Courteen association facts for kids
The Courteen Association, later known as the Assada Company, was an English trading company started in 1635. Its main goal was to challenge the powerful East India Company, which had a special right to control trade with India.
The East India Company began in 1600 with a special permission, called a charter, that gave it a monopoly. This meant it was the only company allowed to trade with countries in the East for 15 years. In 1609, King James I made this monopoly last forever, though it could be stopped with three years' notice.
This exclusive control made other merchants quite jealous. They wanted to trade too! So, in 1635, King Charles I gave a special license to Sir William Courteen. This new company, called the Courteen Association, was allowed to trade in the East in any place where the East India Company wasn't already present. Sir William Courteen had important friends helping him, like Endymion Porter, who worked closely with the King, and Sir Francis Windebank, the King's Secretary of State (a top government official).
A Difficult Start
The Courteen Association faced many problems from the very beginning. It was not managed well, and some of its ships were lost at sea. The company struggled and eventually collapsed in 1636. After this, Sir William Courteen had to leave England and sadly died later.
Rivalry and Merger
During the English Civil War, a big conflict in England, the King supported the Courteen Association. Because of this, the East India Company, which felt unfairly treated by the King, generally supported the Parliament (the government body that opposed the King).
In 1649, the Courteen Association changed its name to the Assada Company. The rivalry between these two trading companies continued for some time. Finally, in 1657, Oliver Cromwell, who was then the Lord Protector (the leader of England), ordered them to settle their differences. He made them merge, bringing an end to their competition.
See also
- List of trading companies
