The British East India Company was formed.

The East India Company (EIC) was formally known as the Honourable East India Company and was informally called the “John Company.”

On 31 December 1600, the British East India Company received a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I, granting it exclusive rights to trade with the East Indies.

Although the company was originally meant to trade with Southeast Asia, it later focused on India, where it gained trade and territorial control, while continuing major trade activities in China.
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