Wednesday 10 February 2010

East India Company bought by Indian businessman

by Kathryn Hadley

Sanjiv Mehta is a 48-year-old Indian businessman who for the past six years has worked to restore the formerly British-owned East India Company. In 2004, Mehta proceeded to buy all the company’s shares, mostly owned by British businessmen. He has spent the last six years travelling and talking to museum curators and historians in an attempt to gain a proper understanding of the heritage of the company. Mehta efforts are somewhat surprising given that the 400-year-old company acted as a vehicle for the expansion of British imperial rule in his homeland.

The East India Company was granted its first charter by Elizabeth I on December 31st, 1600. It was dissolved on January 1st, 1874, after the Government of India Act transferred the company’s powers to the Crown.

The flagship store of the revamped East India Company is due to open in Mayfair this spring. Mehta thereafter plans to open a second store in London, as well as stores in India, the Middle East, Japan, Russia and the United States. The stores will notably sell coffee, tea, spices, chocolate, leather goods and furniture.

For further information, read Adam Fresco’s article published on the website of The Times.

In 400 years of the East India Company Huw Bowen asks whether the East India Company was one of the ‘most powerful engines’ of state and empire in British history.

In The East India Company and the Emperor Aurangzeb Bruce Lenman charts the ambitious and abortive attempts made by East India Company entrepreneurs to challenge the might of the Moghul Empire.

3 comments:

akshat walia said...

Awsm..!!! Dats d spirit....
Britishers who ruled over india ..for so many years.. finally an indian.. bought it..!! gr8..
Really its a majestic feelin...
proud to be indian..!!!!

Ashish said...

No word to explain how proud I feel..May our politcian too learn something

Unknown said...

Hats off to Mr.Sanjiv Mehta (A true indian)....Bravo!!!

 
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