Company British East India Official Language Unspecified Capital n / a Government n / a historical period n / d Established 1600 Dissolution 1874 British Company of the West Indies (Honorable East India Company HEIC , East India Trading Company, English East India Company, sometimes British East India Company) was a company of investors who received 31 December 1600 the Royal Charter from the hands of Queen Elizabeth I of England with the intention of guaranteeing the privileges of trade in India. The royal charter gave the new company's artificial monopoly of all trade in the East Indies. The Company transformed from a simple trade union, to become the company that virtually ruled India until the dissolution of the company in 1858. Was based in London.