HISTORY ASSIGNMENT

Topic: Advent of Europeans in India

Assignment no – i.e. 1

Submitted to – Assistant professor Shanu Anjankumar Sahay

Submitted by- Khushi tejwani

College name- Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh college of law.

Advent of Europeans in India

Due to the high demand for these European commodities, the goods
from India had to go via numerous countries and hands. These
imported items were then subject to tolls and charges imposed by
Middle Eastern and North African tyrants. Therefore, European trading
companies sought to build their business hubs within India to increase
earnings and sailed there directly, Leading to the arrival of European
companies in India.

However, maritime trade had many challenges, including piracy and

natural disasters. When Arabs conquered these nations in the seventh
century, the ancient trade routes through Egypt and the Persian Gulf
through Syria were cut off. As a result, trade with India was
monopolized, And goods from India were shipped to marketplaces in
the Levant.

Additionally, the overland route was shut when the Turks took
Constantinople in 1453. Venetian and Genoese businesspeople gained
control of the trade between Europe and Asia. They refused to share it
with the rising nation-states of Western Europe, particularly Spain and
Portugal.

Advent of European in India Chronological Order:

As of 1498, the following is the timeline of the advent of the European

in India:

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 Sr. Event Year Place
No
1. Arrival of the Portuguese 1498 Calicut, Kerala

2. Arrival of the Britishers 1600 Gujarat

3. Arrival of the Dutch 1602 Masulipatam,

Andhra Pradesh
4. Arrival of the Danes 1616 Tamil Nadu

5. Arrival of the French 1664 Pondicherry

6. Commencement of Formal 1757 Surat

British

Arrival of Portuguese:

The Portuguese were the first to discover a direct path to India by sea,
setting the foundation for the advent of European in India. The
Portuguese navigators began the European Age of discovery when
Prince Henry, the Navigator, established a nautical school in Portugal.
Because portugal developed the most cutting-edge ships, such as the
Caravel, the Carrack, and the glleon, maritime navigation became
possible for the first time in history.

As a result of the Portuguese Empire, the Portuguese Kingdom could

chart and discover much of the world’s coastlines and maritime routes
to the East and West. This led to incredible expeditions, such as the
discovery of the sea route to India via the Cape of Good Hope. Vasco
Da Gama, who arrived in Calicut through the Cape of Good Hope in
May 1498 and was warmly welcomed by the local king Zamorin,
served as the leader of the first Portuguese mission. The Portuguese
dispatched the second mission in 1500 under Pedro Alwares Cabral.

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The Portuguese Enterprise established its commercial stations in India
as the first European trading corporation. They established trading
outposts at Cochin, Goa, Daman and Diu, Salsette and Bassein, and
Bombay. The Cartaz System was developed by the Portuguese. The
cartaz was a maritime trade license or permit granted by the
Portuguese in the Indian Ocean during the sixteenth century (about
1502-1750) when the Portuguese empire was in charge.

The Portuguese used this strategy once they gained control of the
export-import across the Indian Ocean. After the entrance of the
Portuguese, tobacco cultivation, shipbuilding (in Gujarat And Calicut),
and printing press use all started. Additionally, they helped to shape
Gothic Architecture and its impact on India.

Arrival of British:

The arrival of the British was a significant event in the advent of

European in India. The founding of the British East India Company
resulted from the profits made by Portuguese traders selling their
wares in India. A group of businessmen formed the “Governor of
Corporation of Merchants of London Trading to the East Indies”
company in 1599, specifically for this purpose. On december 31, 1600,
Queen Elizabeth I awarded this firm a royal charter allowing it to
conduct business only with Eastern nations for 15 years.

James I of England despatched Captain William Hawkins to Jahangir’s

court in 1608 to request permission to set up trading posts in India.
He was the first British person to enter India by sea. The Portuguese

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and Surat local traders initially opposed the emperor, but the
Portuguese naval Contingent’s loss by English captain Middleton in
1611 changed the emperor’s mind.After that, in 1613, the Mughal
emperor authorized the establishment of the East India company’s
factory at Surat with an imperial firman. However, the British were not
happy and, in 1615, sent a second mission led by Sir Thomas Roe to
request additional concessions. This time, the Mughal Empire’s
Emperor Jahangir approved the construction of factories anywhere
inside the Mughal Empire. As a result, the British built their plants in
Bharuch, Ahmedabad, and Agra.

At Masulipattam in Southern India, the British built their first factory

outside of the Mughal empire in 1611; Madras (1639) and Hooghly
(1642) followed (1651). The factory was founded in Orissa’s Balasore
in 1633 in eastern India. In exchange for a yearly payment of ‘3,000,
the company was granted the exclusive right to conduct business from
Bengal without paying customs duties in 1691.

In exchange for a payment of ’12,00, the Subedar of Bengal, Azim ush

Shan, granted the British the zamindari rights to Sutanuti, Kalikata,
and Gobindpur, where they built the present-day city of Calcutta and a
fort known as Fort St. Williams. In the meantime, King Charles
received bombay as a dowry from the Portuguese in 1662. The King of
England leased Bombay to the east India Company.

The firm received permission from the King of Chandragiri in 1639 to

build a factory close to madras, where the British had already built
Fort St. George. In addition to confirming the company’s advantages in
1717, Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar also granted the corporation
Several new privileges, such as the ability to trade from Bengal
without paying tax in exchange For an annual payment of ‘3,000.

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Additionally, it granted them the right to use the Bombay mint to
produce their coins. This list of rights has been referred to as “the
Magna Carta of the East India Company.”

Arrival of Dutch:

Additionally, the Dutch developed their commercial hubs in India. First

Dutchman to enter India Was Comelis de Houtman. In 1602, the
Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, or VOC, often known as the Dutch
East India Company, was established. They defeated the Portuguese
and took control of the regions of India where spices were grown.
Their trading posts were founded in Gujarat, Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.

At Masulipattam, the first Dutch factory was founded in 1605. More

significant factories were at pulikat (1610), Surat (1616), Kasim
Bazar, Patna, Balasore, Nagpattnam, and Cochin. At peepli, the first
Dutch factory in Bengal was founded in 1627. The Dutch traded mainly
rice, opium, raw silk, indigo, and spices. The Dutch merchants are to
blame for India becoming a central hub for textile export. Their major
centre was Pulicat until Nagapattinam eventually took its place.

The Dutch company’s trading system was based on the cartel system.
A dividend of 18% was given to shareholders by the Dutch
corporation, which is considered a first in commercial history. The
Travancore ruler Marthanda Verma soundly defeated them in the
Battle of Colachel in 1741 and by Robert Clive’s British forces in the
Battle of Bedara in 1759. The declining economy, high degree of
centralization, dominance of the spice trade, the relative weakness of
The Dutch navy compared to the British, etc., were the causes of the
Dutch collapse.

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Arrival of Danes:

People from Denmark are referred to as Danish or Danes. For 225

years, Denmark controlled Colonial territories in India. The settlements
of Tranquebar (Tamil Nadu), Serampore (Bengal), And the Nicobar
Islands were all part of the Danish possessions in India. Their Indian
Headquarters were in Serampore. Marcelis de Boshouwer, a Dutch
explorer, catalyzed Danish Involvement in the Indian subcontinent.

He asked for armed assistance against the Portuguese in return for the
helping party’s promise to hold a monopoly over all business dealings.
5 Europeans first arrived in India He convinced christian IV, King of
Denmark-Norway, with his justification. He thus authorized the Danish
East India Company to have a 12-year monopoly on trade between
Denmark and Asia when he signed a charter in 1616.

In 1799 A.D., Danish missionaries founded Serampore Mission Press in

Serampore. In the end, The Danes could not consolidate their position
in India, and in 1845 they sold every outpost there to the British.

Arrival of French:

The French were the last Europeans to arrive in India and thus also the
last to feature on the list of the advent of European in India. French
businesses entered India last among those from europe. The French
Trading Company was established in 1664 under Louis XIV, thanks to
the efforts of his minister Colbert. Since the government started, it
also governed, provided funding,and exercised control over it. Francois
Caron founded the first French factory in India in Surat in 1667.

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Following this, Marcara opened a factory at Masulipattam in 1669 with
approval from the golkonda monarch. Martin oversaw the
establishment of Pondicherry in 1673. The Nawab of bengal Shaista
Khan designated a location for the trading post to be built in
Chandranagar.

In 1690 CE, the French captured Chandranagore, close to Calcutta,

from governor Shaista khan. The French built industries in Karaikal,
Balasore, Mahe, and Qasim Bazar. The Anglo-French conflict began
with the arrival of French administrator Joseph Francois Dupleix in
India Around 1742 CE, and it culminated in the fabled Carnatic wars.

Conclusion:

Europeans came to India to trade, but they soon took over the
country’s politics and Administration. The Portuguese were the
first Europeans to travel to India after Vasco da Gama Opened
a direct maritime route in 1498. In 1600, Queen Elizabeth
granted the English Merchants who created the East India
Company the sole right to trade in the East. As a result, India
was dominated by the United Kingdom for more than 200
years.