| The Honourable Company - A History of the English East India Company
(1994)
|
| Front Cover |
Book Details |
|
| Genre |
Non-Fiction |
| Subject |
East India Company - History; Great Britain - Commerce - India - History; India - History - 1526-1765 |
| Publication Date |
1994 |
| Format |
Hardcover (9.5
x
6.5
mm)
|
| Publisher |
Prentice Hall & IBD |
| Language |
English |
| Extras |
Dust Jacket; Dust Jacket Cover |
|
| Description |
| Chronicles the history of the famous trading company, which dominated world trade, raised armies, demolished nations, and established one of the most extensive empires the world has ever known |
| Personal Details |
| Store |
AbeBooks |
| Purchase Price |
$9.52 |
| Acquire Date |
6/20/2019 |
| Rating |
0 |
| Links |
Library of Congress
|
|
| Product Details |
| LoC Classification |
DS465 .K43 1994 |
| Dewey |
954.031 |
| ISBN |
9780025611696 |
| Edition |
1st American ed. |
| Cover Price |
$25.00 |
| No. of Pages |
474 |
| First Edition |
No |
| Rare |
No |
|
| Notes/Review |
The book covers the period of roughly 1600 to 1813, or the start of British involvement in India to the founding of Singapore and the end of the company's monopoly status. I found the book interesting on two fronts: it gives me some Indian history (from the particular viewpoint of the British) and a view of unbridled capitalism.
I had already learned that India before the Raj wasn't a single nation under a single government, but a collection of sometimes related, sometimes not related, often warring kingdoms and duchies of various sizes and power. Now I learned how it wasn't the Kings of England who subdued the various Indian states but "the Honourable Company", bent on profits through nearly any means.
The first two thirds or three-quarters of the book were, for me, the most entertaining. The narrative gets progressively messier as it proceeds toward the beginning of the 19th century; as the power of the Company declines and is replaced by the State. The author does his best to keep things interesting, but admits near the end of the book that the tale is getting harder to tell.
Throughout the book, Keay kept me entertained with some lively language and wordplay based on the writings of his original sources. Also, there are a number of interesting and amusing anecdotes and some insights into how even modern authors find themselves supporting colonial sensibilities.
A big takeaway for me was the extreme nature of unrestricted capitalism. History shows us that, if left to its own ends, capitalism would replace the state in every way: building infrastructure, dispensing "justice", fighting wars, engaging in piracy, and so on. If your only constitution is a fiduciary duty to increase profits for the shareholders, you'll be much more oppressive than a state with a robust constitution detailing its powers and the rights of its subjects. |
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