History
Advent of Europeans and British Expansion
European Trading Companies in India
Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danish and French companies in India for CGPSC: dates, factories, governors and the three Carnatic Wars, in exam-ready tables.
Prerequisites
- The Mughal Empire — the Europeans traded under Mughal farmans; the decline after 1707 opened the door to politics.
- Maratha Rule in Chhattisgarh — the regional powers the Company would later fight.
The Hook: Why Did Traders Need Forts?
Connect
Walk through any old market in Raipur or Bilaspur and you see shops, not fortresses. Yet the European merchants who came to India after 1498 built Fort St George, Fort William and the walls of Pondicherry. They hired soldiers, fought each other at sea and on land, and took sides in the quarrels of Indian rulers.
Why did companies formed to buy pepper and cloth end up as rival armies, and why did the English, the latecomers, win?
Why it matters: Prelims loves chronology (“arrange in order of arrival”), “first factory” questions, and match-the-following on governors and settlements. Mains GS-I asks why the English succeeded where the Portuguese, Dutch and French failed.
The Order of Arrival
timeline
title Europeans in India
1498 : Vasco da Gama reaches Calicut (Portuguese)
1600 : English East India Company chartered (31 Dec)
1602 : Dutch VOC chartered
1616 : Danish East India Company formed
1664 : French Compagnie des Indes OrientalesOrder of arrival in India: Portuguese → Dutch → English → Danes → French. Note that the English company was chartered (1600) before the Dutch (1602), but the Dutch opened a factory in India (Masulipatnam, 1605) before the English got a permanent one at Surat (1613). Exam lists of “order of arrival” follow the Portuguese–Dutch–English–Danes–French sequence.
The Portuguese (पुर्तगाली)
| Event | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sea route | Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in May 1498, received by the Zamorin (ruler of Calicut) |
| Second expedition | Pedro Álvares Cabral (1500) |
| First viceroy | Francisco de Almeida (1505–1509): the “Blue Water Policy” of control of the sea rather than land |
| Real founder of Portuguese power | Afonso de Albuquerque: captured Goa from the Sultan of Bijapur in 1510 |
| Later gains | Bassein, Diu, Daman, Salsette, Bombay, Hooghly, São Tomé (Mylapore) |
| Trade control | The cartaz (sea pass) system: Asian ships needed a Portuguese pass |
| Decline | Lost Hooghly to Shah Jahan (1632); Bombay passed to England as dowry (1661); Goa, Daman, Diu held until 1961 |
Why they declined: religious intolerance and forced conversions, piracy that alienated Indian rulers, a small home country, the union of Portugal with Spain (1580–1640), the rise of stronger Dutch and English fleets, and corruption.
The Dutch (डच)
| Event | Detail |
|---|---|
| Company | Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC), chartered 1602 |
| First factory in India | Masulipatnam (1605) |
| Other factories | Pulicat (1610), which became their early headquarters on the Coromandel coast; Surat, Chinsura, Cochin, Nagapattinam, Kasimbazar |
| Main interest | The Indonesian spice islands; India was a source of textiles to exchange for spices |
| Setbacks | Battle of Colachel (1741): defeated by Marthanda Varma of Travancore. Battle of Bedara (Chinsura), 1759: defeated by the English in Bengal |
The English East India Company (ईस्ट इंडिया कंपनी)
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 31 Dec 1600 | Charter from Queen Elizabeth I; 15-year monopoly of the eastern trade |
| 1608–1611 | Captain William Hawkins at Jahangir’s court seeking permission to trade |
| 1612 | Battle of Swally (near Surat): Thomas Best defeats a Portuguese fleet |
| 1613 | Permanent factory at Surat under a Mughal farman |
| 1615–1619 | Sir Thomas Roe, ambassador of James I, at Jahangir’s court; obtains trading rights across the empire |
| 1639 | Francis Day obtains a grant of Madraspatnam from a local Nayak; Fort St George completed in 1640 |
| 1668 | Bombay (dowry of Catherine of Braganza to Charles II, 1661) leased to the Company for £10 a year |
| 1690 | Job Charnock sets up a settlement at Sutanuti |
| 1698 | Zamindari of Sutanuti, Gobindapur and Kalikata acquired: the core of Calcutta; Fort William (named in 1700) built there |
| 1717 | Farrukhsiyar’s farman: duty-free trade in Bengal for a fixed ₹3,000 a year, called the “Magna Carta of the Company” |
The 1717 farman and Bengal
The farman let the Company trade in Bengal without customs duty and use dastaks (passes). Company servants misused these passes for private trade. The quarrel over dastaks is one root of the conflict with the Nawabs of Bengal that led to Plassey and Buxar.
The Danes and the French
Danes: Danish East India Company formed 1616; settlements at Tranquebar (Tamil Nadu, 1620) and Serampore (Bengal, 1755), their main base. They were more important for missionary printing (Serampore) than for trade, and sold their Indian settlements to the English in 1845.
French (फ्रांसीसी):
| Event | Detail |
|---|---|
| Company | Compagnie des Indes Orientales, 1664, under Colbert (minister of Louis XIV); a state-controlled company |
| First factory | Surat (1668), set up by François Caron |
| Second | Masulipatnam (1669) |
| Headquarters | Pondicherry (founded 1673–74) by François Martin, on land granted by the Bijapur governor Sher Khan Lodi |
| Bengal | Chandernagore (1690s) |
| Others | Mahe, Karaikal, Balasore, Kasimbazar |
| Peak | Governor-General Joseph François Dupleix (from 1742): intervention in Indian succession disputes |
The Anglo-French Struggle: Three Carnatic Wars
The Carnatic (कर्नाटक, the Coromandel coast and its hinterland) was the arena where trading rivalry turned into war for political control.
| War | Years | European cause | Key events | Ended by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | 1746–48 | War of Austrian Succession | French capture Madras (1746); at St Thome (Adyar), 1746, a small French force defeats the Nawab Anwaruddin’s large army | Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748): Madras returned to the English |
| Second | 1749–54 | No European war; Indian succession disputes in Hyderabad and the Carnatic | French back Muzaffar Jang and Chanda Sahib; Anwaruddin killed at Ambur (1749); Robert Clive’s capture and defence of Arcot (1751); Dupleix recalled (1754), replaced by Godeheu | Treaty of Pondicherry (1754–55) |
| Third | 1756–63 | Seven Years’ War | Battle of Wandiwash (1760): Sir Eyre Coote defeats Count de Lally; Pondicherry falls (1761) | Treaty of Paris (1763): French settlements returned but not to be fortified |
Why the English won
- Naval superiority: the Royal Navy could cut French supply lines.
- Bengal’s wealth: after Plassey (1757) the English had Bengal’s revenue to pay for war in the south; the French depended on the Deccan.
- Company structure: the English company was a private body whose shareholders wanted profit and kept it solvent; the French company was dependent on a distant, often indifferent state.
- Leadership: Clive, Coote and Lawrence versus quarrels between Dupleix, La Bourdonnais, Bussy and Lally.
- Three bases (Calcutta, Madras, Bombay) against one main base (Pondicherry).
Lessons the English learned (Mains point): Dupleix showed that a small, disciplined European-trained force could defeat large Indian armies, and that backing a claimant to a throne could yield territory and revenue. The English applied both lessons in Bengal and later through the subsidiary alliance.
Memory Tricks
Order of arrival: 'Please Don't Eat Dry Fish'
Portuguese → Dutch → English → Danes → French.
English three cities: 'Madras 39, Bombay 68, Calcutta 90'
Madras 1639 → Bombay 1668 → Calcutta 1690 (Charnock), plus Surat 1613 as the first permanent factory.
Carnatic wars: 'Aix, Pondy, Paris'
I ended at Aix-la-Chapelle (1748), II at Pondicherry (1754–55), III at Paris (1763). Battles: St Thome (I), Arcot (II), Wandiwash (III).
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Almeida: first viceroy, Blue Water Policy | Albuquerque: captured Goa (1510), real founder | |
| Colachel (1741): Dutch defeated by Travancore | Bedara (1759): Dutch defeated by the English | |
| Hawkins (1608–11): failed to get a firm farman | Thomas Roe (1615–19): got trading rights from Jahangir | |
| Masulipatnam: first Dutch factory (1605) | Surat: first permanent English (1613) and first French (1668) factory | |
| Tranquebar: Danish (1620) | Chandernagore: French; Chinsura: Dutch | |
| Dupleix: French governor who began political intervention | Lally: French commander defeated at Wandiwash |
Common Mistakes
MCQ traps
- “The Dutch company was chartered before the English.” No: English 1600, Dutch 1602.
- “Bombay was conquered by the English.” No: it came as dowry (1661) and was leased to the Company in 1668.
- “Wandiwash ended the Carnatic wars.” The war ended with the Treaty of Paris (1763); Wandiwash (1760) was the decisive battle.
- “The Treaty of Paris returned French settlements as forts.” They were returned as trading posts that could not be fortified.
- “Serampore was French.” It was Danish; Chandernagore was French.
Practice
All questions below are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- The first Dutch factory in India was set up at ______ in ______.
- Which Mughal emperor’s 1717 farman is called the “Magna Carta” of the English East India Company?
- Name the battle and the year in which Eyre Coote defeated the French commander Lally.
Answers
- Masulipatnam, 1605.
- Farrukhsiyar.
- Wandiwash, 1760 (Third Carnatic War).
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Arrange the following events in chronological order:
- Grant of Madraspatnam to Francis Day
- Permanent English factory at Surat
- Transfer of Bombay to the East India Company
- Settlement of Job Charnock at Sutanuti
- (a) 2, 1, 3, 4
- (b) 1, 2, 3, 4
- (c) 2, 1, 4, 3
- (d) 1, 2, 4, 3
Answer and explanation
(a) 2, 1, 3, 4. Surat (1613), Madras (1639), Bombay (1668), Calcutta/Sutanuti (1690).
Q2. Match List I (European power) with List II (settlement):
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Danes | 1. Pulicat |
| B. Dutch | 2. Chandernagore |
| C. French | 3. Goa |
| D. Portuguese | 4. Tranquebar |
- (a) A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3
- (b) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3
- (c) A-1, B-4, C-2, D-3
- (d) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
Answer and explanation
(b) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3. Tranquebar was Danish (1620), Pulicat Dutch (1610), Chandernagore French, and Goa Portuguese (from 1510).
Q3. Consider the following statements:
- The First Carnatic War ended with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, under which Madras was returned to the English.
- The Second Carnatic War was fought while England and France were at war in Europe.
- The Treaty of Paris (1763) allowed the French to keep their Indian settlements but not to fortify them.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(c) 1 and 3 only. Statement 2 is the trap. The Second Carnatic War (1749–54) arose from succession disputes in Hyderabad and the Carnatic, and Britain and France were officially at peace in Europe. The First was linked to the War of Austrian Succession and the Third to the Seven Years’ War.
Q4. The “Blue Water Policy” in India is associated with:
- (a) Afonso de Albuquerque
- (b) Francisco de Almeida
- (c) Joseph François Dupleix
- (d) Robert Clive
Answer and explanation
(b) Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese viceroy (1505–1509), who aimed to dominate the sea rather than conquer land. Albuquerque reversed this by capturing Goa (1510).
Q5. Which one of the following was not a reason for the English success over the French in India?
- (a) Superior naval power
- (b) Control of Bengal’s revenue after 1757
- (c) Direct and continuous support of the French Crown to its company
- (d) Bases at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay
Answer and explanation
(c). It is the opposite of the truth. The French company depended on a state that gave irregular support and often recalled its officers (Dupleix in 1754). The other three are standard reasons for the English victory.
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. (150–200 words) “The English East India Company came late to India but outlasted all its European rivals.” Explain the reasons.
Model answer outline
- Intro: The Portuguese (1498) and the Dutch (1605 factory) were ahead of the English (Surat, 1613), yet by 1763 the English were supreme.
- Body:
- Against the Portuguese: intolerance, piracy, union with Spain; English naval victory at Swally (1612).
- Against the Dutch: Dutch focus on the Indonesian spice islands; defeat at Bedara (1759).
- Against the French: naval superiority; Bengal’s revenue after Plassey; a profit-driven, financially sound company versus a state-run one; better generals (Clive, Coote).
- Three Presidencies gave strategic depth; Mughal farmans (1717) gave trading privileges.
- Conclusion: Commercial strength, sea power and the Bengal base explain why the latecomer became the ruler.
Q2. (60 words) What was the significance of the Carnatic Wars for later British expansion?
Model answer outline
- Ended French political ambitions (Wandiwash 1760, Treaty of Paris 1763).
- Showed that small European-trained armies could defeat large Indian forces.
- Taught the method of backing claimants to Indian thrones for territory and revenue, later formalised as the subsidiary alliance.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vasco da Gama | Calicut, May 1498 |
| Almeida / Albuquerque | First viceroy, Blue Water Policy / Goa 1510 |
| Portuguese end in India | Goa, Daman, Diu: 1961 |
| Dutch VOC | 1602; Masulipatnam 1605; Pulicat 1610; Colachel 1741; Bedara 1759 |
| English EIC | 31 Dec 1600; Surat 1613; Madras 1639; Bombay 1668; Calcutta 1690 |
| Hawkins / Roe | Jahangir’s court 1608–11 / 1615–19 |
| Farrukhsiyar’s farman | 1717: duty-free Bengal trade for ₹3,000 a year |
| Danes | 1616; Tranquebar 1620; Serampore 1755; sold to English 1845 |
| French company | 1664 (Colbert); Surat 1668; Pondicherry 1673–74 (François Martin) |
| Carnatic I | 1746–48; St Thome; Aix-la-Chapelle |
| Carnatic II | 1749–54; Ambur, Arcot (1751); Pondicherry treaty |
| Carnatic III | 1756–63; Wandiwash 1760; Treaty of Paris 1763 |
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- Arrival order is Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danes, French, but the English charter (1600) is older than the Dutch (1602).
- The English built three Presidencies: Madras (1639), Bombay (1668), Calcutta (1690), with Surat (1613) as the first permanent factory.
- Farrukhsiyar’s farman (1717) gave duty-free trade in Bengal and planted the seeds of conflict with the Nawabs.
- The Carnatic Wars settled the Anglo-French contest; Wandiwash (1760) was decisive.
- The English won through sea power, Bengal’s revenue and a sound company structure.
What’s Next
- Battles of Plassey and Buxar — how the Company became ruler of Bengal
- Expansion Policies — subsidiary alliance and Doctrine of Lapse
- British Expansion — Quick Revision
- Constitutional Development (1773–1950) — how Parliament began regulating the Company
Advertisement