East India Company?

[Garyius2003]

Is there an British East India Company in the 3I universe?

I have been doing some reading about the era. A for profit company that ended up taking over vast tracts of land, forming merc armies that turned into regional forces, and then providing the government for a vast empire.

They had their own academies for officers and government employees, a small navy, and vast armies. A court system, a railroad (I assume a 3I version is highports and downports), vast fields of imported crops planted (tea for them, 3I version?). All for profit by a for profit company, which became cashed out by their home nation in favor of direct rule.

 

[Greylond]

There are several worlds that are run by Corporations, but the 3I controls the area between worlds so no, the 3I wouldn't allow a corporation from ruling the spaceways.

However, you could easily have a small star empire run by a Corporation in YTU.

You could also say that several of the worlds run by a Corporation are all run by the same one.

 

[mike wightman]

Every single megacorporation in the OTU could be considered a far future version of the British East India Company.

 

[Garyius2003]

Hortalez et Cie running some clustered worlds directly in the Far Reaches? Route protectors, law enforcement brigades, company trade and personal conduct courts, private ports with a small (set off) Imperial trade area?

Formal agreement with the Sector Duke court allowing direct rule in return for infrastructure and TL improvement efforts?

 

[Greylond]

Every single megacorporation in the OTU could be considered a far future version of the British East India Company.

Good point!

 

[JBRocky]

Also there could very easily be worlds in the Solomani COnfederation that are Corporate run and conrtoled. Basicly something that was founded during the Interstellar Wars and is now more than just a Corp.

 

[MCEvans]

If push came to shove, 3I is an East India Company.

 

[rancke]

There's a difference between Britain, John Company, and the Indian princedoms on the one hand and the Imperium, the megacorporations, and the member worlds on the other. The Imperium has as part of its purpose the preservation of the autonomy of the member states.

Several bits of setting material show the Imperial authorities acting to curb the activities of the megacorporations vis-a-vis member worlds or the megacorporations trying to circumvent Imperial regulations in various ways. The Imperium and the megacorporations appear to be considerably less hand-in-glove than Britain and the Company were.


Hans

 

[McPerth]

Every single megacorporation in the OTU could be considered a far future version of the British East India Company.

There's a difference between Britain, John Company, and the Indian princedoms on the one hand and the Imperium, the megacorporations, and the member worlds on the other. The Imperium has as part of its purpose the preservation of the autonomy of the member states.

Several bits of setting material show the Imperial authorities acting to curb the activities of the megacorporations vis-a-vis member worlds or the megacorporations trying to circumvent Imperial regulations in various ways. The Imperium and the megacorporations appear to be considerably less hand-in-glove than Britain and the Company were.

Mike's statement would be the most correct in the Vilani empire (both old one and restored in th Rebellion), where the Boureaux hold the true power the HBEIC held in the past Solomani history.

In the Third Imperium, I agree with Hans.

 

[RandyB]

Mike's statement would be the most correct in the Vilani empire (both old one and restored in th Rebellion), where the Boureaux hold the true power the HBEIC held in the past Solomani history.

In the Third Imperium, I agree with Hans.

The topic raises the possibility of an interesting ATU, though, where one or more megacorps play an HBEIC role in one or more areas of Charted Space. Like, say, a frontier area, well-settled but still not fully "civilized" - an ATU Spinward Marches.

 

[McPerth]

The topic raises the possibility of an interesting ATU, though, where one or more megacorps play an HBEIC role in one or more areas of Charted Space. Like, say, a frontier area, well-settled but still not fully "civilized" - an ATU Spinward Marches.

Well, to my understanding, it's already in MT Ziru Sirka, where boureaux are supreme (or nearly so), an the Vilani government just coordinates them...

 

[rancke]

Something else to keep in mind is that while the British East India Company was a rare and fascinating thing, a commercial enterprise that exercised various governmental powers, those powers were granted by the British Parliament, and Parliament kept a pretty tight hold on the leash.

As an aside, another company that might provide some interesting ideas is the Hudson Bay Company.


Hans

 

[atpollard]

The Imperium and the megacorporations appear to be considerably less hand-in-glove than Britain and the Company were.

No disagreement on effect, but could that be because the Imperium has multiple 'East India Companies' that have a self interest in checking the power of the other companies. Sort of like the innate tension of a two-party political system compared to a one-party political system.

The Imperium levels the playing field for the megacorporations by enforcing minimum standards and a glass ceiling on influence ... this far and no further.