The document is an extract from Ian Barrow's book, 'The East India Company 1600-1858, A Short History with Documents, Passages: Key Moments in History' published in 2017. This book deals mainly with the British East India Company, the first modern multinational Company which operates a global trading network. The author reviews the history of this company, in specific how it has skilled such a large rise and a sudden decline. This extract deals more specifically with the Sepoy rebellion and its consequences for the Company and Great Britain. The rebellion contributed to the downfall of this powerful company, which performed an essential function in the tea trade. Indeed, tea consumption improved in Britain, tea drinking even became a pastime in its own right, and this was once made possible because of the imports of Chinese tea into Britain thanks to the British East India Company.
The end of the fifteenth century is reflected in the discoveries of Christopher Columbus (of America, Africa, and especially Asia). These discoveries led to the exploration of the oceans, the beginning and boom of a large maritime trade, and a wave of colonization. In 1600, the British East India Company received, from Queen Elizabeth I of Great Britain, a monopoly of India and a monopoly of exchange thanks to a royal charter. Thus, Britain began to trade with India through the Company which quickly won economic power: tea for the Boston Tea Party, the cotton used to buy slaves in Africa, opium for China, and the trade of spices and fabrics. They also gained political, diplomatic, and military power: conquering Indian territory, exercising justice there, commanding armies, and doing diplomatic activities. The Indian subcontinent is wholly controlled by the Company, which has ruled and administered the country since the 18th century. But in 1857, the Sepoy, who are the Hindu and Muslim soldiers of the Company, revolted against their British leaders who forced them to tear up cartridges which used to be composed of cow or pig fat, with their teeth. The cow is a sacred animal venerated by Hindus and the pig is an animal that Muslims cannot eat. It was therefore the contempt of the British authorities for their ritual practices that led to this mutiny. The problem caused by this rebellion and which has been highlighted by the author is that India is the main power in Britain and the Company in particular. The Company's power could rival an entire nation and losing India would greatly penalize them in their trade monopoly, and on their growing influence, indeed, its expansion was favored by the approach of the Industrial Revolution creating an increased demand for Indian products. So it is essential to maintain a monopoly on the country. The rebellion greatly threatened the Company's power in the region and throughout the country, as the rebellion spread to the Mughal capital, Delhi and Lucknow, the British were excluded and massacred. The Company was held responsible for the Sepoy's revolt. It can therefore be understood from the author that Britain was forced to interfere; the British regained power by killing all the insurgents, as the author puts it ' it has been quenched in the blood of its mutineers'. London abolished the regime of delegation to the Company and the Company was officially dissolved in 1874. India became officially a British Crown Colony, also regarded as the British Raj (British Empire in Anglo-Hindi), built on traditional bases to preserve traditions and hierarchy.
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My personal conclusion is that once we have great power over something, we can lose it as quickly as we got because we can't just have it, we have to maintain it, I think the Company hasn't well managed the way to govern India particularly by disrespecting each other's beliefs and I think London has learned at its expense that nothing can overcome religious fundamentalism.
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