British East India Company

The British East India Company was a chartered trading company that held a Crown monopoly on British trade with Asia. Following the Battle of Plassey in 1757 it transitioned from a trading concern to a territorial power controlling Bengal and, eventually, most of the Indian subcontinent. Its expansion was a direct result of the Seven Years' War and the elimination of French competition in India.

• Existed: 1600 CE – 1858 CE
• Type: Entity
• Government: Chartered Company
• Capital: Calcutta