Justifying Wealth: Arguments over Control of the Trade

Abstract

This chapter explores the critiques of the East India Company originating from the upper strata of English society, including gentlemen, wealthy London tradesmen, and occasionally even the Crown. These men questioned the dominance of a small group of London merchants over the operations of the Company and its chartered monopoly, forcing Company directors to articulate convincing arguments for the status quo. One of the primary justifications the directors put forth to maintain their power in London was not their social standing, or their hard work, but their expertise. They relied on their unique access to knowledge, both through their experience in global trade and the network of agents already established by the Company abroad to defend their positions of power.