Foundations of Empire: The Origins of the East India Company

It's been called "the corporation that changed the world", but what elements came together to set the scene for the East India Company to come into being?
I hope you enjoy this video and find it interesting!
Please subscribe and click the bell icon to be updated about new videos.
Also, if you want to get in touch, please comment down below or find me on social media:
Instagram: katrina.marchant
Twitter: @kat_marchant
Clubhouse: @kat_marchant
TikTok: @katrina_marchant
Email: [e-mail]
Intro / Outro song: Silent Partner, "Greenery" [ • Greenery - Silent Part... ]
SFX from freesfx.co.uk/...
Added context videos:
Virgin Queen: • Dr Kat and The Virgin ...
Bloody Mary: • Dr Kat and "Bloody Mary"?
Great Debasement: • Dr Kat and "The Great ...
Dr John Dee: • Dr Kat and John Dee's ...
Martin Frobisher: • Dr Kat and Martin Frob...
Bell metal: • Dr Kat and the Elizabe...
Spinning Virginia: • Dr Kat and "Spinning" ...
Roanoke: • Historical Mystery: "T...
Images (from Wikimedia Commons, unless otherwise stated):
Coat of arms of the East India Company circa 1700's, based upon a carved version, this one drawn by Trajan117 (2011).
Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I in coronation robes by an unknown English artist (c.1600). Held by the National Portrait Gallery.
Allegorical image of Henry VIII, King Edward VI and the Pope by an unknown artist (c.1575). Held by the National Portrait Gallery.
Portrait of Queen Mary I by Antonis Mor (1554). Held by the Museo del Prado.
Debased testoon from the reign of Henry VIII, struck c.1544-1547. Photographed by the Classical Numismatic Group.
Anne Boleyn in the Tower of London after her arrest by Édouard Cibot (1835). Held by the Musée Rolin.
Original page from the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494). Held by the National Library of Portugal.
Map of the Arctic region showing shipping routes Northeast Passage, Northern Sea Route, and Northwest Passage created by Susie Holder (2009). From Arctic Council - Arctic marine shipping assessment.
Ivan the Terrible shows his treasures to the English ambassador from Queen Elizabeth I Jerome Horsey by Alexander Litovchenko (1875). Held by the Russian Museum.
Portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots by François Clouet (from 1558 until 1560). Held by the Royal Collection.
Portrait of Pope Pius V by Scipione Pulzone (16th century). Held by the Palazzo Colonna.
Coloured frontispiece to Dr John Dee’s “General and Rare Memorials Pertaining to the Perfect Arte of Navigation” (1577).
Portrait of John Dee by an unknown artist (16th century). Held by the Ashmolean Museum.
Portrait of Sir Francis Drake by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (after 1590). Held by Buckland Abbey.
Replica of “The Golden Hinde” in London, photographed by Diego Delso (2014).
Portraits of Sultan Murad III, Sultan Mehmed III and Safiye Sultan by unknown artists (date unknown). Collection unknown.
Execution of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, from Robert Beale's 'The Order and Manner of the Execution of Mary Queen of Scots, Feb. 8, 1587.'
“Launch of fireships against the Spanish Armada, 7 August 1588” by and unknown artist (c.1590). Held by the Royal Museums Greenwich.
Portrait of Elizabeth I of England, the Armada Portrait, by an unknown artist, formerly attributed to George Gower (c.1588). Held by Woburn Abbey.
Portrait of Sir James Lancaster by an unknown artist (1596). Held by the National Maritime Museum.
Portrait of Queen Victoria by Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1859). Held by the Royal Collection.
Also consulted, were:
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Charters of the East India Company with related documents: the 'parchment records' in the National Archives.
Library of Congress catalogue.
East India Company Factory Records.
Robins, Nick. The Corporation That Changed the World: How the East India Company Shaped the Modern Multinational. Pluto Press, 2012, doi.org/10.230....
T. S. Willan. “Some Aspects of English Trade with the Levant in the Sixteenth Century.” The English Historical Review, vol. 70, no. 276, Oxford University Press, 1955, pp. 399-410, www.jstor.org/s....

[@jerricocke987]

Dr cat I am going to begin with an apology. I am visually impaired so I use voice to text and it frequently spells words wrong that I can't see and the punctuation is sadly lacking. I found this discussion on the East India company both incredibly enlightening and it explained a great deal of context that has been missing in many of the papers are documents that I have previously read. I deeply enjoyed your tongue in cheek humor regarding some of the less savory actions of the privateers and trading companies. Most authorities are so serious about protecting their dignity that they don't have the level of character to admit the lesser legal methods that were employed. In short this was an extraordinarily informative episode as I have found all your videos to be. I look very very forward to each of your broadcast thank you.

[@prof.cecilycogsworth3204]

"...it explained a great deal of context that has been missing in many of the papers are documents that I have previously read." I quite agree.

[@debbralehrman5957]

Well said.

[@dale3404]

There has been so much going on in my life that I am behind on watching Dr Kat, and I apologize profusely. I would like to thank the poster of this comment, I have read messages that I abhorred because of the poor grammar and spelling. It never dawned on me that this could be because of voice text. Thank you for opening my eyes to this, and I will be more charitable In my thoughts in the past.

[@jerricocke987]

@@dale3404 thank you for being kind enough to realize that sometimes there are other problems now to be perfectly honest before I became visually impaired I was probably every bit as contemptuous of poorly written text and responses nothing like learning firsthand that you are in the power of the voicemail to increase your.

[@katharper655]

JERRI COCKE. BRAVO FOR YOUR FORTITUDE AND DETERMINATION! I, TOO, HAVE COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS, AS I AM DEAF IN MY RIGHT EAR AND MY HEARING IS GOING IN MY LEFT. I AM SO GRATEFUL TO DR. KAT FOR HER SUBTITLES. THE ONES ON HER CHANNEL ARE VERY GOOD, CORRECTLY SPELLING DIFFICULT, UNUSUAL NAMES OF PEOPLE AND LOCATIONS. I WOULD BE LOST WITHOUT DR. KAT AND HER ASTOUNDINGLY ENGAGING CHANNEL. .

[@bohemiia]

Dr Kat! Just wanted to say your channel is such high quality. It's exactly the history fix I need. Thank you for all your hard work!

[@Sorchia56]

Brilliant job of describing such a complicated rise of the East India Company. This subject could (and actually is) an entire course in Uni! Well done. Yes, I took the course. It was just too fascinating to pass up, they don’t offer it any longer at my Uni as that was well over 35 years old.

[@crustyrash]

Thank you for such a great video! If you're ever find yourself Salem Massachusetts (near Boston), the Peabody-Essex Museum is well worth a visit. Part of the Museum sits in the old East India Company offices--the core of their collections are items brought back from trade with Asia. You have enriched my view of the Company. I have previously only appreciated it through the decorative arts perspective.

[@kathyjaneburke2798]

Dr. Kat thank you for making my Friday both educational & fun.

[@themurrrr]

Hey, just wanted to pop in quickly to say: I’ve only recently founded your channel. I subscribed immediately, because… there was no alternative! Great work, thank you and a big hello all the way from Curaçao 🇨🇼☺️

[@ReadingthePast]

Thank you and hello 👋 🌟

[@donnabishop5269]

Dr Kat, just wanted to thank you for another great discussion on a bit of history that needs further exposure. You've set me on a reading adventure for another week, thank you. Love your weekly assignment (tongue firmly planted in cheek)

[@Historian212]

This is a rarely-discussed topic, but a very important one. It provides a bridge from the Renaissance to the Early Modern periods, and an intro to the making of the modern world. In under 30 minutes. Well done!

[@prettypic444]

love your discussion on the quest for the north east/west passage. would you ever consider making a full length video on them?

[@skp7577]

Always happy to see a new Friday afternoon video from the engaging and erudite Dr. Kat.

[@mattshaw8624]

Dr Kat; I have watched your segments for about two years now, and I wanted to tell you how much I have enjoyed them. You bring a new and many times enlightening insight into your topics. I wonder if you might perchance have the time to do an episode on one of my favorite topics in Elizabethan history if you have not done so before, that pertaining to Nonsuch Palace. As a young boy, Nonsuch always represented to me what many people might equate with Camelot; that dream or idyll of something that once was but may never be again. I would so love to hear your take on it if possible. Thank you.

[@ReadingthePast]

I will certainly add Nonsuch to my list; it’s such a shame that it didn’t survive!

[@lisakilmer2667]

It's helpful to know the roots of the East India Company, but I have always been baffled by the extent to which it was allowed to rule India, almost to behaving as a sovereign entity.

[@Historian212]

The company was, by royal charter, acting as a representative of the British government. The government supported it with troops and such, as needed, in order to ensure the steady income it provided to the Crown. As ever, the line between state and private company was not a sharp one. Essentially, the Crown was in business with the East India Company. As usual, follow the money.

[@ssg8051]

Brava, Dr. Kat. In this episode you do indeed clarify how this company became so intertwined with the British government by the time of Queen Victoria's reign. It also explains the company's highly questionable practices--- which went unquestioned, it seems, for so long. Thank you for another outstanding video. Cheers, Ardith

[@stevezytveld6585]

Suggestion for a collaboration - there's a section of The YT that refers to itself as Cos Tube and focuses on historic and vintage dress (experimental archology all the way to people who make pretty dresses for events). Ms. Cathy Hay recently called off her project to recreate Lady Curzon's Peacock Dress; worn to the turn-of-the-last-century India Durba to celebration a British coronation. There's been controversy over the reconstruction and allot of discussion of the East India Company and its legacy. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi

[@orsino88]

The coloring of the hand-tinted copy of Dee’s book is extraordinary.

[@torroberts6622]

Loved this topic, my brother chose the history of the spice trade for his disccretation in his degree ❤️

[@ruthstevens8805]

Love your work! Just a different view of India. I am a white Aussie woman married to an Indian Sikh. When I first went to New Dehli lots of the older Indians would tell me how exciting it was to meet a "Britisher" and how they wished their country was not independent (as it is now) because things worked so well for the poorer people when the British were in charge. I found this a very surprising view, but I heard it again and again.

[@Historian212]

That’s very interesting, and certainly not a perspective we get to hear these days. Thanks for sharing. It reminds me that Gandhi was heavily influenced by a Christian Indian movement in his youth (the name escapes me at the moment).

[@bethlawson9878]

Thank you, Dr Kat! I found your channel last week and have been binge watching ever since. Of course, I subbed immediately! I appreciate your handling of "delicate " subjects.

[@ingridgeertsema4302]

Arguably the most complicated and fascinating time of human and European history, a time that did indeed change the world forever. Thank you, I love watching your videos.

[@olgagoncharova8369]

Always enjoy and share your videos. As usual, great job! Thank you, Dr Kat!

[@beverlyfletcher4458]

And Trade being the basis of expansonism overseas means we get on better with our ex-colonies than many other European powers. Funny how we were at loggerheads with Portugal when we are alwys told they are Britain's oldest ally. Thank you.

[@KatherineHugs]

Lovely presentation, as always!!

[@noreenroche5294]

Another excellent Dr. Kat, thank you

[@TheSuperLegoMan100]

Always wanted to know more about the EIC, thank you for this!

[@rosemarie5489]

I was not interested in Ottoman history till I heard one video of yours about a portrait that Queen Elizabeth I send to Safiye Sultan. I was curious to know who Safiye was and it turned out that we come from the very same highlands. Because of that, I started learning about Ottoman history as well.

[@lauranavone3357]

Love your videos, big hug from Buenos Aires!!!

[@annebutler5169]

I love listening to your channel. This was a very interesting topic. You are so knowledgeable and present your topics so well. Thank you.

[@ladyalustriel1431]

Awesome video, as always! Looking forward to your upcoming one about the Babington plot!

[@jojuna99]

Found this video at the perfect time since I am currently working on an essay about Elizabeth I's importance to the creation of the EIC. Thank you so much Dr. Kat!

[@WhiteCamry]

East Indiamen, as the Company's ships were called, flew the traditional red duster (a red ensign with a St. George's Cross in the canton) with a number of white stripes added.

[@velvetindigonight]

Greetings from Devon!!! Excellent and informative as ever. Big Thank you. Enjoy

[@mrstratau6513]

Excellent. Your delivery of this interesting subject is very enjoyable.

[@Kay-jc3ub]

Thank you, extremely enjoy your work here on KZbin!

[@triciaphillips4271]

That was excellent. I've often wondered how the EIC started and how it gained momentum. Now it all makes sense. Thank you.

[@_i_am_unceded]

The wealth, and the power, of the East India Company, is alive and flourishing. The people, and the money, did not evaporate. I am doing a deep dive into my family's roots, trunk, branches, leaves, light taken and shade given, of my blood journey, ( and the journey of power and wealth) from the Sheriff of Shopshire, all the way to Standing Rock, and the Battle of Backwater Bridge on November 20, 2016. From building the most profound Empire in modern times, to fighting beside Indigenous People against the rule of the heirs of same empire.

[@tetchedistress]

Thank You for another lovely video.

[@Myke_OBrien]

Fascinating, as always! Thank you for these videos.

[@nmritter]

I LOVE yr videos. They take me to a different time. Please make more..

[@jfs59nj]

As usual I have learned so much! Thank you!

[@andrewwilliams9312]

Well done, good job. Very interesting.

[@rachael6956]

Definately changed & educated my view of diplomatic relations between England and Portugal, England's oldest allie in respect of never having a war against each other. I had been always lead to belive that England and Portugal were as thick as thieves together. So thank you for enlightening my new found retrospect on this time in history. Being half Devon, English and half Medeiran Portuguese I found this vlogg incredibly interesting. So thank you ❤😢

[@dianna8967]

Dr Kat, Many Many Thanks for bringing Light to the past two years of darkness in the world.

[@colinmcgee5931]

Thank you. As always, you bring it all to life. I know you're probably overwhelmed with requests, but if it's possible I would love to hear you talk about British exploration and the colonisation of Southern Africa. Thanks again!

[@conemadam]

Again, you have unknotted a long and complex history of the East India Company. It runs smoothly in my head now. Masterful, Dr. Kat. Merci!!!

[@ozelhassan8576]

I enjoyed this, this was very thorough.

[@debbiev4455]

I didn't know anything about this subject. I found it very interesting. Thank you!

[@humanitarianH]

I always look forward to Fridays!!

[@toniyuill3659]

Hi Dr Kat your video was brilliant. Thank you so much 😊

[@georginaspeirs6097]

Very enlightening. Enjoyed it very much

[@smoothbeak]

This is absolutely wonderful. I have wanted to know more about the East India Company for a while, and I think this is an excellent way to think of it.

[@OurBucketListHasHoles]

Hi DK 🤗 That was a great educational story. Thank you for sharing. Happy Holidays to you and your family. Take care-Debbie

[@Heothbremel]

Super fascinating!!!!!

[@daya820]

Fascinating topic. Thank you!

[@teresabetancourt4734]

New to your channel: YOU ARE AWESOME 👏 THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!

[@bryanlorang417]

Just like to say thanks for your vids. I enjoy very much and are very informative.

[@revade6698]

Hi, Dr. Kat. Excellent scholarship, as per usual, to enjoy with my morning coffee. Just wondering, though, when did the East India Company begin to trade with China? And would this, in turn, have led to the founding of Hong Kong? Anyway, please take good care and give my best to Jamie and Gabriel 👶. I look forward to next week's offering.

[@sarahwatts7152]

I know extra history is in the middle of a series about the E.I.C. in India (it's excellent!), but I bet there is plenty of fodder here for Dr. Kat to do a more expansive look at the company's actions.

[@davidwright7193]

The east India company was trading with China from the 17th Century onwards. Up to the 1820’s or 30’s China was the only source of tea. Hong Kong was taken from China during the Opium Wars which were all about the EIC selling drugs in China to be able to buy Chinese drugs to sell in Europe.

[@revade6698]

@@davidwright7193 Hi, David. Thanks for the info. Much appreciated!

[@TheMogregory]

@@davidwright7193 I think you intended to say 'sell drugs to China so they could buy TEA to sell in Europe? A slip of the keyboard. You may be able to tell us more about this trade, I have a vague idea that China would not trade goods only sell them for gold. To gain the gold needed to buy tea the EIC promoted the use (addiction) of opium in China so, because of the increased demand, it became the one item the Chinese were willing to exchange for gold. If anyone could help my memory here please do. Tea plants were eventually stolen from China and used to create the tea plantations in India. All very devious.

[@davidwright7193]

@@TheMogregory you are quite right the EIC was trading in two drugs the more profitable of which was a highly controlled and regulated substance whose smuggling and illegal sale would see heavy punishment during the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries. The other was of course the finest Afghan smack.

[@Lynn-r8h]

I love it when what we’ve been taught as history is put in the larger context. We don’t live in a vacuum.

[@kirstena4001]

oh, great topic, thanks!!!

[@suzannetevlin8439]

Excellent, as usual.

[@metalsomemother3021]

Talk more specifically about the communication between Elizabeth and the Sultana

[@AtheistAndMythology]

I absolutely adore your videos! Love them! and I particularly love the history of Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria. So very fascinating.

[@meckersley2123]

❤️❤️❤️💜 love this channel

[@prof.cecilycogsworth3204]

Thanks as always!

[@susanhepburn6040]

Thank you very much. Not sure how comfortable a bath towel with gold thread would be, though..! Altogether a very interesting delve into the origins of the Company.

[@patriciajones2265]

Thank you so much for the awesome work you do . I appreciate you. I will like to know if you could find some information of Stained glass from the past who and we’re and how. I know you are very busy,but maybe one day . Thank you so much keep up the good work.😊🤗😘

[@barbaracriss3614]

Dr Cat, Greetings from Kent County, Delaware. What part did John Mildenhall play in this expansion

[@digby3618]

Firstly, I absolutely love your channel. That said, I have just noticed an upside down book on your shelf and now it's doing my head in. The OCD is real 😂😂😂😂

[@prodigalsin6621]

Thank you for sharing your wisdom 😊🙏

[@jardon8636]

fascinating dr kat, the east india company, must be up there, with , a megacorporation founded by a government-directed consolidation of several rival Dutch trading companies in the early 17th century. It is believed to be the largest company to ever have existed in recorded history. i a chartered company to trade with Mughal India, later the dutch east indies * colonies of the netherlands ...that included indonesia etc...officially ended in 1949 later the was set up, as a rival to the portugese., dutch and british in mughal india... being that portugal and england had a treaty of friendship and allliance dating from 11 century there was cordial relations with the EIC british east india company... that recognised portugese colonies india and south east asia...

[@rhondacrosswhite8048]

I am very happy to hear more of the origins of British Colonialism being explained as ordinary men working and taking huge risks in order to increase their wealth. We’re there abuses? Yes. Do these men deserve to have statues pulled down? Absolutely not. Every civilisation has had to stomp on another in their rise to success. Mindsets change over time be it what size stick you may bet your wife with to how to establish a trading center. Another trading guild I would like to hear more about is the Hanseatic League. Elizabeth I had some dealings with this Germanic group of traders.

[@venkataraghotham7586]

Sir Walter Raleigh paid the prize for the peace with Spain during the reign of James I of England and James VI of Scotland with his life.

[@jenniferwilson6412]

That was really interesting. Your videos are so well explained. Really enjoy them. Can we have one about the next stage in the empire?

[@swick420]

Hi, loving your channel and content while stuck at home on bedrest. Was wondering if you have ever thought of doing something with Anne Lister (Listor??) And Ann Walker? Anna's diary code alphabet made me wonder how all/other members of Ye Olde LGBTQ+ community communicated through the years. I came out in the early 90's and we still have codes and ways to recognize members of our community to this day. Also what happened to Ann Walker after her wife passed was tragic. In the early 90's it could be really hard to stay connected with your partner when they got I'll or passed. If their family didn't support the relationship you didn't have a leg to stand on. My partner passed in 1994, I didn't even find her grave until 2008. Her father has since apologized so, you know, totally cool we never got to say goodbye, all's well that ends well? That sucked for me, but Ann Walker dealt with some serious crap that I'm sure she didn't deserve. Thanks again for your content, I have some serious medicine in my system but can still understand and learn from you so again I say, great job 😀

[@swick420]

Should have spell checked that BEFORE I posted it, sorry!

[@keilatenshi5910]

Tudor relationships with foreign powers might be an interesting video topic. I found the Elizabeth and Ottoman relationship part very interesting.

[@kaarlimakela3413]

The two powerful ladies being pen pals and exchanging gifts, reminds me of the affectionate correspondence between the Egyptian and Hittite queens after the matter of Kadesh had been resolved.

[@SaltyMinorcan]

I wish there was still Google groups to share this to. I used to belong to a History group that was lovely.

[@LisaSchnettler]

Fascinating!!

[@johnguglielmini6658]

taught much if not all of this in the 1970s while getting my history degree from penn state

[@vickiibendit943]

Totally captivating!

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

Not defending what was going on with the English 'privateers' but it is ironic that the gold they were taking had been stolen in the first place!

[@ReadingthePast]

I mean, you’re not wrong 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@darthbee18]

I was expecting the first contacts of the British privateers with the rulers in India (as in the subcontinental India), I didn't expect hearing about Sir Francis Drake's trade with the Sultan of Ternate (I mean at the school in my country we mostly talk about the Portuguese trade with the Sultanate or the occasional confrontations between the Portuguese and Spanish traders around Maluku (Moluccas), but never about Drake at all). Also didn't expect the story of John Lancaster securing an agreement with the Sultanate in Aceh (and his trade later in Banten), all these are quite new to me 😲😲

[@d4fm4n]

New to the channel. Lovely content

[@marksadler4104]

Great job!!.. From my ancestry studies, my first cousin 16x removed was Sir Humphrey Gilbert (half brother of Sir Walter Raleigh on his maternal side which is connected to my ancestral line) who was one of the leading supporters of the North West passage to China Eventually in 1583, he took possession of Newfoundland.

[@BeantownMrs]

Currently on holiday, but I couldn't not watch Dr. Kat's video on Friday!

[@chrisc.1614]

I've been reading Gerald Horne's "Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism, and Capitalism in the Long Sixteenth Century." In this book he take a far more critical view of people like Francis Drake and William Hawkins, and institutions like the East India Company and English monarchy, and correctly highlights the fact that these people were, first and foremost, slave traders and pirates and that the EIC and crown were institutions whose function it was to break the Catholic monopolies on certain markets, most critically - and profitably - the slave trade. I think this video - although entertaining and, to some extent, educational - improperly characterized Drake, the monarchy, and the EIC by not directly confronting the inequitable and *intentional* formation of imperialism/exploitation. By not pulling those themes out from under the rug and confronting them directly, this video serves to reinforce some late-20th Century propaganda that these ventures were happy accidents mostly all about spices, "adventure," etc, and all the nasty imperialist occurrences were unfortunate accidents. With that said, I still really enjoy your videos and am happy to have found your channel this year! :)

[@ReadingthePast]

Thank you for this comment; I will certainly check out that book. Drake’s early sea faring was done on slavers vessels, he was also clearly a pirate. Equally, by the end of the 17th century the EIC was exploiting enslaved people. However, when looking at the origins of the EIC, which was the focus of this video, the hunt for access to commodity markets (plus some raiding of Spain and Portugal) was, I believe, the intent. I haven’t come across any evidence to point to the EIC being formed as a colonial enterprise. I have made a video on how “New World” colonialism was sold as something to be exploited, so those narratives were certainly going on and many of the same people were involved but not in the form of joint stock companies. In many ways, the call for empire making in late Elizabethan England was fairly toothless - Elizabeth certainly wasn’t going to give it crown backing. None of this is to say that the exploitation of land and people, as colonisers and enslavers, did not become a cornerstone of English/British overseas dealing - I’m just not sure the intention or hope of it was there as Drake was circumnavigating the globe, when they were looking for a northern passage or when the EIC was being first formed.

[@rupertprawnworthy758]

I think viewing people from the past so one dimensionally as to cast them as villains or heroes doesn't really do anyone any credit. I always find the best history is that which reports the facts in an impartial way. People always seem to want to judge the motivations of historical figures as they might fictional characters and I always think there is a certain dishonesty in dumping our own baggage at the feet of people who died 100s of years ago. This case being a prime example of that, I know John Dee was a bit of a mystic and Elizabeth II was something of a noted intellect though I very much doubt even they would have foreseen that their push to build a navy would ultimately result in a vast tyrannical empire and blaming them and others for that seems a bit silly.

[@andrewwilliams9312]

I haven't read the book, and wouldn't want to. It's a revisionist work of "history" and according to Gerald Horne the “long sixteenth century”-from 1492 until the arrival of settlers in Virginia in 1607 is where “whiteness” morphed into “white supremacy”. I can just imagine.

[@andrewwilliams9312]

Critical Race Theory is an attempt to destroy Western culture and society by framing it's values as White Supremacy. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYCTpayFp8xjh7c

[@eliscanfield3913]

Where do these giant business get off, building their own dictatorships and getting this gov't or that to back them? And where do these gov'ts get off backing them? (My own being arguably the worst lately.) There seems to be a fair bit of overlap between imperialists and those at the top of very big businesses. Today online shopping, tomorrow a poorer, usually browner nation.

[@user-nk3xl1xt4q]

23:00 onwards intersting point, more on EIC around 25:00

[@gonefishing167]

Great video, thank you Dr Kat. Always look forward to a new one Thank you 👵👵👵👵👵🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

[@timefoolery]

I’d love to know your opinion on whether America was named for Englishman John Ameryk, the leader of an expedition, or Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian ship’s chandler?

[@prof.cecilycogsworth3204]

Interesting. You mean Richard Amerike. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Amerike And no Englishman!

[@nanettewinston-armstrong9294]

Hi Dr Kat Thank You s wish ‘ this video was around when I was researching for a screenplay I was writing in the late 90s . The East India Co . was the vehicle ‘ ( prompting their own hired Voyage ) the 2 Main Men Characters frome England seeking to venture in a Family ( as Brother’s ) Trade Business of Not anything particular . I was thinking maybe Porcelain ( because The Queen was into then , decorating And Tea ) from China .. And not really thinking about the Spices back then . Not knowing anything about it really , just a quick research to cover the Screenplay validity of around that circa 🤍✨♒️🙏🏻🎆🌌🟣😳😊🙌

[@gwynwellliver4489]

DH is always sure to lecture on this topic. Early exploration by Western European cultures was always based on trade and finding new land for growing populations. Empires, as such, are eventually hampered by the logistics of managing great expanses, as much as they are by changes in politics.

[@Sophia-hh4fg]

Please, please make a video on Elizabeth's relationship with the Ottoman rules.

[@daraharvey4519]

Thank you for this perspective. I have a degree in history and English history is my favorite, but I never knew the company started out of a need to secure English interests or Elizabeth’s throne. It’s unfortunate how easy it is to characterize this company as being born solely out of greed. And it’s amazing how Elizabeth’s insecurity led to a company that arguably forged the path toward colonization, such irony!

[@jillal-fuhaid1763]

What currency would the East India company use when trading with say Japan ? Thanks for your brilliant lectures, most enjoyable.

[@kaarlimakela3413]

When I was little, Mom explained a lot of this to me, adding the enslavement and murderous bloody treatment of natives of India anywhere the EIC prevailed there. That was why eventually Victoria stepped in, goes the tale. In fact the first iterations of military and governmental representatives were much more embracing of the Indian peoples and cultures than can be said of their 20th century versions.

[@jujubonchuchu]

Good one

[@Goddessofvets16]

Thank you for being so fascinating!! Brings a new light to Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean East India Company!! Lol

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

“...arrogantly Protestant.” I really enjoyed this, thank you. 🙂🐿🌈❤️ P.s I must admit that I found the “Horrible Histories” portrayal of the Spanish Armada very amusing.

[@KittchenSink]

Anyone wanting a small but visual tickle on just how powerful the EIC was from a modern cinematic perspective, I recommend watching Tom Hardy in Taboo, then when finished, multiplying your impression of it ....significantly!

[@pal4204]

I love your channel! I'm curious about what was going on in India in 1879. My grandfather was born in Calcutta in 1879. I don't know why his parents were there. I'm just curious about why they might have been in India. I assume they were not in service because, didn't the British use Native Indians as maids and servants? Just curious. Thanks!