East India Companies

The Portuguese sailor Gama was the one who led the Europeans' efforts to find a shipping route to India. He arrived in India in 1498. The Dutch, English, and French followed the Portuguese. Initially, the only goal of the foreigners was trade. But later, their desire to seize power in India, which was scattered into many princely states, led to many wars. Britain was the complete winner. On December 31, 1600, the British established the East India Company. When the English East India Company was formed, Akbar was the Emperor of India. Another name for the English East India Company was 'John's Company'. It was a joint stock company. The company, which was formed in 1600, was granted an English Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600. The company initially had 125 shareholders and a capital of 72,000 British pounds. The Dutch East India Company was formed in 1602. The French East India Company also came into existence in 1664.