ACCOUNTING IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY

Although the account-books of the East India Company for the period 1600-1657 are lost, an almost complete series of minutes and other documents make the exploration of accounting in this great mercantile company possible. The present study provides a brief historical note on the rise of the English jointstock company and then proceeds to examine (1) the general state of accounting affairs; (2) the functional organization of the accounting activity; and (3) the order and method of accounting in the East India Company.