Steam arrived as the company's political role changed

Were there steam East Indiamen before the East India Company's nationalization?

The trade was starting toward steam, but the number already in service is uncertain. Nationalization mainly concerned company rule in India, while the merchant type was also evolving into Blackwall frigates.

Steam propulsion was beginning to enter the trade, but the answer does not establish how many steam East Indiamen were already in service. Nationalization chiefly concerned the company's government of India, so it should not be treated as a single cutoff for merchant propulsion. By the 1830s, the classic East Indiaman was already changing name and form through the Blackwall frigate transition. Modern container ships are compared with these sailing vessels through their bulk-carrying function.