Speech on East India Bill - Part C

  • Narrate briefly about the abuses and corruptions inflicted upon the Indians by the East India Company.

/What picture of the East India Company do you get from Edmund Burke's Speech on the East India Bill? [NU. 2007, 2016] 

/Write a critical note on the British East India Company. [NU. 2018]

/How did Burke's knowledge and treatment of the East India Company's abuse power in India. [NU. 1995]

/Write a critical note on the British East India Company. [NU. 16,18]

Edmund Burke’s “Speech on the East India Bill” is a sordid picture of the abuse of the chartered power of the East India Company. The company had been chartered in 1600 as a commercial company with a monopoly of British trade with India.


In 1773 and earlier, Burke and the Rockingham Whigs had strongly objected to bringing the East India Company under government control. They considered it an attack on private property and chartered rights and the power of the Crown. Burke understood that the Company was not only exercising political power but was abusing it badly. 


The agents of the Company enjoy all the rights by charter and by acts of Parliament without any controversy. They enjoy unlimited power. As a member of the House of Commons, Burke found the horrible picture of the Company's oppression in India. He argues that Parliament has provided the Company the right of operating business in India but the parliament didn't sell its total control to the Company. As a result, his speech on the East India Bill was an indictment against the Company's rule in India.


If Parliament doesn't take action against the Company's abuses, the people would think that they might have sold the blood of millions for the greed of money.


The East India Company commits great abuses in India. The Company has sold every prince or state. For example, Shah Alam, the de facto Emperor of India, became a victim to the East India Company’s misrule. Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of India, sold him for money. He also sold the whole nation of the Afghan Rohillas for the sum of four hundred thousand pounds. Hafiz Rhamet, one of the bravest men of his time, was invaded by an English brigade. This man was died fighting bravely for his country. His head was cut off, and delivered for money to a barbarian.


Autocracy, repression, corruption, greed etc. characterized the Company's abuse of power in India. Once the Company accused two old women in the remotest corner of India in order to extract money from them. These two old women were the famous Begums of Oudh. They were accused of rebellion and were announced guilty of hoarding wealth. For money, their jewels and other personal properties were taken and were sold at auction. The natives of India were ruined by the hypocrisy of the Company.


In conclusion, we can say that Edmund Burke has vividly presented the picture of the East India Company in his famous speech, Speech on the East India Bill. In fact, this speech primarily concerns the abuses and corruptions inflicted upon the Indians by the East India Company.