Title

Safety and Efficiency: The English East India Company’s Shipping Management of the China Trade Between 1786-1816

Author

Yu, Po-ching  

Genre

Article  

Pages

255-282  

Download

PDF

Language

Chinese  

Key words

English East India Company, Canton Factory, Shipping Management, 1786-1816, Anglo-Chinese trade  

Abstract

        From the end of the 1780s, the China trade of the English East India Company (hereafter the EIC) grew rapidly, prompting the EIC to put greater emphasis on the China market. At the end of the 18th century and in the early 19th century, the British frequently engaged in war, and Chinese pirates initiated violence along the China coast. Under such conditions, the EIC, in addition to the usual arrangements of capital, cargo and personnel, needed to take more care than usual regarding shipping management, which included the planning of sea routes, the organization of the fleet, and the maintenance of transportation safety and efficiency, etc.
        Based on examples drawn from original files, which contain statistical data concerning the EIC’s shipping from 1786 to 1816, this article will explain how the relevant departments of the EIC cooperated with one another to manage the shipping affairs of the China trade. It will also examine how they responded to an emergency case in an effort to ensure both navigation safety and transportation efficiency. It is argued here that during such a time of war and disturbance, the success of the EIC’s management was an important element in maintaining the stability of the Anglo-Chinese trade.