The Rise of the East India Companies
East India Company
During the Age of Discovery, chartered corporations like the English and Dutch East India Companies transformed global trade. Founded to challenge Portuguese dominance, these mega-corporations established trading networks across Asia, wielding state-like military and administrative powers. Through armed merchant fleets, strategic alliances, and commercial diplomacy, they established strongholds in India and Southeast Asia. Their pioneering share-based corporate models and spice monopolies laid the groundwork for modern capitalism while reshaping global political landscapes.
People
Birth
Death
Origin
Age (Death)
| 1550 | |
|---|---|
| 1554 | |
| 1570 | |
| 1577 | |
| 1581 | |
| 1630 | |
| 1630 | |
| 1640 | |
| 16th century: Unknown (thought to be born in the second half of the 16th century) |
Timeline
| Category | |
|---|---|
| Element |
| Year | East India Company |
|---|---|
| 1550 |
Birth of John Davis (Period: c. 1550 (exact date unknown), Location: Sandridge near Dartmouth, Devon, England (corresponds to the area around modern Stoke Gabriel))
|
| 1554 |
Birth of James Lancaster (Period: c. 1554, Location: Basingstoke, Hampshire, England)
|
| 1568 | |
| 1570 |
Birth of Thomas Best (Period: c. 1570 (exact date and year of birth unknown), Location: Unknown (no reliable sources confirming his birthplace have been verified))
|
| 1577 |
Birth of William Keeling (Period: c. 1577 (exact date and place of birth unknown), Location: Unknown)
|
| 1581 |
Birth of Thomas Roe (Period: c. 1581, Location: London (near Leyton in the modern London Borough of Waltham Forest))
|
| 1582 |
Marriage (John Davis, Faith Fulford)
|
| 1583 |
Commencement of Maritime Activities (Thomas Best)
|
| 1585 |
Earliest Contact with Inuit in Northwest Passage Explorations
First Northwest Passage Exploration Voyage
|
| 1586 |
Clash with Inuit during the 1586 Arctic Voyage
Second Northwest Passage Exploration Voyage
|
| 1587 |
Third Northwest Passage Exploration Voyage
|
| 1588 |
Resistance to the Spanish Armada
Participation in the Battle against the Spanish Armada (John Davis)
|
| 1589 |
Participation in the Azores Expedition (John Davis)
|
| 1591 |
First English East Indies Voyage (James Lancaster)
Participation in Thomas Cavendish's Last Voyage
|
| 1592 |
Activities on Penang Island and Contact with Orang Asli (James Lancaster)
Discovery of the Falkland Islands
|
| 1594 |
Privateering Activities Related to the Anglo-Spanish War and Anglo-Portuguese Maritime Conflict
Publication of 'The Seaman’s Secrets'
|
| 1595 |
Occupation and Sack of Recife
|
| 1597 |
Royal Service and Knighthood (Thomas Roe)
|
| 1598 |
Participation in the Dutch East Indies Expedition
|
| 1601 |
Scurvy Issues in East Indies Voyages
Command of the First East India Company Voyage (James Lancaster)
Participation in the First Voyage of the British East India Company
Portuguese-Dutch War (Period: 1601–1663, Location: Indian Ocean, India, Southeast Asia, etc.)
Participation in the First Voyage of the East India Company (Period: 1601–1603, Location: Aceh, Sumatra, Priaman, Indian Ocean, etc.)
|
| 1602 |
Dutch–Portuguese War
Spice Purchasing in Priaman (Period: 1602–1603, Location: Priaman (Present-day Pariaman, West Sumatra, Indonesia))
|
| 1603 |
Conferment of Knighthood (James Lancaster)
|
| 1604 |
Final East Indies Voyage (John Davis)
Depletion of Crew during the 1604 Second Voyage of the East India Company
Participation in the Second Voyage of the East India Company
Anglo-Dutch Spice Trade Competition and Early Maritime Confrontations (Period: After 1604, Location: Moluccas, Banda Islands, Ambon Island, Java Island, etc.)
Command of the Second Voyage of the East India Company (Period: 1604–1606, Location: Banten, Ambon, Banda Islands, Ternate, Tidore, etc.)
|
| 1605 |
Dutch Interference with Trade on Ambon Island (Period: 1605, Location: Ambon Island (Present-day Maluku, Indonesia))
Portuguese-Dutch Rivalry over Tidore and Ternate Islands (Period: 1605, Location: Tidore Island, Ternate Island (Present-day North Maluku, Indonesia))
Killing of John Davis by Japanese Pirates
Death of John Davis
|
| 1606 |
Conferment of Knighthood (Henry Middleton, Period: May 25, 1606, Location: Greenwich (England))
|
| 1607 |
Command of the Third Voyage of the East India Company
Record of Shakespearean Play Performances during the Voyage
|
| 1608 |
Audience with Envoys from the Ayutthaya Kingdom (William Keeling)
|
| 1609 |
Attempted Establishment of Trading Posts in the Banda Islands
Discovery of the Cocos Islands
|
| 1610 |
Conferment of Court Position by King James I (William Keeling)
Command of the Sixth Voyage of the East India Company (Henry Middleton, Period: 1610–1613, Location: Aden, Mocha, Surat, Java, etc.)
Escape from Mocha (Henry Middleton, Period: Late 1610–1611, Location: Mocha (Present-day Yemen))
Amazon and Guiana Explorations (Thomas Roe)
Port Call at Aden (Henry Middleton, Period: November 1610, Location: Aden (Present-day Yemen))
Raid and Detention Incident in Mocha (Henry Middleton, Period: November 28, 1610, Location: Mocha (Present-day Al Hudaydah Governorate, Yemen))
|
| 1611 |
Failure of the Surat Trade Plan (Henry Middleton, Period: 1611–1613, Location: Surat (Present-day Surat, Gujarat, India))
Appointment as Commander of the Red Dragon (Thomas Best)
|
| 1612 |
Tenth Voyage of the East India Company
Engagement with the Portuguese Fleet Before the Battle of Swally (Thomas Best)
Battle of Swally (Battle of Suvali)
|
| 1613 |
Return to Banten, Java (Henry Middleton, Period: 1613, Location: Banten (Present-day Banten Province, Indonesia))
Securing a Trading Post in Banten
Granting of Trading Rights by Mughal Emperor Jahangir
Negotiations with the King of Aceh
Death of Henry Middleton (Period: May 24, 1613)
|
| 1614 |
Conflict with and Departure from the East India Company (Thomas Best)
Diplomatic Mission to the Court of the Mughal Empire (Thomas Roe)
Appointment as Ambassador to the Mughal Empire (Thomas Roe)
Return to England (Thomas Best)
Marriage (Thomas Roe, Eleanor Beeston)
|
| 1615 |
1615 East India Company Voyage
Grant of Authority to Use Force by the East India Company
Marriage (William Keeling, Ann)
Approval of the Surat East India Company Factory
Exploration of the Indian Ocean and the East African Coast
|
| 1616 |
Naming of Lancaster Sound (James Lancaster)
|
| 1617 |
Temporary Dismissal from the East India Company (Thomas Best)
|
| 1618 |
Appointment as Captain of Cowes Castle (William Keeling)
Establishment of Charitable Trust by Will (James Lancaster)
Death of James Lancaster
|
| 1620 |
Codex Alexandrinus and Manuscript Collection
Death of William Keeling
|
| 1621 |
Appointment as Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (Thomas Roe)
|
| 1623 |
Anglo-Dutch Maritime Rivalry Preceding the Anglo-Dutch Wars
Command of the Garland (Thomas Best)
Engagement with Dutch Ships
|
| 1624 |
The Treaty of Algiers and the Release of English Captives (Thomas Roe)
|
| 1627 |
Participation in the Expedition off La Rochelle
|
| 1629 |
Swedish-Polish Peace Negotiations
Mediation of Peace Between Sweden and Poland
|
| 1630 |
Birth of Josiah Child (Period: c. 1630–1631 (baptized February 27, 1630/31), Location: London, England)
Birth of Job Charnock (Period: c. 1630 (exact date unknown), Location: London, England)
Participation in the Commission for Managing the King's Ships
|
| 1631 |
Patronage of Arctic Exploration
|
| 1633 |
Appointment as Master of Trinity House (Thomas Best)
|
| 1637 |
Appointment as Chancellor of the Order of the Garter (Thomas Roe)
|
| 1638 |
Death of Thomas Best
Participation in the Commission of Inquiry into Timber Supply Fraud
|
| 1640 |
Birth of Gerald Aungier (Period: c. 1640 (exact date and year of birth unknown), Location: Presumed to be Dublin, Ireland)
The Long Parliament and Later Peace Activities (Thomas Roe)
|
| 1641 |
Peace Diplomacy during the English Civil War
Ambassador to the Holy Roman Empire (Thomas Roe)
|
| 1644 |
Death of Thomas Roe
|
| 1650 |
Entry into Portsmouth Municipal Politics (Josiah Child)
|
| 1654 |
Marriage (Josiah Child, Hannah Boate)
|
| 1655 |
Commencement of Naval Supply Business
|
| 1658 |
Joining the East India Company (Job Charnock)
|
| 1659 |
Member of Parliament for Petersfield (Josiah Child)
Assignment to Patna Factory (Job Charnock)
|
| 1661 |
Transfer of Bombay Sovereignty from Portugal to Britain
Joining the East India Company's Surat Factory (Gerald Aungier)
|
| 1663 |
Appointment as Warehousekeeper of Surat Factory (Gerald Aungier)
Marriage (Josiah Child, Mary Atwood)
|
| 1666 |
Promotion to Senior Merchant (Job Charnock)
|
| 1668 |
Publication of 'Brief Observations Concerning Trade and Interest of Money'
|
| 1669 |
Attracting Merchants and Artisans to Bombay
Appointment as President of Surat Factory and Governor of Bombay (Gerald Aungier)
|
| 1670 |
War and Conflict between the Mughal Empire and Marathas
Development of Bombay's Governance System
Introduction of the Panchayat System
Establishment of the Bombay Militia
Vision of Bombay as the Center of Governance in Western India
Second Sack of Surat by Shivaji
|
| 1672 |
Third Anglo-Dutch War
|
| 1673 |
Member of Parliament for Dartmouth (Josiah Child)
Purchase of Wanstead Manor (Josiah Child)
|
| 1674 |
Soldiers' Mutiny in Bombay and First Execution under English Law
|
| 1675 |
Acquisition of Colaba and Old Woman's Islands (Gerald Aungier)
|
| 1676 |
Establishment of the Bombay Mint
Promotion to Key Leader in Bengal East India Company Organization (Job Charnock)
Marriage (Josiah Child, Emma Willoughby)
|
| 1677 |
Appointment as Director of the East India Company (Josiah Child)
Charter Guaranteeing Religious Toleration
Death of Gerald Aungier
Death and Burial in Surat (Gerald Aungier)
|
| 1678 |
Creation as Baronet of Wanstead (Josiah Child)
Cohabitation with Hindu Woman Maria (Job Charnock)
Marriage (Job Charnock, Maria)
|
| 1679 |
Appointment as Chief of Kasimbazar Factory (Job Charnock)
|
| 1681 |
Appointment as Governor of the East India Company (Josiah Child)
|
| 1682 |
Breakdown of Bengal Trade Negotiations
|
| 1685 |
Shift in East India Company Policy toward Hardline Stance against Mughals
Member of Parliament for Ludlow (Josiah Child)
|
| 1686 |
Anglo-Mughal War
Leadership in the Anglo-Mughal War (Josiah Child)
Siege of Kasimbazar Factory
Relocation to Hooghly (Job Charnock)
Retreat from Hooghly to Sutanuti (Job Charnock)
Initial Settlement at Sutanuti
|
| 1687 |
Siege of Hijli
Relocation Back to Sutanuti (Job Charnock)
|
| 1689 |
Appointment as High Sheriff of Essex (Josiah Child)
Plan for Re-entry into Bengal from Madras
Retreat from Bengal to Madras (Job Charnock)
|
| 1690 |
Apology to the Mughal Empire and Restoration of Company Trade Privileges
Publication of 'A New Discourse of Trade'
Permission for Trade Resumption in Bengal by Aurangzeb
Return to Calcutta and Establishment of East India Company Headquarters
|
| 1692 |
Independence of Bengal Agency from Madras
|
| 1693 |
Death of Job Charnock
|
| 1699 |
Death of Josiah Child
Death and Burial at Wanstead (Josiah Child)
|
| Unknown |
Invention of the Davis Quadrant (Period: Late 16th century, Location: England)
Birth of Henry Middleton (Period: Unknown (thought to be born in the second half of the 16th century), Location: Thought to be Chester (England, modern Cheshire, UK))
Marriage (Gerald Aungier, None, Period: Never married, Location: Not applicable)
Marriage (James Lancaster, Unconfirmed, Period: Unconfirmed, Location: Unconfirmed)
Life as a Merchant and Soldier in Portugal (James Lancaster, Period: Youth–1587, Location: Portugal)
|
Map
| Category | |
|---|---|
| Element |
Europe
World
Related Links
| Group | List |
|---|---|
| Central Europe | Roman Empire Habsburg Family Science and Astronomy Music & Art |
| Western Europe | East India Company Expansion into North America Science and Astronomy Arts and Culture |
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