History: The East India Company in 10 Objects

Dubbed the ‘Corporation that Changed the World’ East India Company (1600-1874) transformed what the British consumed, both at home and in their colonies. It was, at its inception, a trading concern that held a monopoly over British trade with the East, bringing spices, cottons and other goods of desire into Britain. At its height the Company held sway over large swathes of Southeast Asia. At home, it impacted fashion and food, as muslins from India and silks, tea and porcelain from China graced bodies and tables across Britain. In this course, we will explore the history of the East India Company with specific focus on India and China. Using the lens of material culture, we will consider the East India Company through a series of objects that highlight politics, trade and cultural consumption. We will think about the origins of those things that we use every day, such as tea, where they come from and why. We will look at those objects, once ubiquitous, such as the cashmere shawl, and explore the meanings that it held for eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Britons. We will examine the influence of the East India Company not just at home but its significant political and social impact across India and China.