East India Company

Japanese: 東インド会社 - ひがしインドがいしゃ（英語表記）East India Company

A general term for chartered companies that European countries established in the 17th to 19th centuries to directly import products from India and Southeast Asia and engage in colonial activities. It was a national monopoly, with the three most powerful companies being Britain, the Netherlands, and France. [Britain] The company was established in 1600 by a charter from Elizabeth I. During the reign of Charles II, it took the form of a modern joint-stock company. Initially, it was engaged in the spice trade in the Maluku Islands, but after losing to the Netherlands in the Ambon Massacre in 1623, it focused on Indian trade dealing in cotton cloth. It advanced into the Mughal Empire from three bases, Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay, and while developing its own local diplomacy with its own private army, it drove out the French forces at the Battle of Plassey in 1757. After receiving the right to collect taxes in the Bengal region in 1765, it gradually transformed into an institution that exercised political power in colonial governance rather than profiting from trade. In 1813, as demands for free trade grew, the company lost its monopoly on trade with India except for tea, and in 1833, trading activities were halted and the company became a purely governing body. In 1858, after the Indian Mutiny, governance of India was transferred to direct British rule, and the East India Company ceased to function.
[Netherlands] In 1602, the chambers of commerce of each city and prefecture merged to form a company. It had the characteristics of the world's first modern joint-stock company. In 1619, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies built a trading post in Batavia (now Jakarta) as the company's base, and was stationed there with a monopoly. Engaged in the spice trade and colonial management, it reached its peak in the first half of the 17th century. In the 18th century, due to oppression from Britain and France and the failure of colonial management, the company handed its territory over to the Dutch government and was dissolved in 1799.
[France] Founded in 1604, it fell into disuse, but was re-established by Colbert in 1664 and flourished in the 18th century. It lost a battle with England and was dissolved in 1796.
In addition to the above, companies have also been established in Denmark and Sweden.

Source: Obunsha World History Dictionary, Third Edition About Obunsha World History Dictionary, Third Edition

Japanese:

17〜19世紀にヨーロッパ諸国がインド・東南アジアの物産の直接輸入と植民活動に従事させた特許会社の総称。国家的な独占企業体で，イギリス・オランダ・フランスの３会社が有力であった
【イギリス】1600年エリザベス１世の特許状で会社を設立。チャールズ２世時代には近代的な株式会社の形態をとる。当初はモルッカ諸島で香辛料貿易に従事していたが，1623年のアンボイナ事件（アンボイナの虐殺）でオランダに敗れて以来，綿布をあつかうインド貿易に専念した。カルカッタ・マドラス・ボンベイの３拠点からムガル帝国内部に進出し，私兵を有して独自の現地外交を展開しながら，1757年プラッシーの戦いでフランス勢力を駆逐した。1765年ベンガル地方の徴税権の譲渡を受けてからは，貿易の利益よりも植民地統治の政治的権力を行使する機関にしだいに変貌した。その後自由貿易要求が高まる中，1813年には茶以外のインド貿易の独占権が剝奪され，33年には貿易活動自体が停止されて純然たる統治機関となった。インド大反乱後の1858年にインドの統治権はイギリスの直接支配下に移されて，東インド会社は機能を停止した。
【オランダ】1602年各市府の商業会議所を合同して会社を設立。世界最初の近代的株式会社の性格をもつ。1619年オランダ東インド総督が会社の根拠地としてバタヴィア（現ジャカルタ）に商館を建設し，独占権を与えられて駐在した。香辛料貿易や植民地経営に従事し，17世紀前半には最盛期を迎えた。18世紀になると，イギリス・フランスの圧迫と植民地経営の失敗から，会社は領土をオランダ政府に移譲して1799年に解散した。
【フランス】1604年に設立されたが不振で，64年コルベールが再建して18世紀には隆盛となった。イギリスと争って敗れ，1796年に解散。
　以上のほか，デンマーク・スウェーデンなども，会社を設立した。

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