东印度公司(East India Co.)
或称英国东印度公司（English East India Co.）
英国特许公司（chartered company）。1600年成立，目的在於发展英国对东亚、东南亚和印度的贸易。成立之初，是垄断性的贸易团体，在苏拉特（Surat）、马德拉斯（Madras，今称清奈〔Chennai〕）、孟买和加尔各答（Calcutta）设有贸易站。原先主要是为了分享东印度的香料贸易，後扩展至棉花、丝绸及其他货物。1708年合并一家竞争公司後，把名称从原来的英国贸易商联合公司（United Co. of Merchants of English Trading）改为东印度公司。後来参与政治，从18到19世纪，成为大英帝国主义在印度的代理，在多数的次大陆上行使实质权力。19世纪该公司在中国的活动成为扩展英国影响力的催化剂，他们在茶叶贸易中非法将鸦片夹带进口，终於导致1839～1842年的第一次鸦片战争（Opium War）。18世纪晚期东印度公司逐渐失去了商业上和政治上的控制权，其自治权在两次国会法案（1773年及1774年）後被削弱，即使该法案授予其在领域范围内享有高度权限，但他们仍建立起专对国会负责的固定董事会。1873年该公司的法人地位结束。亦请参阅East India Co., Dutch、East India Co., French。
English version：
East India Co.
English chartered company formed for trade with East and Southeast Asia and India, incorporated in 1600. It began as a monopolistic trading body, establishing early trading stations at Surat, Madras (now Chennai), Bombay (Mumbai), and Calcutta (Kolkata). Trade in spices was its original focus; this broadened to include cotton, silk, and other goods. In 1708 it merged with a rival and was renamed the United Co. of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies. Becoming involved in politics, it acted as the chief agent of British imperialism in India in the 18th-19th century, exercising substantial power over much of the subcontinent. The company's activities in China in the 19th century served as a catalyst for the expansion of British influence there; its financing of the tea trade with illegal opium exports led to the first Opium War (1839-42). From the late 18th century it gradually lost both commercial and political control; its autonomy diminished after two acts of Parliament (1773, 1774) established a regulatory board responsible to Parliament, though the act gave the company supreme authority in its domains. It ceased to exist as a legal entity in 1873. See also Dutch East India Co., French East India Co.