1600
1600 is the year the English East India Company was chartered.
Where 1600 fits
Why 1600 is special
It began as a trading venture and ended up governing a subcontinent with a private army larger than Britain's. It is the standard example of a corporation acquiring state powers, and its dissolution in 1874 is equally instructive.
Same number, different meanings
How 1600 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
It began as a trading venture and ended up governing a subcontinent with a private army larger than Britain's. It is the standard example of a corporation acquiring state powers, and its dissolution in 1874 is equally instructive.
- History
In 1600, the English East India Company received its royal charter (England).
- Finance & economics
The East India Company was chartered as a trading venture and ended up governing a subcontinent with a private army larger than Britain's. It is the standard historical example of a corporation acquiring state powers, and its 1874 dissolution is equally instructive about how that ends.
1600 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (21)
- 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 16, 20, 25, 32, 40, 50, 64, 80, 100, 160, 200, 320, 400, 800, 1600
- Prime factorisation
- 2^6 × 5^2
- Digit sum
- 7
- Digital root
- 7
Representations
- Decimal
- 1600
- Scientific notation
- 1.600 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M D C
Binary
1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 0 × 256 + 0 × 128 + 1 × 64 + 0 × 32 + 0 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 0 × 4 + 0 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 1,600
Octal
3 1 0 0
3 × 512 + 1 × 64 + 0 × 8 + 0 × 1 = 1,600
Hexadecimal
6 4 0
6 × 256 + 4 × 16 + 0 × 1 = 1,600
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 64 = 1,600.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 6 coils of rope
1 × 1,000 + 6 × 100 = 1,600. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
2 corner wedges + 6 vertical wedges (sixties place), 4 corner wedges (units place)
26 × 60 + 40 = 1600. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Abundant number
- Powerful number
Related numbers & connections
1600 is a year in the 16th century, in the 1600s.
The English and Dutch East India Companies were founded two years apart and competed for the same trade. The Dutch company issued tradable public shares, which is where stock markets begin.
View 1602 →History
In 1600, the English East India Company received its royal charter (England).
DocumentedHistoryGeography: EnglandPeriod: 1600
Finance & economics
The East India Company was chartered as a trading venture and ended up governing a subcontinent with a private army larger than Britain's. It is the standard historical example of a corporation acquiring state powers, and its 1874 dissolution is equally instructive about how that ends.
DocumentedFinance & economicsGeography: England and IndiaPeriod: 1600–1874
Common questions
Is 1600 a prime number?
No, 1600 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1600?
The factors of 1600 are 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 16, 20, 25, 32, 40, 50, 64, 80, 100, 160, 200, 320, 400, 800, 1600.
What is 1600 in Roman numerals?
1600 in Roman numerals is MDC.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 2 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026