British East India Company — Definition

Definition

The British East India Company was a chartered commercial corporation that developed into a major territorial and governing power in India. Its expansion connected trade with military force, alliances and the collection of revenue.

The charter of 1600 concerned commercial privileges; later victories and agreements created different kinds of political authority. Plassey in 1757, Buxar in 1764 and the Diwani grant of 1765 mark distinct stages in Bengal's transformation.

Company government ended when authority passed to the British Crown in 1858. That transfer was a change within colonial rule, not Indian independence, and should be distinguished from the corporation's separate legal winding-up.