The Role of the East India Company in Colonialism

The podcast discusses how the East India Company operated as a powerful corporate entity, effectively establishing control over India rather than the British government. This corporation functioned as an unregulated private company that seized significant territory and resources for profit, employing a private army that was larger than the British military at the time. Specifically, Robert Clive, a key figure, led aggressive military campaigns to expand the company's influence, transforming it from a trading venture into a colonial power. The company's actions, driven by a profit motive, allowed it to dismantle the Mughal Empire's rule and gain substantial economic advantage, raising important questions about corporate colonialism in history.