The British East India Company was a private merchant entity, first chartered under Queen Elizabeth the First. The E.I.C. was granted a monopoly and traded cotton, indigo, tea, sugar, salt, spices, opium, tobacco, etc. Although there were many names, the entity was colloquially called the East India Company and was the largest merchant entity during the 18th and 19th centuries. The East India Trading company assumed administrative rule of British-controlled India after the defeat of the Indian Natives in the Battle of Plassey (1757).

The East India Company's grasp on India began to slip as their debts increased and reports of poor management surfaced. The India act of 1773 was England's first parliamentary step towards established control in India, and although it garnered supervision of the E.I.C., governing powers were, primarily, left up to the company- excluding a appointed supervisory boards. This governing power halted in 1833, as debts surmounted and England began to believe the monopoly held by the E.I.C. was no longer necessary. Parliament passed the Saint Helena Act in 1833, and revoked all aspects of the monopoly -allowing for increased competition- and dually the crown assumed the E.I.C's debt responsibilities.

Through the duration of the E.I.C's hold in India, the entity amassed and trained one of the largest militant forces in the world. It was comprised, primarily, of Indian Gentry. Yet, from 1833 to 1857 tensions increased between the Indian people (gentry and peasantry alike) and the E.I.C. as conditions for workers and military personnel worsened. Additionally, famine, brutality, and disrespect for Hindu and Muslim culture increased. Yet, the entity maintained its governing function. The E.I.C's deterioration became obvious, however, when, in 1857 the local populous of Indian instigated the Indian Revolt of 1857. Mass miscommunication ensued between the E.I.C's governing bodies and the Indian people, and as a result, innocent deaths erupted across British-controlled India. Due to this deterioration, in 1858 British parliament passed the Government of India Act which ordered the liquidation of the E.I.C. and transitioned its remaining political responsibilities to the Crown.

The Company continued to function within the tea trade, until 1873 when it was completely dissolved by the East India Stock Dividend Redemption Act of 1873. In addition to the complete dissolution of the E.I.C, the remaining military forces were also transferred and implemented into crown control adding to the British Indian Army. The East India Stock Dividend Redemption Act was the close to the Company Raj and formally beckoned in the era of the British Raj within India.

Connection: 

The theme that I felt was most pertinent to the content of our class was the deterioration of Empire/Empirical Imperialism throughout the dissolution of the EIC. Up until the Romantic period, England had been on an existential climb. Conquering other nations, annexing land, defeating other Primary National Militarys/Navy's in Battle, there was nothing England couldn't do. However, every pattern of inflation has to break somewhere, and England's demise as the Global Top Dog began was signaled by events like the Dissolution of the EIC. England was just too big for it's own good. We see this reflected in the literature of the time aswell. In sign of Four we see the return of Soldiers to the Empirical Home base. At the same time there is a mass integration of new culture within the Home base, signalling again that England as it was and has been is on it's way out. Conclusively, the Dissolution of the EIC was both a signal of the collapse of Imperial England, and also a foil economic foil for what was happening politically at home. 

Works Cited:

“5 Fast Facts about the East India Company.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/story/5-fast-facts-about-the-east-india-company.

“Company Rule in India.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Nov. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_rule_in_India.

“East India Company.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Nov. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Company.

“East India Stock Dividend Redemption Act 1873.” VLex, https://vlex.co.uk/vid/east-india-stock-dividend-808499817.

“East India Stock Dividend Redemption Act 1873.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Nov. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Stock_Dividend_Redemption_Act_1873.

“Government of India Act 1858.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Aug. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_India_Act_1858.