"The Passages: Key Moments in History series brings highly accessible introductory histories to students and academics alike, supplemented by a wealth of rich original-source materials. In The East India Company, Ian Barrow elucidates the birth, reign, and death of one of the most formidable commerce companies in the history of the Western world."--Provided by publisher.

Originally published in 1940, this '.is the first detailed study and appraisal of the relations between the Court of Directors and the Board of Control during the fifty formative years after Pitt set up this government office to direct and control the Company's Indian administration. it was an extremely intricate system of dual government with checks and balances and interlocking factions and interests.' Contents Include: The East India House, 1784-1834 - The Opposition of the Indian Interest, 1784-88 - The Ascendancy of Dundas, 1788 -94 - The Revolt of the Shipping Interest 1794-1802 - The Triumph of the Shipping Interest, 1802-06 - The India House Divided Against Itself, 1806-12 - Buckinghamshire Versus The India House, 1812-16 - Canning's East India Policy, 1816-22 - The Failure of the Private Trade Interest, 1822-30 - The Company's Surrender, 1830-34 - Concluding Remarks

This book employs a wide range of perspectives to demonstrate how the East India Company facilitated cross-cultural interactions between the English and various groups in South Asia between 1600 to 1857 and how these interactions transformed important features of both British and South Asian history. Rather than viewing the Company as an organization projecting its authority from London to India, the volume shows how the Company’s history and its broader historical significance can best be understood by appreciating the myriad ways in which these interactions shaped the Company’s story and altered the course of history. Bringing together the latest research and several case studies, the work includes examinations of the formulation of economic theory, the development of corporate strategy, the mechanics of state finance, the mapping of maritime jurisdiction, the government and practice of religions, domesticity, travel, diplomacy, state formation, art, gift-giving, incarceration, and rebellion. Together, the essays will advance the understanding of the peculiarly corporate features of cross-cultural engagement during a crucial early phase of globalization. Insightful and lucid, this volume will be useful to scholars and researchers of modern history, South Asian studies, economic history, and political studies.