It was an international corporation that became an eighteenth century colonial power with its own army – and all entirely run by British stockholders who reported to a board of directors in London, most of whom had never been to India.
When the East India Company won the right to collect taxes in Bengal in 1765, the Company’s abuse of corporate power – such as the world had never seen – ran essentially unchecked for almost 50 years. In his book The Anarchy, historian William Dalrymple explores the wild history of the East India Company, and how, over 200 years later, we continue to see the impact of their influence.
Dalrymple’s book is The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence and the Pillage of an Empire. [IndieBound|Amazon|Audible].
