When East India Company came into being, England was ruled by:

When the East India Company was set up in the year 1600, the ruling family in England was the House of Stuart. The Stuarts had gotten their power through James I, who was the successor of Elizabeth I. During this time, the focus was on strengthening the power of the king and there was a growing interest in trade and exploration overseas. The setting up of the East India Company was a manifestation of England's desire to be on a level with other European countries like Portugal and the Netherlands in the race for global trade, especially in spices, textiles, and other precious commodities from Asia. The reign of the Stuarts thus, was at the time when England was just starting to look towards overseas trade and colonial adventures.