William Ukers referred to the British East India Company (EIC) as the Frankenstein of commerce. It had its own constitution, its own coinage, a private army that could acquire territory and make war, and a judicial arm to prosecute civil and criminal transgressions. At times it was difficult to distinguish between EIC objectives and that of the Crown. At other times, the Frankenstein monster raged out of control, with factors in India at odds with the EIC in London, who were equally at odds with the Crown. The story of the EIC in India exemplifies this state.

 Related Information:

• Part I: Tea and Horse Trading
• Part II: The Yüan Dynasty
• Part III: The Sea Route to China
• Part IV: The Dutch Trade in the Orient
• Part V: The Golden Age of the Dutch Republic
• Part VI: The Struggles of 17th Century England
• Part VII: The Royal Exchange and the Bank of England
• Part VIII: The Financial Capital of Europe Moves to London
• Part IX: John Law's Scheme to Catapult France to the Forefront
• Part X: Tea Imports Surge in Great Britain
• Part XI: France vs. England in Eighteenth Century India
• Part XIII: The Triumphs and Trials of Warren Hastings
• Part XIV: The Folly of Philip Francis
• Part XV: Schemes and Complicity
• Part XVI: Early Attempts to Replicate China Tea
• Part XVII: Pioneers in the British Tea Industry
•  Show me more topics