During the 1600s and 1700s countries like France, Portugal, and England all competed for influence along the southeastern coast of India. In the early 1600s east India Company won trading rights on the fringe of the Mughal Empire. As the Mughal Empire declined the East India Company power began to increase. East India Company was an English and later British joint-stock company. Over time the East India Company became very powerful in trade. Between 1757 and 1858 the East India Company was basically the government of India.
Overtime the East India Company had its own private army. In 1750 it had only 3000 troops, by 1763 it had 26,000 of Hindu and Muslim troops. The native people of India rebelled being under British rule. The Battle of Plassey was fought in 1757 between the East India Company and the native Bengal peoples. The French allied themselves with the Bengals. The East India Company won the battle, and after it, gained lots of control over India. At this point they rules India through exportation and trade.
Overtime the East India Company had its own private army. In 1750 it had only 3000 troops, by 1763 it had 26,000 of Hindu and Muslim troops. The native people of India rebelled being under British rule. The Battle of Plassey was fought in 1757 between the East India Company and the native Bengal peoples. The French allied themselves with the Bengals. The East India Company won the battle, and after it, gained lots of control over India. At this point they rules India through exportation and trade.
In 1857 the East India Company issued new rifles to their army. The Sepoys led by Mangal Pandy rebel against the British use of animal fat in cartridges in the new rifles. The East India Company was told them to bite off the tip of the cartridges to load them, but the cartridges were covered with animal fat. They considered the animals that the cartridges were covered in as sacred so they rebelled. It led to the downfall of the East India Company but the rule transferred to the British Empire.
Sources
http://study.com/academy/lesson/european-imperialism-in-india-the-british-east-india-company.html http://slideplayer.com/slide/7271309/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Company
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Company