The British In India

EIC

Creation
• British first arrived in: early seventeenth century
• Made in 1600 by English Merchants
• Purpose was to trade with the East and no to conquer India
• Established factories which were trading settlements
• First settlements set up at:
→ SURAT (1612)
→ MADRAS [Chennai] (1640)
→ BOMBAY [Mumbai] (1661)
→ Calcutta [Kolkata] (1690)
• Recruited sepoys (local men) into an army to defend trading posts and profits being made
• Had an impressive rapid growth and wealth

Control
• AT FIRST the company was only interested in trade
• They were NOT interested in any kind of political control
→ But the decline of the Mughal Empire, Clashes with the Marathas, and the lack of any central government
led to conflict between the company and the ambitions of local princes
• British had to protect themselves from the French
• During 18th century: increasingly interfered in the government of various parts of India
• Achieved this by force and supporting local princes
Slowly as the task of the government became too great for the company, the British GOVERNMENT took on more
responsibility
• 1850: Britain had gained almost complete control of the Indian subcontinent
▪ Due to bloody wars and (often) devious political deals

WHY WERE THE BRITISH EAGER TO TRADE IN INDIA?

- India was a source of several products that many wealthy people in Europe looked for

What made good profits for the EIC?

- Southern India: Trade in spices
- Gujarat: Trade in Cotton goods and yarn
- Madras [Chennai]: Yarn and Sugar
- Bengal: Silks and Potassium

Why was cotton yarn and cloth particularly desired?

- Cotton clothing was much more comfortable than woolen clothes
- Most English people wore woolen clothes

By 1620
- the company operated nearly 40 ships of docks on the Thames(a river) at London

- Skilled in dealing with Indian rulers and merchants and had knowledge of Indian conditions and culture which
helped the British to gain political control

However, many employees did not enjoy working in India

⍰ Why?
- They did not like the climate and the illness
- Dysentery was a frequent misery for many of them

History Page 1