The Business of Empire: The East India Company and Imperial Britain, 1756-1833

This volume is the first detailed study of what happened in Britain when the East India Company acquired a vast territorial empire in South Asia. Drawing on a mass of hitherto unused material contained in the Company's administrative and financial records, the book offers a reconstruction of the inner workings of the Company as it made the remarkable transition from business to empire during the late-eighteenth century. Huw Bowen profiles the company's stock holders and directors and examines how those in London adapted their methods, working practices, and policies to changing circumstances in India.

Review
“Bowen's important argument in attractive prose belongs in all academic libraries…. Highly recommended.” – Choice

"The Business of Empireprovides a rich and fascinating exploration of what H.V. Bowen modestly describes as the 'internal history' of the East India Company…The book offers a wealth of insights."
Douglas M. Peers, The International History Review

"…his approach is unprecedented and much needed…an excellent starting point from which others can explore these topics." –Woodruff D. Smith, University of Massachusetts: Journal of Interdisciplinary History