The British East India Company
The British East India Company was created in 1600 to secure the lucrative South Asian spice market and to give British businessmen access to the market. At the time it was created, there were five other European nations that were seeking to establish themselves in South Asia; Spain, Portugal, France, the Netherlands and Denmark. The company was established by royal charter on the 31st of December 1600 and it would continue to operate until the 1st of June 1874, and it would not only allow Britain to gain access to the lucrative spice markets in India but would also pave the way for the colonization of India. British businessmen fearing that their European rivals would gain the advantage approached Queen Elizabeth I to grant them a royal charter that would allow them to travel to the subcontinent and establish trading outposts there that would enable them to purchase goods from the subcontinent, and they were prepared to invest a sizable sum to finance the venture. The charter