--- product_id: 7410736 title: "Merchant Kings: When Companies Ruled the World, 1600--1900" price: "$75.58" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/7410736-merchant-kings-when-companies-ruled-the-world-1600-1900 store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # Merchant Kings: When Companies Ruled the World, 1600--1900 **Price:** $75.58 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Merchant Kings: When Companies Ruled the World, 1600--1900 - **How much does it cost?** $75.58 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/7410736-merchant-kings-when-companies-ruled-the-world-1600-1900) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Commerce meets conquest in this swashbuckling story of the six merchant-adventurers who built the modern world It was an era when monopoly trading companies were the unofficial agents of European expansion, controlling vast numbers of people and huge tracts of land, and taking on governmental and military functions. They managed their territories as business interests, treating their subjects as employees, customers, or competitors. The leaders of these trading enterprises exercised virtually unaccountable, dictatorial political power over millions of people. The merchant kings of the Age of Heroic Commerce were a rogue's gallery of larger-than-life men who, for a couple hundred years, expanded their far-flung commercial enterprises over a sizable portion of the world. They include Jan Pieterszoon Coen, the violent and autocratic pioneer of the Dutch East India Company; Peter Stuyvesant, the one-legged governor of the Dutch West India Company, whose narrow-minded approach lost Manhattan to the British; Robert Clive, who rose from company clerk to become head of the British East India Company and one of the wealthiest men in Britain; Alexandr Baranov of the Russian American Company; Cecil Rhodes, founder of De Beers and Rhodesia; and George Simpson, the "Little Emperor" of the Hudson's Bay Company, who was chauffeured about his vast fur domain in a giant canoe, exhorting his voyageurs to paddle harder so he could set speed records. Merchant Kings looks at the rise and fall of company rule in the centuries before colonialism, when nations belatedly assumed responsibility for their commercial enterprises. A blend of biography, corporate history, and colonial history, this book offers a panoramic, new perspective on the enormous cultural, political, and social legacies, good and bad, of this first period of unfettered globalization. Review: Excellent insight to six giants of history - A very lively, well-balanced treatment of six men who spanned an age where commerce and conquest intersected in the guise of chartered monopoly companies. Jan Peterszoon Coen of the Dutch East India Company, Pieter Stuyvesant of the Dutch West India Company, Robert Clive of the East India Company Alexandr Baranov of the Russian American Company, George Simpson of the Hudson Bay Company and Cecil Rhodes of the British South Africa Company were giants of history. In the search for profit, they founded empires and governed (both officially and unofficially) territories more vast than the monarchs and governments of their age. I had read about and studied Robert Clive before and, of course, knew a fair amount Cecil Rhodes. But of the other men, I knew very little and this was an excellent introduction to their deeds and personalities. It is hard to pick a favourite because of the way the author neither venerates nor denigrates any of these men, but rather recognizes them as product of their age. Their energy and sheer opportunistic drive and passion for what they did, is certainly to be admired. But their shortcomings – some are racists, others ruthless and power-hungry - make it difficult to fully sympathize. All in all this is a great read. One that makes you want to delve more deeply into each of the men at the centre of this study. An interesting epilogue too, which suggests that these companies are not too far removed from the multinationals of today! Review: Very informative - I was always puzzled by the British East India Company. What was the relationship with the British government? Why did they have an army? etc etc... After many years of procrastination, I decided to look for a good book in desertcart, and I ended up buying this book. The author does a great job in explaining how the British East India Company operated along with all the other monopolies from the 17th century stretching out all the way to the end of the 19th century. I liked the fact that he did not overwhelm you with historical details. For each monopoly, he gives you the general background and then he focuses on one individual, a merchant king, who made the monopoly great. Fascinating reading, particularly since I was clueless about these monopolies. The only reason I give it 4 stars is the lack of maps... but there is always google or apple maps (whatever you preference). At times I had to do some additional reading in order to better understand the background , and Wikipedia was a good resource. I would recommend this book to whoever is interested in this topic. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #115,401 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #50 in Maritime History & Piracy (Books) #80 in Expeditions & Discoveries World History (Books) #117 in Economic History (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 302 Reviews | ## Images ![Merchant Kings: When Companies Ruled the World, 1600--1900 - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81aqsx8CxLL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent insight to six giants of history *by P***E on January 11, 2016* A very lively, well-balanced treatment of six men who spanned an age where commerce and conquest intersected in the guise of chartered monopoly companies. Jan Peterszoon Coen of the Dutch East India Company, Pieter Stuyvesant of the Dutch West India Company, Robert Clive of the East India Company Alexandr Baranov of the Russian American Company, George Simpson of the Hudson Bay Company and Cecil Rhodes of the British South Africa Company were giants of history. In the search for profit, they founded empires and governed (both officially and unofficially) territories more vast than the monarchs and governments of their age. I had read about and studied Robert Clive before and, of course, knew a fair amount Cecil Rhodes. But of the other men, I knew very little and this was an excellent introduction to their deeds and personalities. It is hard to pick a favourite because of the way the author neither venerates nor denigrates any of these men, but rather recognizes them as product of their age. Their energy and sheer opportunistic drive and passion for what they did, is certainly to be admired. But their shortcomings – some are racists, others ruthless and power-hungry - make it difficult to fully sympathize. All in all this is a great read. One that makes you want to delve more deeply into each of the men at the centre of this study. An interesting epilogue too, which suggests that these companies are not too far removed from the multinationals of today! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very informative *by H***S on August 13, 2018* I was always puzzled by the British East India Company. What was the relationship with the British government? Why did they have an army? etc etc... After many years of procrastination, I decided to look for a good book in Amazon, and I ended up buying this book. The author does a great job in explaining how the British East India Company operated along with all the other monopolies from the 17th century stretching out all the way to the end of the 19th century. I liked the fact that he did not overwhelm you with historical details. For each monopoly, he gives you the general background and then he focuses on one individual, a merchant king, who made the monopoly great. Fascinating reading, particularly since I was clueless about these monopolies. The only reason I give it 4 stars is the lack of maps... but there is always google or apple maps (whatever you preference). At times I had to do some additional reading in order to better understand the background , and Wikipedia was a good resource. I would recommend this book to whoever is interested in this topic. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ essential for understanding today's globalized world *by R***R on March 7, 2020* "Merchant Kings" is worth 5 stars, even if all you read is the epilogue! A well written, interesting book that reads, for the most part, like an anthology of six short stories, each similar, but different. It shows the traits of six "merchant kings' during the mercantile phase of capitalism; how they were bound by ambition, racialism,monetary greed, corporate loyalty, and above all, lust for power. When their corporations were fully developed they included private armies along with political control and in some cases their own monetary system...functions our current corporate masters would love to control. The powers and practices of these men (and they were all white males) and their companies are relevant to understanding the powers and practices of those in control today. ## Frequently Bought Together - Merchant Kings: When Companies Ruled the World, 1600--1900 - The Corporation That Changed the World: How the East India Company Shaped the Modern Multinational - The Company: The Rise and Fall of the Hudson's Bay Empire --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/7410736-merchant-kings-when-companies-ruled-the-world-1600-1900](https://www.desertcart.us/products/7410736-merchant-kings-when-companies-ruled-the-world-1600-1900) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-09-20*