An excellent long-read from historian William Dalrymple, on how the East India Company used opportunism, violence and gross corruption to transform from six permanent staff working out of its owner’s house to a behemoth corporation with a 260,000-strong private security force, whose head profited personally to the tune of £23m in today’s money.

Guest curated by John Burn-Murdoch. From Weekly Filet #198, in March 2015.