Learn about British East India Company’s Timeline in India!

The British East India Company timeline in India began in 1600 as a trading company and evolved into a ruling body in 1765 when the EIC obtained the Diwani (right to collect revenue) of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa in the Treaty of Allahabad and gradually began interfering in Indian affairs. However, EIC rule in India lasted until the Government of India Act of 1858, which resulted in the formation of the new British Raj, when the British Crown gained direct control over India.

This topic of “British East India Company Timeline” is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination which falls under General Studies Paper 1 (Mains) and General Studies Paper 1 (Preliminary) and particularly in the History section of the UPSC Exam. In this article, we shall discuss the East India Company in India Timeline, Its History, Formation, Expansion, and More!

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Timeline Of East India Company

The British East India Company (EIC) was a joint-stock company founded in 1600 to conduct trade in the Indian Ocean. It started conducting business with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia), then with East Asia, and was finally dissolved by order of the British parliament in 1874. Here is a brief timeline of the British East India Company in India for the UPSC Exam:

Timeline of the British East India Company in India (From 1600 to 1858)
Year	Events
1600	The Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading to the East Indies or East India Company obtained a royal charter from British Queen Elizabeth I.
1601	Sir James Lancaster led the first East India Company voyage aboard the Red Dragon.
1609	Sir William Hawkins fails to obtain a permit for a factory in Surat during the reign of Jahangir due to Portuguese influence in the Mughal Court.
1611	The east india company established its first factory at Masulipatnam (mow Machilipatnam), Andhra Pradesh.
1612	Battle of Suvali (Sawally) Portuguese are defeated off the coast of Surat by the EIC’s Fleet under the command of Captain Thomas Best.
1613	EIC got permission from Jahangir to build a factory in Surat (first permanent factory).
1615 -1619	Sir Thomas Roe was the British ambassador at Jahangir’s court. Later, he was successful in obtaining permission to build factories in Agra, Ahmedabad, and Broach (now Bharuch).
1616	EIC established a permanent factory at Masulipatnam.
1632	The Sultan of Golconda had granted “Golden Farman” to EIC.
1633	EIC established factories in Balasore, Odisha, and Hariharpur on the Mahanadi delta.
1639	The Chandragiri ruler gave EIC permission to construct a fortified factory in Madras that would later become known as Fort St. George. It took over as the headquarters of the British settlements in South India from Masulipatnam.
1651	Mughal Bengal governor Shah Shuja allowed the English to trade in Bengal without paying any customs duties in exchange for an annual lump sum of Rs. 3000. EIC built a factory in Hooghly, Bengal.
1658	At Kasimbazar, another factory was opened.
1662	King Charles II of Britain receives Bombay from Portugal as a dowry for Princess Catherine. In addition, Portugal and Britain signed a non-aggression treaty.
1668	Britain leased Bombay to the EIC for €10 per year. Later, it replaces Surat as the Western presidency’s headquarters.
1686 – 1689	A series of battles erupted between Mughal and EIC.
1689	The Mughal Navy, led by Admiral Sidi Yukub, launched an attack on Bombay.
1690	EIC was forced to surrender and beg Aurangzeb for forgiveness EIC was also forced to sign a treaty with Mughal, which included: Bombay was returned to EIC after a huge fine was paid. Job Charnock, an EIC agent, obtains permission for the EIC to establish a factory in Sutanuti, Bengal.
1696	Sutanuti was fortified following a conflict with the local Zamindars.
1698	EIC paid 1200 rupees for the zamindari of three villages: Sutanuti, Gobinpur, and Kalighat (Kalikata, letter Calcutta/Kolkata).
1700 – 1701	Fort William, named after King William III of England, was built in Sutanuti.
1701 – 1708	Formation of the “United Company of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies”.
1717	Farrukhsiyar, the Mughal emperor, issued royal farmans to the EIC (the British mission led by John Surman). In Bengal Except for a yearly payment of 3,000 rupees, they were permitted to trade freely. EIC was granted the authority to issue Dastaks (trade permit passes) for the transportation of goods. By this Farman, EIC was permitted to rent more around Calcutta. In Hyderabad EIC already had free trade rights, which were retained by the new farman. EIC would only pay the prevailing rent in Madras. In Surat EIC was required to pay Rs 10,000 per year and was exempt from all other duties. By this farman, EIC coins were permitted in all Mughal territories.
1740 – 1763	The Carnatic Wars (the English-French rivalry) began. First Carnatic War 1740 – 1748 Second Carnatic War 1749 – 1754 Third Carnatic War 1756 – 1763
1756	Black Hole of Calcutta or Black hole tragedy The term “Black Hole of Calcutta” refers to a jail cell where 146 British prisoners were held after the Nawab of Bengal stopped fortifying the city in anticipation of war surrounding the fort in Calcutta.
1757	Treaty of Alinagar On February 9, 1757, the Bengal Nawab Sirajuddaula and the EIC signed the Alinagar Treaty. The treaty allowed for the fortification of the town and the minting of coins, and it returned Calcutta to the EIC with all of its rights. The treaty’s terms favoured EIC and increased their power. The terms of the treaty, according to Clive’s letter to the Select Committee dated February 22, 1757, were “both honourable and advantageous to the Company.”
1757	Battle of Plassey  East India Company victory British Rule started in India
1759	Battle of Chinsurah The then-Nawab of Bengal, Mir Jafar, invited the Dutch East India Company to defeat the East India Company, but they were defeated by EIC.
1760	Battle of Wandiwash It was an attempt by the French to take over the Fort of Vandavasi in Tamil Nadu during the third Carnatic war, but they were defeated by EIC.
1761	The East India Company captured Pondichery from French forces in India.
1764	Battle of Buxar EIC victory Treaty of Allahabad 1765
1765	Treaty of Allahabad It was signed on August 12, 1765, in the aftermath of the Battle of Buxar, by Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, Shuja-ud-daulah, and Robert Clive of the East India Company. With Shuja-Ud-Daulah of Awadh He handed over Kara and Allahabad to the Mughal emperor. He was forced to pay EIC 50 lakh as a war indemnity. He was forced to sign an offensive and defensive alliance with EIC. EIC succeed to obtain free trade rights in Awadh. With Shah Alam II of Delhi In exchange for a 26 lakh pension, Shah Alam II granted Diwani rights to the East India Company in Bengal, Bihar, and Orisa.
1765 – 1772	Dual System of Government in Bengal Nizamat Rights (Political and Administrative Rights): were given to Nawab of Bengal by EIC. Diwani Rights (Rights to collect taxes): These rights were under EIC’s direct control.
1767-1769	First Anglo Mysore War Mysore victory Treaty of Madras
1769 – 1772	Great Bengal Famine
1773	Regulating Act 1773
1775 – 1782	First Anglo Maratha War Maratha victory Treaty of Salbai
1780 – 1784	Second Anglo-Mysore War Status quo ante bellum Treaty of Mangalore
1781	Amending Act of 1781 or Act of Settlement of 1781
1784	Pit’s India Act
1790 – 1792	Third Anglo-Mysore War East India Company victory Treaty of Seringapatam
1791	Charles Cornwallis introduced a regular Police force system in India.
1793	Introduction of Cornwallis Code Revenue and justice administration were separated. Principles of the sovereignty of law were introduced. Hindu and Muslim laws were codified separately. European subjects were now brought under jurisdiction as well. The civil service was founded by Warren Hastings, and it was reformed, modernised, and rationalised by Charles Cornwallis. Introduction of the Charter Act of 1793 Introduction of Permanent settlement of Bengal
1799	Fourth Anglo-Mysore War East India Company victory  Mysore entered into a subsidiary alliance Introduction of Censorship of Press Act in India The EIC was concerned about the French invasion and the spread of French revolution ideas in India. Publishers were not allowed news against the government.
1803 -1805	Second Anglo-Maratha War East India Company victory Treaty of Surji-Anjangaon
1806	Vellore Mutiny It was the first significant mutiny by Indian sepoys within the East India Company, and it occurred because the EIC ignored the Hindu and Muslim Indian sepoys’ religious sensibilities. Fateh Hyder, Tipu Sultan’s son, led the Indian sepoys.
1809	Treaty of Amritsar The East India Company signed a treaty with Maharaj Ranjit Singh of Punjab.
1813	Introduction of the Charter Act of 1813
1814 -1816	Anglo-Nepalese War East India Company victory Treaty of Sugauli
1817 – 1819	Third Anglo-Maratha War East India Company victory The formal end of the Maratha Empire
1820	Royatwari system was established by Thomas Munro.
1824 – 1826	First Anglo-Burmese War East India Company victory Treaty of Yandabo British rule started in Burma (present-day Myanmar)
1826	Siege of Bharatpur
1829	Bengal Sati Regulation Act Raja Ram Mohan Roy played a significant part in this Act, which banned the Sati Pratha in all areas of British India.
1830	Suppression of thugis by Colonel Sleemen.
1833	Charter Act of 1833 The creation of coins bearing the name of the Mughal emperor was stopped.
1834	Law commission under Macaulay The Charter Act of 1833 constituted the first law commission. This led to: Civil Procedure code 1859 Indian Penal Code 1860 Criminal Procedure Code 1861
1835	Macaulay Committee for educational reforms constituted in India. In his “Minute on Indian Education,” British historian and politician Thomas Babington Macaulay argued for the adoption of English education for Indian indigenous. Know about the Education System In India During British Rule! Introduction of the Press Act or Metcalf Act.
1837	The Post Office Act The British Government had sole authority to deliver letters in EIC territories.
1838 – 1842	First Anglo-Afghan War Afghan Victory British EIC withdrawal from Afghanistan
1843	Sindh was annexed by the East India Company under Charles Napier.
1845 – 1846	First Anglo-Sikh War British victory Treaty of Lahore
1848 – 1849	Second Anglo-Sikh War East India Company victory The formal end of the Sikh Empire
1848-1856	Dalhousie initiated the “doctrine of lapse” which was an annexation policy. In India, 4000 miles of telegraph lines were laid down under the supervision of O’Shaughnessy. The East India Company introduced the first postal stamp in India under the name “SCINDE DISTRICT DAWK.”
1852 – 1853	Second Anglo-Burmese War East India Company victory East India Company troops annexed Pegu, Burma’s (now Myanmar) only remaining independent coastal province.
1853	History of Railways (British India): Railway expansion work was started in India under James Broun Ramsay (Lord Dalhousie). Railways were primarily used for military, commercial, and administrative purposes. Introduction of the Charter Act of 1853.
1854	The upper Ganges canal was declared open. Separate Public works Departments (PWDs) were established in every province. The British East India Company established the modern postal system in India. Postal stamps were issued throughout India. Postal rates were uniform throughout India. Wood’s Despatch for Indian Education System was introduced. The First Comprehensive Plan for Mass Education in India, also known as the “Magna Carta” of English Education in India. The Macaulay Committee (committee on Indian civil services) was formed.
1856	Awadh was annexed by Dalhousie. Widow Remarriage Act Passed. The Indian activists Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Rani Rashmoni of Bengal played a significant role. It was drafted during Dalhousie’s tenure but passed during Charles Canning’s tenure before the 1857 Revolt.
1857	Revolt of 1857: Sepoy Mutiny East India Company victory The formal end of Mughal Empire The formal end of EIC rule in India
1858	Queen victoria’s Proclamation On November 1, 1858, Lord Canning announced the Queen’s Proclamation at Allahbad Durbar. Introduction of Government of India Act, 1858. From now on, India would be governed and known as Her Majesty the British Monarch. The British Raj was officially established in India, and company rule was transferred to the British crown.
1 Jun 1874	The British Parliament formally dissolved the East India Company.

Facts about British East India Company For UPSC

Here are some key facts about the British East India Company for the UPSC Exam:

British East India Company
Established	31st December 1600
Type	Partially State-owned company
Headquarters	East India House, London, Great Britain
Dissolved	On June 1, 1874, the East India Company was formally dissolved in accordance with the provisions of the East India Stock Dividend Redemption Act 1873.

Previous Year UPSC Questions

Q1. Why did the armies of the British East India company – mostly comprising of Indian soldiers – win consistently against the more numerous and better equipped armies of then Indian rulers? Give reasons. (UPSC Mains 2022, GS Paper 1).

Q2. The 1857 Uprising was the culmination the recurrent big and small local rebellions that had occurred in the preceding hundred years of British rule. Elucidate. (UPSC Mains 2019, GS Paper 1).

Conclusion

The British East India Company started its journey from a small company run by a group of City of London merchants that had been given a royal charter in 1600 the exclusive right to trade in all east indies. Later, EIC expanded beyond a purely commercial endeavour, establishing military and political dominance over rival European trading companies and local kings, and began its rule in India from 1757 to 1857.

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