The Corporation That Changed the World : How the East India Company Shaped the Modern Multinational

"This is a popular history of one of the world's most famous companies." "Founded in 1600, the East India Company was the forerunner of the modern multinational. Starting life as a trader in Asian spices, the Company ended its days running Britain's Indian empire. In the process, it shocked its contemporaries with the scale of its violence, corruption and speculation." "This is the first-ever book to expose the truth about the Company's social record. Robins reveals a hidden story of tragedy and intrigue. War, famine, stockmarket bubbles and even duels between rival executives are all to be found in this new account. For Robins, the Company's legacy provides compelling lessons on how to ensure the accountability of today's global business. Book jacket."--BOOK JACKET The English East India Company was the mother of the modern multinational. Its trading empire encircled the globe, importing Asian luxuries such as spices, textiles and teas. But the Company?s takeover of much of India was achieved by force and fraud; in China, the battering ram was opium. The East India Company?s corruption and violence shocked its contemporaries and still reverberates today. The Corporation That Changed the World is the first book to examine the Company?s enduring legacy as a corporation. It uncovers the factors that drove it to excess and eventual collapse. This expanded edition looks at recent activist and cultural responses to the Company in China and India, and the corporate reform agenda in light of the economic crisis. In his account of the Company's story Robins highlights enduring lessons on how to make global business accountable. This will be vital reading for students and academics in economics and history A popular history of the British East India Company and how it shaped the way corporations operate today. Nick Robins. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 205-209) And Index.