What was the (Honorable) East India Company?

The Honorable East India Company was a state supported, privately owned English trading company that had an enormous impact on world trade.

Founded in 1600 and disbanded in 1858, the East India Company created valuable trading links between Asia and Europe and helped establish English trading dominance throughout the world.

Using the backing of the English Crown, the East India Company became a state in its own right and its actions, while profit driven, were not always honorable. Many abuses and much corruption characterized the activity of the company particularly in the latter years of its existence,

One of its most profitable products was tea. Without a doubt, the East India Company was the driving force behind the growing, transportation and marketing of tea throughout the world.

The East India Company controlled all aspects of the world wide tea business and was largely responsible for the tea industry as we know it today.