BOOK REVIEW. THE EAST INDIA'S COMPANY'S ARSENALS AND MANUFACTORIES.

Yet another of the books I bought from Naval Military Press. This is a reprint of a work published in 1937 by The Director of Ordnance Factories In India 1917-1920 who wrote the book following his retirement.

The contents are an in depth analysis of the development of the many and varied factories run by the East India Company with a look at how the various locations continued after the Mutiny, if at all. The level of detail is amazing . The research was carried out on old company records going back to the 1600's. Although there are no descriptions of the actual manufacturing processes which I would have liked, there are vast amounts of information on the various products made in India for the Company together with details of the development and staffing of production facilities over the years. 

Throughout the reign of the Company the normal method of securing locally made products or supply services was by means of giving contracts to either Company or military officers which they managed as an adjunct to their other duties. The method of payment was to allow a commission on the value of goods supplied. Such an arrangement seems unusual today but was quite normal in those times. 

As is well known, it was common for both civil and military officers to go to India to earn their fortune. This practice, especially under the Company, was known as Shaking the Pagoda Tree. Everyone did it to some degree or other. That said, reading this book gives an entirely new meaning to the expression. Rather than just shake the tree most of the contract holders uprooted the tree and beat it with big sticks to get every last rupee out and when that was done they usually resorted to fraud to extract even more. The level of corruption was staggering. I recall mentioning in a previous review that 19th century America had an endemic fraud problem but that pales into insignificance compared to what went on in India under the Company.

Although an unusual subject which will not appeal to many, this book gives a wonderful insight into several generally obscure aspects of the Company's operations in India quite apart from the actual purpose of the book. For that reason alone this book is highly recommenced to historians of the Indian Empire.