochin (a city in southwest India, at the time described a Dutch colony), where they were well received. Then the ships headed for Surat, and then went to Suali. There was brisk trade in all cities - the Saint-Jean-de-Baptiste had a noticeable decrease in gold, but the ship was full of brocade, pearls, diamonds, emeralds, Indian fabric, corals and many other goods. On April 24, 1668, Caron sent the Saint-Jean-de-Baptiste, filled to the brim, to Fort-Dauphine. The ship appeared at the roadstead of the Madagascar colony in May, where it unloaded food and livestock, which were purchased by the prudent Dutchman. On June 21, 1668, Saint-Jean-de-Baptiste headed home.

English trading post in Surat, 1668

Fort-Dauphine, thanks to the energetic actions of the Marquis of Mondeverg, recovered a little, but was still in a terrible state. Meanwhile, the second detachment under the leadership of Fay was waiting for ships from France (the imminent arrival of which was reported by Avanshi) in order to also go to India. Two ships of the Company - "Aigle d'Or" and "Force", which left Port-Louis on March 20, 1668, appeared in Fort-Dauphine on September 15 and 30, 1668, respectively.

On October 19, the second Indian convoy (Maria, Aigle d'Or and Force) sailed for Surat. The third caravan left Fort-Dauphine for India on August 12, 1669 (“Coronne,” which carried Caron, the “Saint-Jean” and the frigate “Mazarin” to Fort-Dauphine). These ships sailed along the Madagascar coast, encountered a strong storm near the northern part of the Mozambique Channel and appeared in the Surat roadstead only on September 23, 1669.

Thus, a large French squadron was now present in Surat, which, either by force or money, established relations with the rulers of Malabar and the Coromandel Coast.

As for Fort-Dauphine, the frigate Saint-Paul, which arrived there on October 2, 1669, brought a letter to Mondeverg, where the king expressed his dissatisfaction with affairs in the colony. It read:

"Mr. Mondeverg. I am not satisfied with the service you provided me while commanding the colony of Fort Dauphine. Upon receipt of this letter, you must board the first ship bound for France. I pray to God that he will be merciful to you.

LouisXIV, King of France.

The Marquis, being absolutely confident that he would be justified, boarded the Maria on April 15, 1670 and, taking with him another OIC ship Force, sailed to his homeland. Near the Cape of Good Hope, the ships lost each other and reached France separately. The Force arrived in Port Louis on September 10, 1670. “Maria” returned to Madagascar and stayed there until November 1670, when another French squadron appeared in Fort-Dauphine, which was carrying the new Viceroy of French India.

On February 9, 1671, Mondeverg finally sailed for his homeland. On July 22, “Maria” dropped anchor in the Groix roadstead (Isles of the Cardinals in Brittany). The marquis, who came ashore in the name of the king, was arrested by the lieutenant of the La Grange musketeers. The accused was taken to the castle of Saumur, where he died on January 23, 1672.

Time to collect stones

Immediately after the departure of Mondeverga's expedition, the company's shareholders began to count losses. The directors noted that they had spent significant sums on arming and supplying expeditions with goods, but the return was still not visible. The mistrust was so general that with difficulty 78,333 livres were collected instead of the planned 2 million 100 thousand. And at this critical moment, bad news came one after another. First, the shareholders were stunned by the death of the ship Vierge de Bon Port, then news came from Brazil, where the unfortunate Mondevergue had landed. Meanwhile, 1666 was approaching, and with it the payment of the third installment by shareholders.

The directors collectively sent Louis XIV a petition asking that the company be declared bankrupt. Only new investments from the king could save the matter. Louis provided the money. According to the financial reports for February 1667, the company's total expenses amounted to 4,991,000 livres, while the shareholders contributed only 3,196,730 livres. Thus, OIC had a deficit of 1,794,270 livres, which made it difficult to pay salaries to company employees and pay suppliers.

The company's tangible assets at that time amounted to 18 ships in India and 12 ships in France, as well as 7 ships under construction. Besides -

• 600 thousand livres in Spanish reals in Port-Louis;
• 250 thousand livres in goods at Port-Louis and Le Havre;
• 60 thousand feet of ropes and spare parts for rigging in Le Havre;
• £473,000raw hemp;
• 100 anchors of different weights;
• 229 guns of various calibers;
• 72,560 alder logs;
• 289 masts in different ports of France.

The king, having familiarized himself with the state of affairs of the OIC, gathered the shareholders for an audience, where he persuaded them to move on. “You can’t quit halfway. I, as one of the shareholders, also suffer losses, but with such assets we can try to get our money back.". However, at the beginning of 1668, even the king began to be overwhelmed by doubts about the correctness of the chosen path.

French latifundia in the colonies

Finally, on March 20, 1668, news came from Caron, who reported that the first expedition had successfully reached India, the trade was quite successful, the average rate of profit on transactions was 60%. The letter also described the situation in Madagascar and the measures taken by Mondeverg to improve the situation. This news served as an incentive for the king to invest another 2 million livres in the business, which saved the company from bankruptcy and allowed shareholders to pay off the most pressing debts.

At the same time, Louis had a serious conversation with Colbert about future financing of the company. The king recalled that he had already invested more than 7 million livres in the business, and for five years they had not received any, even the smallest, profit. Louis quite reasonably asked: is there any point in maintaining the ruined Fort-Dauphine, which does not bring any profit? Maybe it makes sense to move the colony directly to Surat? This conversation made Colbert A assembly of shareholders of the company to recognize that "The colonization of Madagascar was a mistake".

Finally, on March 12, 1669, the long-awaited Saint-Jean-de-Baptiste arrived at the Port-Louis roadstead. According to reports, the total value of the goods brought was 2,796,650 livres, of which 84 thousand were paid as excise taxes, and the king deigned to pay 10 percent to shareholders as profit of the enterprise.

This event provoked a sharp increase in those wishing to join the ranks of shareholders; in three months more money was collected than in the previous 5 years. Now the merchants praised the foresight of Colbert and the king, and money began to flow like a river. There were many willing to risk their capital for the sake of trade with the East.

Afterword. Founding of Lorian

Back in June of the same year, the king, by his rescript, allowed the company's ships to be located in Port-Louis, at the mouth of the Charente. In the vicinity of this city there were warehouses belonging to the de La Melière company. Colbert managed to buy them back for 120 thousand livres, of which 20 thousand livres went to the shareholders, who had gone bankrupt by that time, and 100 thousand to the head of the company, Duke Mazarin. The latter was also offered to become a preferred shareholder of the new company.

The sandy beach provided by the OIC formed a sort of peninsula that jutted out into the sea. On its right bank, at the insistence of Colbert, a shipyard was founded; on a high cape, which prevented the Charente and Blavais from merging into one river, an arsenal and several coastal batteries were located.

Lorian, 1678

Denny Langlois, one of general directors company, was sent to Port-Louis and the eastern warehouses to take them under the arm of the OIC. This was strongly opposed by the local lords - Prince Guemene and Seneschal Paul du Vergis d'Henebon, but with the help of Colbert Langlois, he managed to come to an agreement with them, paying compensation of 1207 pistoles. On August 31, Sir Denis, on behalf of the company, solemnly took possession of the new lands. The shipyards were built very quickly, already in 1667 the first 180-ton ship was launched, this ship was considered as the first experiment. According to Colbert's plans, the company needed to build a dozen ships with a displacement of 500 to 1000 tons.

The name of the new city - Lorient - appeared later, around 1669. Until this time, the place owned by the company was called “lie l’Oryan” (Eastern place) or “l’Oryan de Port-Louis” (that is, eastern Port-Louis).

The British East India Company's 400-Year Business Pattern: Armed Robbery

About 250 years ago, a new word appeared in the English language - loot - today translated as "loot", "trophy" and "freebie". The origin of the verbal acquisition is India, where “lūṭ” meant booty obtained by robbery. It is this word that can characterize the entire essence of the second transnational corporation on our planet, known as the East India Company.

Coat of arms of the East India Company. The slogan on it “Auspicio regis et senatus angliae” is translated from Latin as “Under the authority of the Crown and Parliament of England.”

Let me note right away: the name “East India Company” does not directly refer to England. It reflects the sphere of colonial interests of European enterprises - South Asia. Portugal, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Denmark and even Germany (Prussia) had their own East India companies. However, only one joint-stock enterprise surpassed in all scales other national trading companies and absorbed their colonial territories - the British East India Company. Therefore, in this article, the “East India Company” refers to an English enterprise.

England on the way to Great Britain

In the 17th century, Britain was one of the poorest countries Western Europe. The series of crises left to the kingdom by the rebellious Henry VIII - the abandonment of Catholicism, confusion with the succession to the throne and the open hostility of all the "sister" states in the Roman past - it seemed that these problems could only be resolved by the marriage of Elizabeth Tudor with the scion of the royal house of Spain.

Queen Elizabeth I of England. Her stubborn opposition to Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands led to the creation of the English East India Company

But the youngest daughter of a Protestant king was not interested in marriage, nor was she interested in the Catholic faith. She intended to remain the Queen of England even on her deathbed, not sharing power with anyone at all. The daughter of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, demonstrated to the royal houses of Europe the same rebellious disposition as her father.

In England, Elizabeth Tudor, the most revered British queen, three years before her death supported the creation of the merchant maritime joint-stock company East India Company, which later became the greatest transnational corporation on our planet in the 17th-19th centuries AD. By the way, modern popularity in English on Earth largely happened thanks to the East India Company.

Meanwhile, the entire European colonial history, starting from the end of the 15th century, was based on a single goal - to reach India and China by sea.

England becomes a sea power

500 years ago everyone was looking for this mysterious and fabulously rich country of spices, gold and diamonds - the Spaniards, the French, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Danes... As a result, the Spaniards found South America and began to extract resources from there (the conquest). The rest, having experienced many naval failures, focused on Africa. India first became a colonial star in the crown of Portugal - the route to it around the African continent was discovered by the navigator-privateer Vasco da Gama, who arrived on the Indian shores in 1498 on three ships.

Vasco da Gama, Portuguese navigator and privateer. Discoverer of the sea route along the coast of the African continent to the Indian Ocean

Watching neighboring European states get richer with every arrival sea ​​vessels from distant overseas colonies, Henry VII Tudor ordered the construction of the first large-tonnage ships for the needs of England. By the accession of his son Henry VIII to the English throne in 1509, the kingdom had five seagoing vessels, and five years later there were already 30 or more.

However, the possession of a full-fledged ocean fleet did not in itself create opportunities for colonial enrichment - England had neither nautical charts, no experienced captains who know how to follow a course across the ocean. The routes to the southwest (to South America), mastered by the Spaniards and Portuguese, were not suitable for English trading expeditions - colonial conflicts with Spain or Portugal were completely unnecessary for the British crown. Of course, English privateers periodically attacked Spanish galleons loaded with silver, but this type of sailor was supported by the English authorities behind the scenes. And they were always ready to abandon privateers caught in the unsuccessful seizure of colonial cargo.

British search for India

The Genoese navigator John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) proposed to Henry VII a trip west across the sea (Europeans did not know about the existence of the Atlantic Ocean at that time) to find India. The chances of success increased with the news that the Spanish crown, thanks to the Portuguese navigator Christopher Columbus, had found a sea route to India in 1492 (in fact, South America had been discovered, but neither Columbus nor anyone else knew about it).

Giovanni Caboto (eng. John Cabot) Genoese navigator, in search of a sea route to India, discovered the route through the Atlantic Ocean to North America

With the blessing of the English crown and with the financing of Bristol merchants, John Cabot reached the coast of North America (the territory of modern Canada) on one ship in 1497, considering these lands the “blessed Isles of Brazil” - the remote eastern part of India. However, English geographers decided that the land found by Cabot was part of the “kingdom of the Great Khan” (as China was called in Europe). Subsequently, it was Cabot's discovery and his declaration of England's right to own the lands of North America that led to the formation of the American colony of Great Britain and the emergence of the modern United States.

The second attempt to sail to India, or at least to China, was made by a squadron under the command of English navigators Hugh Willoughby and Richard Chancellor. A British expedition of three ships was sent east across the northern seas in 1553. After many months of travel and wintering off the coast of Lapland, Chancellor's only ship entered the Dvina Bay of the White Sea. The crews of two other ships that missed Chancellor died during the winter at the mouth of the Varzina River.

Richard Chancellor, English navigator, at a reception with Ivan the Terrible (engraving). He opened the northern sea route to Russia and participated in organizing trade relations with it, although he initially tried to sail to India

Having met with local fishermen, Richard Chancellor learned that he was not in India, but in Russia. The gracious reception of English sailors by Ivan IV the Terrible led to active centuries-old trade between England and Russia with the formation of the privileged merchant monopoly “Moscow Company” (Muscovy Company). However, the Russian Tsar, who waged frequent wars, was exclusively interested in English military goods (gunpowder, guns, cannon iron, etc.), which caused protests from the kings of Sweden, the Polish-Lithuanian Union, Denmark and the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I. Therefore, trade between the British and the Russians did not yield high profits.

How England found India

The first English navigator to discover the sea route to India was the privateer James Lancaster. Having obtained detailed copies of Portuguese nautical charts from the bankrupt Dutch merchant Jan Huygen van Linschoten and leading a flotilla of three paramilitary ships, Lancaster reached the Indian Ocean in 1591-1592 and went east further than India - to the Malacca Peninsula. Pursuing his favorite activity - robbing all ships nearby - Lancaster spent a year near Penang, Malaysia. In 1594 he returned to England, becoming the discoverer of India for the English crown and the first captain hired to transport goods to South Asia.

James Lancaster, English navigator and privateer, who opened the way for Britain to South Asia. Using Van Linschoten's nautical maps with routes, depths and shoals marked on them, he circumnavigated Africa and entered the Indian Ocean, where he plundered the ships of Asian merchants

However, the reason for the formation of the East India Company was not the acquisition of sea maps with a route to India - Dutch merchants doubled the price of pepper. It was for this reason that English merchants turned to Queen Elizabeth I for support, who allowed direct monopoly trade with an overseas state on terms favorable to the British crown (royal charter). To confuse the Portuguese and Dutch, India was called the country of the “Great Mughals”.

Apart from the British, no one called the Indian Timurid (Baburid) empire, which controlled most of modern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the south-eastern lands of Afghanistan, the “Great Mughals”. The rulers (padishahs) of this empire themselves called their state Gurkanian (from the word “Gurkānī” - from the Persian “son-in-law of the khan”), considering themselves descendants of the great Asian conqueror Tamerlane.

How the East India Company solved the Portuguese problem

The first four voyages of the British, made in 1601-1608, made the Portuguese nervous, but the two kingdoms still had no reason for direct colonial conflicts. England did not yet have land holdings in South Asia. Portugal, after several battles with Arab rulers in the 16th century, controlled most of the southern coast of the Persian Gulf, the island of Mozambique, the Azores, Bombay and Goa in its entirety, as well as several cities in the Indian state of Gujarat. And the Portuguese successfully repelled the attacks of the Ottoman Turks, finally establishing their dominant position in the South Asian territories.

The flag of the East India Company on its merchant warships

In an attempt to restore the status quo, four ships of the Portuguese fleet attempted to blockade and destroy four ships of the East India Company in late November 1612 off the town of Suvali (Gujarat, India). Captain James Best, who commanded the English flotilla, managed not only to repel the attacks of the Portuguese, but also to win the battle.

What’s interesting is that it was the unsuccessful attack by the Portuguese that convinced Padishah Jahangir of the Mughal Empire to give permission to create a trading post for the East India Company. He saw in the British an opportunity to conduct honest transactions, especially since the British East India Company did not interfere in the affairs of local religious denominations. And the Portuguese actively propagated Catholicism and attacked ships with Muslim pilgrims heading to Mecca, thanks to which they enjoyed the full support of the papal throne. By the way, the envoy to the English King James I, sent overland by James Best after reaching an agreement with the padishah of the Great Mughals - Anthony Starkey - was poisoned along the way by Jesuit monks in the interests of the Pope.

Charles II, King of England. His marriage to Catherine of Braganna, daughter of King John IV of Portugal, solved the problems of the East India Company in the Portuguese and Indian colonies

It was after the naval battle with the Portuguese that the leaders of the British East India Company decided to create their own navy and land army. Investments in trade with the spice countries needed protection, which the English crown could not and did not want to provide.

Since 1662, the colonial conflict in South Asia between Portugal and England was exhausted - after the restoration of the crown in Great Britain, Charles II married the daughter of the Portuguese king, receiving Bombay and Tangier as a dowry (the king transferred them to the East India Company for a symbolic fee of 10 pounds sterling per year). Portugal needed the English fleet to protect its colonies in South America from the encroachments of the Spaniards - they considered India not so valuable.

How the East India Company solved the problem of France

The French version of the East India Company arose in 1664 and a little over 10 years later its representatives founded two Indian colonies - Pondicherry and Chandernagore. For the next 100 years, the southeastern part of the Hindustan Peninsula was controlled by French colonialists.

However, in 1756, the Seven Years' War began in Europe, in which England and France were among the opponents. A year later, hostilities began between French and English colonial troops on the territory of Hindustan.

Major General Robert Clive in his youth. Under his leadership, the army of the British East India Company took full control of the entire Indian subcontinent.

The French general Thomas Arthur, Comte de Lally made the biggest strategic mistake - he refused to support the young Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daula, who opposed the British and captured Calcutta. Lally hoped to maintain neutrality with the British colonial forces, but as soon as East India Company General Robert Clive forced the Bengal ruler to surrender, East India Company troops attacked French trading posts and military fortifications.

Having been defeated by the British at Fort Vandivash, Comte de Lally tried to take refuge in the French fortress of Pondicherry with what troops he had left (about 600 people). The colonial military squadron of France under the command of Admiral Antoine d'Ashe, which suffered high losses in the crews of the ships after three battles with the fleet of the East India Company at Cuddalore in 1758-1759, went to the island of Mauritius. General de Lally had no hope of help from the sea. After a 4.5 month siege, the French surrendered the fortress in January 1761 to the troops of the British East India Company.

The aftermath of the Battle of Pondicherry, which took place in 1760-61 and became part of the Seven Years' War. The French fort of Pondicherry was completely dismantled by the East India Company

The British subsequently demolished the entire Pondicherry fort to erase any reminders of French colonial rule. Although France regained some of its Indian colonial territories at the end of the Seven Years' War, it lost the right to build forts and maintain troops in Bengal. In 1769, the French completely abandoned South Asia, and the British East India Company took full control of the entire Hindustan.

How the East India Company solved the Dutch problem

Military conflicts between England and the Netherlands occurred four times during the period 1652-1794; Great Britain received the greatest benefit from these wars. The Dutch were direct competitors of the British in the struggle for colonial sales markets - their merchant fleet, although poorly armed, was large.

The emerging English bourgeois class needed to expand trade. A series of state upheavals in England, leading to the English revolution and the execution of Charles I, brought British parliamentarians to the forefront in deciding external and internal government issues. The leaders of the East India Company took advantage of this - they bribed parliamentarians with shares of their corporation, encouraging them to support the interests of the enterprise in order to extract the greatest personal income.

The battle of the English and Dutch fleets during the first Anglo-Dutch War

As a result of the last, fourth war with the Netherlands, a peace treaty (Paris) was concluded in 1783. The Dutch East India Company was forced to transfer Nagapattinam, a city in southern India that had belonged to the Netherlands for over 150 years, to Great Britain. As a result, the East India Enterprise of the Dutch merchants suffered bankruptcy and ceased to exist in 1798. And British merchant ships received full right to conduct unhindered trade in the former colonial territories of the Dutch East Indies, which now belonged to the crown of the Netherlands.

Nationalization of the East India Company by Great Britain

Having achieved monopoly ownership of all the territories of Colonial India during the wars of the 17th-19th centuries, the British mega-corporation began to pump out maximum profits from the natives. Its representatives, who were the de facto rulers of numerous states in South Asia, demanded that the puppet native authorities sharply limit the cultivation of grain crops, grow opium poppy, indigo and tea.

Also, the London board of the East India Company decided to increase profits by annually increasing the land tax for farmers of Hindustan - the entire territory of the peninsula and significant areas adjacent to it from the west, east and north belonged to the British corporation. Famine years became frequent in British India - in the first case, which occurred in 1769-1773, more than 10 million local residents (a third of the population) died of hunger in Bengal alone.

The photo shows a starving Hindu family during the Bengal famine that occurred in 1943, i.e. much later than the events described. However, the situation during the famine years in Hindustan, ruled by the East India Company, was much worse

Mass famine among the population of Colonial India, during the period of its complete control of the East India Company, occurred in 1783-1784 (11 million people died), in 1791-1792 (11 million people died), in 1837-1838 ( 800 thousand people died), 1868-1870 (1.5 million people died).

An indicative nuance: during the fight against the famine of 1873-1874, the company manager, Richard Temple, overestimated possible consequences another drought and spent “too much” money on purchasing Burmese grain for the starving population of the colonies - 100,000 tons of grain were purchased and delivered in vain. Although mortality from starvation was kept to a minimum (only a few died), Temple was harshly criticized in the UK parliament and media.

Sir Richard Temple II, 1st Baronet of Great Britain. Led the East Indian colonies
companies in 1846-1880

To whitewash himself, Richard Temple conducted experiments to determine the minimum standard of nutrition for the natives - he ordered several dozen healthy and strong Indians to be selected for a labor camp, to keep each test group on a certain diet and to wait to see who would survive and who would die of starvation. In his memoirs, Temple wrote: some of the Indian boys in the labor camp were so weak from hunger that they looked like living skeletons, completely unable to work. It is worth noting that for “Indian services” to Great Britain, Richard Temple received the title of baronet.

The English leaders of the East India Company were not interested in the lack of food for the population of the Indian colonies. However, the widespread famine caused another problem - popular uprisings began in India. Previously, the British managed to minimize the risk of uprisings due to the social disunity of the population of Hindustan. Castes, many religious denominations, ethnic strife and tribal conflicts between the hereditary rulers of numerous mini-states - these were luxurious conditions for foreign colonial control of Indian lands.

83-year-old Bahadur Shah II, the last ruler of the Mughals. In a photo taken in 1858, he awaits judgment in a colonial court for his role in the Sepoy Mutiny. His children, capable of inheriting the padishah's throne, have been executed by this time

However, the increasing frequency of famines against the backdrop of the openly indifferent behavior of East India Company employees towards the indigenous population of the colonies caused an uprising in the ranks of the colonial army, most of which were recruited from the inhabitants of Hindustan. In 1857-1859, the Sepoy Rebellion took place, supported by many local rulers of South Asia, including the last Mughal ruler, Bahadur Shah II. The suppression of the uprising took more than three years; the mercenary troops of the East India Company drowned the lands of Hindustan in blood, slaughtering about 10 million people.

Lord Henry John Temple, III Viscount Palmerston. He submitted to the British Parliament an act on the transfer of colonial India from the East Indian Colony to the authority of the English Crown.

Against the backdrop of ugly news from the Indian colonies, the British Parliament by a majority vote adopted in 1858 the “Act for the Better Government of India,” introduced by Henry John Temple, third Viscount Palmerston (Lord Palmerston). Under the terms of the Act, the administration of the British colonies in South Asia is transferred to the British crown, i.e. Queen Victoria of Great Britain also becomes Queen of India.

The East India Company is recognized as failing to manage the Indian colonial territories, and therefore should be closed. Having completed the transfer of affairs and property to Her Majesty's Secretary of State and the Indian Indian civil service, in 1874 the East India Company ceases to exist.

The uniqueness of the British East India Company

Any of the modern megacorporations - Google, Exxon Mobile or Pepsi Co - with their multi-billion dollar annual turnover funds are only a faint semblance of the powerful British corporation created in 1600. From the formation of the British East India Company, over the next 100 years, all its business operations were managed by no more than 35 people, who formed a permanent staff at the head office in Leadenhall Street, London. All other personnel, including captains and crews of ships, as well as the extensive military contingent, were hired for a strictly limited period of time by contracts.

The territory of South Asia, which was a colony of the East India Company. After the complete closure of the trading corporation in 1874, the lands marked on the map came under British rule

The East India Company's army and navy were three times the size of the royal armed forces. At the beginning of the 18th century, the corporate army numbered 260,000 people; the navy consisted of more than 50 multi-deck ships with modern cannon weapons and crews trained for battle.

By the way, it was on the remote island of St. Helena in the Atlantic Ocean, discovered by the Portuguese, originally belonging to the Netherlands and captured from them by the East India Company in 1569, that Napoleon Bonaparte was kept under the control of the troops of the trading corporation until the end of his days. It was completely impossible for the former Emperor of France to escape from this island, like the Italian Elbe, as well as to win over any of the Nepalese Gurkha soldiers to his side.

The position of the island of St. Helena, where Napoleon Bonaparte was kept until his death

The corporation's annual turnover in its best period - the first half of the 18th century - was equal to half of the entire annual turnover of Great Britain (hundreds of millions of pounds sterling). The East India Company minted its coins throughout its colonies, which together exceeded the area of ​​the British Isles.

Having made a huge contribution to the Pax Britannica project, the leadership of the East India Company also influenced the development of societies and political forces in various parts of the Earth. For example, Chinatowns in the United States appeared due to the Opium Wars started by the corporation. And the reason for the struggle for independence for American settlers was given by the Boston Tea Party - the supply of tea by the East India Company at dumping prices.

Coin minted by the East India Company for payments within the Indian colonies

Mass murders indiscriminately by gender and age, torture, blackmail, famine, bribery, deception, intimidation, robberies, bloody military operations by “wild” troops of peoples alien to the local population - the leaders of the British East India Company did not suffer from philanthropy. The uncontrollable greed of the second mega-corporation, its irresistible desire to maintain a monopoly position in the markets of our planet - that is what led the East India Company forward. However, for any modern corporation this approach to business is the norm.

In conclusion, an explanation is required for attentive guests of the swagor.com blog - why did I call the English East India the second mega-corporation in the historical past of the Earth? Because I consider the first and more ancient mega-corporation that still exists today - the papal throne and the Catholic Church.

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