Was the East India Company a corporation?

Yes—a chartered corporation that became the most powerful commercial entity in history: its own army, courts, and foreign policy. Study it for the extreme case of corporate power without democratic accountability.

Is this relevant to modern business?

Absolutely—global supply chains, intellectual property enforcement across borders, regulatory arbitrage, and corporate governance accountability debates all originate here.

The British Empire and Global Trade: Business History of the

The British Empire built the first truly global trading system—and the East India Company was the corporation at its centre, wielding more power than most nations. Study it for the intersection of commerce, governance, and the limits of corporate power.

East India Company

The Anarchy

William Dalrymple · Book

How a trading company became an imperial power—corporate governance failure at civilisational scale.

The Honourable Company

John Keay · Book

Institutional history of the EIC from charter to dissolution.

Trade and Empire

Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World

Niall Ferguson · Book

Provocative argument for imperial contribution to globalisation—read critically alongside postcolonial perspectives.

The Wealth and Poverty of Nations

David S. Landes · Book

Why some nations industrialised and others didn't—trade networks and institutions as explanatory factors.

The British Empire and Global Trade: Business History of the World's Largest Empire