East India Company
The East India Company was also known as the Honourable East India Company (HEIC) and 'John Company'. It was a joint-stock company that was granted an English Royal Charter on December 31, 1600 by Elizabeth I. The British East India Company started out as a commercial trading venture, but grew in strength and eventually virtually ruled India until the Indian Mutiny in 1857.
External Links
Records within The National Archives Relating to the East India Company