<Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> The East India Company (EIC), also known as the Honourable East India Company (HEIC) or the British East India Company and informally as John Company, was an English and later British joint - stock company, which was formed to pursue trade with the "East Indies" (in present - day terms, Maritime Southeast Asia), but ended up trading mainly with Qing China and seizing control of the Indian subcontinent . </P> <P> Originally chartered as the "Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies", the company rose to account for half of the world's trade, particularly in basic commodities including cotton, silk, indigo dye, salt, saltpetre, tea, and opium . The company also ruled the beginnings of the British Empire in India . </P> <P> The company received a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I on 31 December 1600, making it the oldest among several similarly formed European East India Companies . Wealthy merchants and aristocrats owned the company's shares . Initially the government owned no shares and had only indirect control . </P>

What did the east india trading company trade