British India Steam Navigation Company ("BI") was formed in 1856 as the Calcutta and Burmah Steam Navigation Company.

History

The ''Calcutta and Burmah Steam Navigation Company'' had been formed out of Mackinnon, Mackenzie & Co, a trading partnership of the Scots William Mackinnon and Robert Mackenzie, to carry mail between

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

and

Rangoon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...

. It became British India SN Co in 1862. Under the hand of Lord Inchcape, who had become chairman in 1913, the company became part of the P&O group of companies in 1914 through a complex

amalgamation Amalgamation is the process of combining or uniting multiple entities into one form. Amalgamation, amalgam, and other derivatives may refer to: Mathematics and science * Amalgam (chemistry), the combination of mercury with another metal **Pan ama ...

, but continued with its own identity and organisation for another nearly 60 years until 1972, when it was entirely absorbed into P&O. P&O was eventually sold to Emirati logistics company

DP World DP World is a multinational logistics company based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It specialises in cargo logistics, port terminal operations, maritime services and free trade zones. Formed in 2005 by the merger of Dubai Ports Authority and ...

in 2006.

Fleet and routes

As one of the largest shipowners of all time, the company owned more than 500 ships and managed 150 more for other owners. At its height in 1922, BI had more than 160 ships in the fleet, many built on

Clydeside Greater Glasgow is an urban settlement in Scotland consisting of all localities which are physically attached to the city of Glasgow, forming with it a single contiguous urban area (or conurbation). It does not relate to municipal government ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. The main shipping routes of the line were:

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

, Tanganyika. The company ran services from India to

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region. Many South Asian and Southe ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. BI had a long history of service to the British and Indian governments through trooping and other military contracts. In the last decade of its operational existence BI carried thousands of school children on educational cruises. was sunk in February 1917 by a torpedo from a German

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

off the coast of

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

with a substantial cargo of silver bullion. The cargo ship , carrying

silver bullion Bullion is non-ferrous metal that has been refined to a high standard of elemental purity. The term is ordinarily applied to bulk metal used in the production of coins and especially to precious metals such as gold and silver. It comes from t ...

pig iron Pig iron, also known as crude iron, is an intermediate good used by the iron industry in the production of steel. It is developed by smelting iron ore in a blast furnace. Pig iron has a high carbon content, typically 3.8–4.7%, along with si ...

and tea, which was sunk at great depth by the in February 1941 some southwest of

Galway Bay Galway Bay ( Irish: ''Loch Lurgain'' or ''Cuan na Gaillimhe'') is a bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south; Galway ...

, Ireland, carried the richest cargo of any sunken ship in world history. Some of the company's better known passenger ships included , , , , ''Leicestershire'', , , the sister ships and , and and , and , which was sunk by a terrorist bomb in 1961. of 1956 was the final passenger ship built for BI. Serving as a

troopship A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable to land troops directly on shore, typic ...

until redundant in 1962, ''Nevasa'' was assigned new duties with the BI educational

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours k ...

flotilla until 1974, when she became uneconomic due a four fold increase in crude oil prices and was scrapped in 1975 having earlier been joined in this trade by the more economic ''Uganda''. The highly popular ''Uganda'' was taken up (

STUFT A STUFT (acronym for ship taken up from trade) is a UK civilian ship requisitioned for government use. The Falklands War of 1982 saw a diversity of ships taken up from trade, including tankers with potable Drinking water or potable water ...

) by the British

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

in 1982 as a

hospital ship A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating healthcare, medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navy, navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or ...

during the

Falklands War The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...

with

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

. Returning to BI's tradition of government service again in 1983 – this time as a troopship – ''Uganda'' was "the last BI" when finally withdrawn in 1985. ''

Dwarka Dwarka () is a town and municipality of Devbhumi Dwarka district in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Gujarat. It is located on the western shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula on the right bank of the Gomti river at ...

'' holds the distinction of closing British-India's true "liner" services, when withdrawn from the company's

local trades in 1982, in her 35th year.

Company timeline

Rank badges of
ship's complement A ship's company or complement comprises all officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel aboard a naval vessel, excluding civilians and guests. United States Aircraft-capable ships An exception to this rule is the definition of shi ...

File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Commander.png, Commander File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Chief officer with superior certificate.png, Chief Officer
with superior certificate File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Chief officer with certificate.png, Chief Officer
with certificate of rank File:British India Steam Navigation Company - 2nd officer with superior certificate.png, Second Officer
with superior certificate File:British India Steam Navigation Company - 3rd officer with certificate of rank.png, Second Officer
with certificate of rank File:British India Steam Navigation Company - 3rd officer with certificate.png, Third Officer
with certificate of rank File:British India Steam Navigation Company - 4th officer with certificate.png, Fourth Officer
with certificate of rank File:British India Steam Navigation Company - 3rd & 4th officer without certificate.png, Third & Fourth Officer
without certificate File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Cadet.png, Cadet File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Chief engineer officer.png, Chief Engineer Officer File:British India Steam Navigation Company - 2nd engineer officer with superior certificate.png, Second Engineer Officer
with superior certificate File:Placeholder-image.png, Second Engineer Officer
with certificate of rank File:British India Steam Navigation Company - 3rd engineer officer with certificate.png, Third Engineer Officer
with certificate File:Placeholder-image.png, Third Engineer Officer File:British India Steam Navigation Company - 4th engineer officer.png, Fourth Engineer Officer File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Junior engineer officer.png, Junior Engineer Officer File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Senior electrician.png, Senior Electrician File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Second electrician.png, Second Electrician File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Junior electrician.png, Junior Electrician File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Senior purser.png, Senior Purser File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Purser.png, Purser File:Placeholder-image.png, Assistant Purser File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Chief steward.png, Chief Steward File:British India Steam Navigation Company - 2nd steward.png, Second Steward File:British India Steam Navigation Company - 3rd steward.png, Extra Second Steward File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Doctor.png, Doctor File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Nurse sister.png, Nursing Sister File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Matron.png, Matron File:British India Steam Navigation Company - Assistant matron.png, Assistant Matron Source: ''BIShip.''
2022-09-01.

References

* C. Michael Hogan. 2011
''SS Gairsoppa recovery''. Topic ed. P.Saundry. Ed.-in-chief C.J.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment, Washington DC

External links