COMPANY ARMIES

The East India Company’s formidable private armies were vital to the expansion of British interests in the subcontinent

When a group of merchants and explorers met in London to form the East India Company (EIC) in 1600 they couldn't have conceived it would eventually own one of the largest private military forces in colonial history. The EIC was founded to trade in Asian goods and produce and it created trading posts along the Indian coastline during the 17th century. It prospered by buying land from local rulers, and such was the EIC's success that guards were employed to protect its trading posts and factories.

Company lands became so extensive that these territories were named 'Presidencies' and included large 'Presidency Towns' such as Madras (Chennai), Bombay (Mumbai) and Calcutta (Kolkata). At first, the EIC had the consent to trade by the Mughal and Maratha Empires but the Presidencies became so large that several armies were formed to defend Company interests in India.

The trading post guards were eventually placed under one military commander - Major General Stringer Lawrence - in 1748. They were primarily composed of Indian 'sepoys' (infantrymen) who were led by European (primarily British) officers. Each EIC Presidency had its own armed forces, which led to the creation of the Bengal, Madras and Bombay Armies. A pioneer of these units was Robert Clive, who suggested that the Bengal Army have sepoys who were dressed and trained the same as regular British redcoats.