ADVENT OF THE EUROPEANS & DECLINE OF THE MUGHALS

Advent of the Europeans

Company Co. Headquarter (s)
Established in

1st to come Portuguese East India Co. 1498 AD Cochin (1510), Goa (1530-1961)
to India &
Last to leave

2nd to come Dutch United East India Co. 1602 AD East Coast Coromandel, Pulicat (till
to India 1690-- shifted to Nagapattinam in
1690), Bengal Hooghly (1655)

3rd to come English East India Co. 1600 AD West Coast: Surat (1608-87), Bombay
to India (from 1687)
East Coast: Coromandel,
Masulipatnam (1611-14), Madras (from
1641)
Bengal: Under Madras (upto 1700),
Calcutta (from 1700)
Delhi (from 1911)

4th to come Danish East India Co. 1616 AD Serampore (Bengal) (1676-1845)
to India

5th (Last) to French East India Co. 1664 AD Surat (1668-1673), Pondicherry
come to (1673-1754)
India
In 1498, Vasco da gama discovered sea route to India so the first Europeans came to India were
Portuguese.
In 1961, After independence Portuguese left Goa and Daman & Diu. So, the last Europeans left India
were also Portuguese.

1] In 1487 Portuguese navigator, Bartholomeu Dias, rounded the Cape of Good Hope in Africa opening the
way for a sea route from Europe to Asia.

2] In May (20th) 1498 Vasco da Gama (reign of King Manuel-I ) arrived in Calicut with 3 ships under him led by
a Gujarati pilot named Abdul Majid. Hindu ruler of Calicut, the Zamorin accorded friendly reception. Vasco da
Gama stayed in India for 3 months.
Vasco Da Gama voyaged to India thrice (1497-98, 1502-03, and 1524) before he died in India in 1524.
In 1502 he established Factory in Cochin.

3] In 1505 Portuguese King Manuel-I appointed Francisco de Almeida first governor in India.

4] In 1509 Alfonso de Albuquerque succeeded Almeida as the Governor. He acquired Goa from the Sultan of
Bijapur in 1510. He is also known to have abolished the practice of Sati in Goa.

5] Nino da Cunha became the Portuguese Governor in 1529. In 1530 he shifted the Capital for Cochin to Goa.

www.mywbcsonline.com
6] Portuguese lose favour with the Mughals. In 1608 Captain William Hawkins (English) with the ship Hector
reached Surat - brought with him letter from King James I to Jahangir (Mughal) requesting for permission to do
business in India. Jahangir accepted the gifts & appointed him as a mansabdar.
Hawkins left Mughal court in 1611 after the Portuguese stopped the English ships from entering the port
of Surat. In 1612, English Ship Dragon under Captain Best along with a little ship Osiander, successfully
fought a Portuguese fleet & captured Surat. Jahangir (had no such navy) learnt of the English success & was
greatly impressed.

7] In 1632 siege of Hooghly began. Shah Jahan ordered the Bengal Governor Qasim Khan to take action
against the Portuguese. He finally led to the Portuguese fleeing.

8] In 1661, in one of the most interesting events, Bombay was presented to King Charles II of England as part
of the dowry, when he married Princess Catherine de Braganza (daughter of King John IV of Portugal).

9] In 1663 The Dutch won all Portuguese forts on the malabar coast.

10] Factors behind Portuguese decline: i) Emergence of powerful dynasties in Egypt, Persia & North India and
the appearance of the Marathas as neighbours; ii) Political fears; iii) Rise of Dutch & English

11] By 18th century the Portuguese in India lost their commercial influence.

12] Cornelis de Houtman was the first Dutchman to reach Sumatra & Bantam (in Indonesia) in 1596.

13] After arriving in India the Dutch founded their first factory in Masulipatnam (Andhra P) in 1605.
Other factories : pulicat (1610), Surat (1616), Chinsurah (1653), Baranagar, Kasimbazar, Patna,
Nagapatnam (1658), Cochin (1663).

14] In 1759 the English defeated the Dutch in the Battle of Bidara/ Bedara.

15] In 1599 a group of English merchants calling themselves the “ Merchant Adventurers” formed a company.
on December 31,1600 Queen Elizabeth 1 issued a charter with the rights of trading to company named
“Governor and Company of merchants of London trading into the East Indies” .

16] In August 1608 Captain Hawkins (English) arrived (Surat) in Jahangir’s court.

17] With Captain Thomas Best’s Victory over the Portuguese (1612), the English established their first Factory
at Surat (1613) . Subsequently Thomas Roe (1615) secured permission from Jahangir to establish factories at
Agra Ahmedabad and Broach.
East India Company had since 1611 been based at Masulipatam (South India) on the Coromandel
coast of India. In 1616 a factory branch was opened there.
In 1632 English East India Company established first factory in East India at Hariharpur, Balasore (
Orissa).
In 1639 Madras (Chennai) was founded by English East India Company.
Aurangzeb in 1691 issued a farman granting right to trade duty free to the company in Bengal.

18] In 1632 The English East India Company got the Golden Farman from the Sultan of Golconda which
ensured safety and prosperity of their trade.
www.mywbcsonline.com
19] Bombay came under the control of the English company with Charles II ( receiving as dowry).

20] Masulipatnam was the English headquarters on the east coast.

21] The city of Calcutta (founder Job Charnock, a company agent) grew from the development of three villages
Sutanuti, Gobindapur & Kalikata (Kalighat) secured from the Mughal governor of Bengal. The fortified
settlement was named Fort William (1700) And it became the seat of British power in India till 1911.

22] In 1717 The Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar’s Farmans, call the Magna Carta of the East India Co., gave
significant trading privileges to the company in Bengal, Gujarat and Hyderabad.

23] The company eventually faced competition from another group of English investors and merchants, and
the two merged in 1708 as the “United Company of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies”

24] Company rule in India effectively began in 1757 and lasted until 1858, when, following the Indian Rebellion
of 1857, the Government of India Act 1858 led to the British Crown's assuming direct control of the Indian
subcontinent in the form of the new British Raj.

25] Danish East India Co. was established in 1616 and in 1620 They founded a factory act Tranquebar near
Tanjore (Now Thanjavur, TN) on the eastern coast of India. principal settlement was at Serampore near
Calcutta.

26] The Danish factories which were not important at anytime were sold to the British government in 1845.

27] The Danes where vitamin for their missionary activities rather than for Trading.

28] French where the last Europeans to come to India with the purpose of trade. During the reign of Louis XIV,
is famous Minister colbert laid the foundation of the “Compagnie des Indes Orientales” (French East India Co.)
in 1664.
In 1720 The French company was recognised as the “ Perpetual Company of the Indies”.

29] Pondicherry- main centre of French power in India- was founded in 1674. It was incorporated into Indian
Union in 1954.

Anglo-French rivalry in India:- Three Carnatic Wars

First Carnatic War (1740-48) - An extension of the Anglo French rivalry in Europe.
Second Carnatic War (1749-54) - Undermined the French power in South India.
Third Carnatic War (1758-63) - A decisive war known for the battle of Wandiwash (1760-61) where the French
were defeated by the British. Involved persons were: Count de Lally (French General), Sir Eyre Coote (British
Lieutenant General)

QUESTION-ANSWERS

1. What was the occasion for the Portuguese to hand over Bombay to the British?
(a) Growth of peaceful relations between the English and the Portuguese as a result of Portugal’s
www.mywbcsonline.com
 independence from the control of Spain.
(b) The marriage of Charles II with the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza.
(c) The defeat of Spanish Armada by the British in 1588.
(d) The Treaty of Madrid concluded in 1630.

2. Which two Europeans were involved in the Battle of Wandiwash in 1760?

(a) Portuguese and Spanish
(b) Dutch and British
(c) French and British
(d) Portuguese and British

3. When and by whom were the Portuguese driven out of Hughli in Bengal?
(a) 1631-Qasim Khan
(b) 1666-Prince Shuja
(c) 1625-Shaista Khan
(d) 1650-Prince Murad

4. The British paramountcy in India was completed in 1856 with

(a) Annexation of Punjab
(b) Annexation of Sind
(c) Annexation of Carnatic
(d) Annexation of Awadh

5. By which Governor General and when was the Carnatic state annexed?
(a) Lord Minto-1808
(b) Lord Wellesley-1801
(c) Sir John Shore-1797
(d) Lord Cornwallis-1792

6. Why did British resort to the ‘Downward Filtration Theory’ till 1854
(a) To justify their social policy in India
(b) To justify their education policy in India
(c) To justify their industrial policy in India
(d) To justify their commercial policy in India

7. Madras was restored to the English by the French by

(a) The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
(b) The Treaty of Pondicherry (1754)
(c) The Treaty of Salbai (1782)
(d) The Treaty of Mangalore (1784)

8. Who was the founder of the autonomous kingdom of Awadh or Oudh?

(a) Safdar Jang (b) Saadat Khan
(c) Shuja-ud-daula (d) Asaf-ud-daula

9. Which one of the following statements about the rule of Saadat Khan in Awadh is not correct?
(a) He suppressed the lawless and rebellious zamindars and thus increased the financial resources of
his government
(b) He carried out a fresh revenue settlement
(c) He improved the lot of the peasants by levying equitable land revenue and by protecting them from
oppressive zamindars
(d) He took several steps to improve trade and commerce
www.mywbcsonline.com
10. What were Calicoes?
(a) Indigo exported from India
(b) Cotton exported from India
(c) Textile exported from India
(d) Precious stories exported from India

11. Who was the first Portuguese Viceroy in India?

(a) Vasco-da-Gama (b) Albuquerque
(c) Da Almeida (d) Duarte Pacheo

12. The Cape of Good Hope was discovered by

(a) Vasco-da-Gama (b) Dc almeida
(c) Albuquerque Diaz (d) Bartholomew

13. “The greater the number of the forts you hold the weaker will be your power. Let our forces be on the sea,
because if we should not be powerful at sea, everything will be at once against it” whose words are these?
(a) Vasco-da-Gama (b) Albuquerque
(c) Da Almeida (d) Duarte Pacheo

14. Who is commonly known as the ‘Navigator’?

(a) King John II (b) Price Henry
(c) King Emmanuel (d) Pope Alexander VI

15. The Portuguese established their first business centre at

(a) Calicut (b) Surat
(c) Goa (d) Cochin
The Portuguese explorer, Pedro Alvarez Cabral established the first European (Portuguese) factory at
Calicut
In 1502 Vasco da Gama established Factory in Cochin.

16. The Danish established a factory in 1620 at

(a) Pondicherry (b) Calicut
(c) Tranquebar (d) Goa

17. Which one of the following powers was the first to establish trade links with India?
(a) English (b) Dutch
(c) Portuguese (d) French

18. Identify the wrong statement with regard to Dutch interest and activities in India.
(a) Several attempts were made by the Dutch to monopolies the channels of trade between India
and the West
(b) They took no part in politics or cultural contacts
(c) They became the carriers of trade between India and the islands of the Far East
(d) They treated the people of India ruthlessly and also exploited them

19. From which Mughal Emperor did John Mildenhall tried to obtain a farman for trade in Gujarat?
(a) Akbar (b) Jahangir
(b) Aurangzeb (d) None of these

20. The commercial rivalry between the Dutch and the English in India came to an end
(a) As a result of an agreement between the trading stations at Government of Britain and Holland in
www.mywbcsonline.com
 1609
(b) Following issuance of orders granting monopoly in favour of the British East India Company by the
Pope
(c) With the defeat of the Dutch at the battle of Bedara in 1759
(d) As a result of the ‘Massacre at Amboyna’

21. Due to commercial rivalry the Dutch indulged in the massacre of Englishmen at
(a) Malacca (b) Amboyna
(c) Surat (d) Cassimbazar

22. Which of the following statement is true with regard to the Golden Farman
(a) It granted the privilege of trading in Bengal in return for a fixed annual payment of duties worth Rs.
3000
(b) It allowed free trade in the ports belonging to the kingdom of Golkunda on payment of duties
with 500 pagodas
(c) The English factories were not bothered with demands of customs for goods imported or exported
by land or by water
(d) The English were allowed to fortify their positions on Indian soil

23 Who among the following Mughal Emperors, granted permission to trade free of tax in the territories of
Bengal. Hyderabad and Gujarat to the British?
(a) Aurangzeb
(b) Farrukh-siyar
(c) Bahadur Shah
(d) Muhammad Shah

24. In which year were Factories opened for the first time in Orissa.
(a) 1613 A.D. (b) 1632 A.D.
(c) 1639 A.D. (d) 1663 A.D.

25. The first article in which the English started trading was
(a) Indigo (b) Saltpetre
(c) Cotton (d) Pepper

26. After 1880, Railways were built during British rule in India through–
(a) Indian merchants or money-lenders
(b) Private enterprise
(c) State Agency
(d) B and C both

27. Who among the following Europeans were the last to come to pre-independent India as traders ?
a. The Portuguese
b. The French
c. The English
d. The Dutch

28. The founder of the autonomous Kingdom of Avadh was :

a. Shuja-ud-Daula
b. Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk
c. Safdarjang
d. Sher Shah
www.mywbcsonline.com
29. Which one of the following was the first fort constructed by the British in India ?
a. Fort william --1700
b. Fort St. George -- Chennai 1644
c. Fort St. David -- sold by Marathas in 1690
d. Fort St. Angelo -- By Portuguese in 1505

30. Who Was the first British Governor of Sindh ?

a. Sir Charls Napier
b. Sir John kanea
c. Sir Henry Lawarance
d. Robert Montgomery

31. The earliest Surat factories were established by ?

a. The Portuguese
b. The French
c. The English
d. The Dutch

32. In India among the following locations, the Dutch established their earliest factory at ?
a. Surat
b. Pulicat
d. Cochin
d. Kashimbazar
option-wise b. Pulicat in 1610; in general Masulipatnam in 1605

33. The Battle of Bedera in 1759 was fought between ?

a. English and Portugese
b .English and Dutch
c. English and French
d. English and Indian

34. Who introduced the “policy of Imperialism ” in India?

a. Francisco de Almeida
b. Nino da cunha
c. Alfonso de Albuquerque
d. Martim Afonso de souza

35. Who among the following introduced the “Blue Water Policy ” in India?
a. Francisco de Almeida
b. Nino da cunha
c. Alfonso de Albuquerque
d. Martim Afonso de souza

36. Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India in Which one of the following time ?
a. 15th May, 1498
b. 16th May, 1498
c. 17th May, 1498
d. 18th May, 1498

37. Who were the first European to set up sea trade centres in India ?
www.mywbcsonline.com
 a. The Portuguese
b. The French
c. The English
d. The Dutch

The reign of Aurangzeb (1658-1707 CE) was the beginning of the end of Mughal rule in India.

Later Mughals (1707-1857)

Emperor Reign Important Issues

Shah Alam I / Bahadur Shah I / 1707-1712 ● Eldest son of Aurangzeb

Muazzam (Real Name) ● Khafi Khan gave the title of ‘Shah-i-Bekhabar’
● Real power in the hands of wazir Zulfiqar Khan
● Adopted a pacific policy with the Marathas, the
Rajputs, and the Jats
● Maratha prince Shahu was released on the advice
of Zulfiqar Khan

Jahandar Shah 1712-1713 ● First puppet ruler of Mughals

● Real power again in the hands of wazir Zulfiqar
Khan (Nobleman of Aurangzeb)
● Introduced evil Practice of Ijarah (Revenue Farming)

Farrukhsiyar 1713-1719 ● Ascended the throne after killing Jahandar Shah

with the help of Saiyyad brothers-known as King
Makers’ (Abdullah Khan- wazir & Hussain Ali Khan
mir bakshi)
● Executed Sikh leader Banda Bahadur
● In 1717 give many farmans to the British
● In 1719 he was killed by Saiyyad brothers with the
help of Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath- first time in the
Mughal history an emperor killed by his nobles

Rafi us Dajarat 28Feb 1719- ● Placed on the Throne by Saiyyad brothers

4 June 1719 ● Ruled for the least period
● Died of Tuberculosis

Rafi ud Daula / Shah Jahan II 6June 1719- ● Placed on the Throne by Saiyyad brothers
17Sept 1719 ● An opium addict, died of Dysentery

Muhammad Shah / Rangeela 1719-1748 ● Nephew of Jahandar Shah

● Luxurious life-style
● Expert Kathak dancer
● Killed the Saiyyad brothers with the help of
Nizam-ul-Mulk who later became the wazir &
founded independent state Hyderabad
● Independent states Awadh (Saadat Khan) & Bengal

www.mywbcsonline.com
 (Murshid Quli Khan) was also founded
● In 1739 Nadir Shah (Persian) invaded India &
defeated the Mughals in the Battle of Karnal
(24Feb,1739); took the ‘Kohinoor’
● Ahmad Shah Abdali / Durrani (founder of the
modern state of Afghanistan) too raided Mughal
kingdom for the first time

Ahmad Shah 1748-1754 ● Multiple invasions of Ahmad Shah Abdali

● Was an incompetent ruler, state affairs were left in
the hands of Udham Bai (the Queen Mother)

Alamgir II 1754-1759 ● Grandson of Jahandar Shah

● Battle of Plassey (1757) - victory of the British East
India Company over the Nawab of Bengal- Siraj.

Shah Alam II / Ali Gauhar 1759-1806 ● 3rd Battle of Panipat (1761) - b/w Marathas (got
defeated) & Ahmad Shah Abdali
● Battle of Buxar (1764) - b/w Mughal + Shuja ud
Daulah of Awadh (got defeated) & British
● In 1765 as per terms of Treaty of Allahabad, he was
taken under the East India Co.’s protection &
resided at Allahabad
● In 1765 gave Diwani of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa to
the East India Co.

Akbar II 1806-1837 ● Conferred title of ‘Raja’ to Ram Mohan Roy

● In 1835 coins bearing the names of Mughal
emperors were stopped

Bahadur Shah II / Bahadur 1837-1857 ● Last Mughal emperor

Shah Zafar ● He was declared the Emperor of India in the Revolt
of 1857
● He was captured by the British & sent to Rangoon
where he died in 1862
In legal terms the Mughal Empire came to an end on Nov 1, 1858 with the declaration of Queen Victoria

QUESTION-ANSWERS

1] The reign of Which Mughal Emperor proved to signify the beginning of the end of Mughal rule?
- Aurangzeb
2] Mohammad Shah Rangeela ruled for how many years? - 29 years (1719-1748)
3] During which Mughal Emperor’s reign India witnessed the establishment of the independent states of
Hyderabad, Bengal, Awadh and Punjab ? - Muhammad Shah Rangeela
4] When did Nadir Shah the Persian Emperor attacked India? - 1738-39
5] Where did Nadir Shah defeat the Mughal Army? - Karnal
6] Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India several times between_____& ____.
A] 1748 & 1767 b] 1738 & 1767 c] 1748 & 1777 d] None

www.mywbcsonline.com
7] The third battle of Panipat was between _______ & ________. - marathas and Ahmad Shah
abdali 1761
8] The third battle of Panipat occured in which Mughal Emperor’s reign? - Shah Alam II
9] Ahmad Shah Abdali’s last invasion was in which year? - 1767
10] What was the real name of Shah Alam1I? - Muazzam
11] Who gave the title of ‘Shah-i-Bekhabar’ to Bahadur Shah I? - Khafi Khan
12] Which Mughal emperor was killed by his Nobles and it was for the first time in Mughal history? -
Farrukhsiyar by Sayyid Brothers with the help of Balaji Viswanath
13] Who helped Sayyid brothers to kill Farrukhsiyar? - Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath
14] Which Mughal Emperor rule for the least period? - Rafi us/ud Darajat for 95 days only
15] Which Mughal emperor was given the title Shah Jahan II? - Rafi ud/us Daula 103 days
16] Why Mohammad Shah was given the title of Rangeela? - for his luxurious lifestyle
17] In 1737, Bajirao I, the Maratha Peshwa invaded Delhi with a small army of 500 horsemen. It was
during which Mughal Emperor’s reign? - Muhammad Shah Rangeela
18] During which Mughal Emperor’s reign the Battle of Plassey was fought? - Alamgir II 1757
19] Battle of Buxar was held in which year and during the region of which Mughal Emperor and b/w whom?
- 1764 Shah Alam II b/w Mughal and the British
20] During the reign of which Mughal Emperor the coins bearing the names of Mughal emperors were
stopped? - Akbar II in 1835
21] Who was the last Mughal emperor and in which year he died? - Bahadur Shah II , in 1862
22] When did (on which date) the Mughal Empire come to an end and with the declaration of whom?
- Nov 1, 1858 with declaration of Queen Victoria
23] Who was the founder of Hyderabad during the reign of Muhammad Shah Rangeela? - Nizam ul
Mulk
24] Who was the founder of Bengal during the reign of Muhammad Shah Rangeela? - Murshid
quli Khan
25] Who succeeded Murshid quli Khan and in which year? - his son Shuja Ud din in 1727

26. Which were the reasons of the decline of Mughal empire ?

1. Aurangzeb’s religious and political policy
2. Peasants became stronger
3. Zamindars became rebellion
4. Administration was centralised
Which of the above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 3 and 4 (b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1 and 4 (d) 2 and 3

27. How did the Mughal Emperor Jahandar Shah’s reign, come to an early end?
(a) He was deposed by his Wazir
(b) He died due to a slip while climbing down the steps
(c) He was defeated by his nephew in a battle
(d) He died of sickness due to drinking

28. Which Mughal emperor enrolled Guru Govind Singh into Mughal service?
(a) Bahadur Shah I (b) Jahandar Shah
(c) Faurkh Siyyar (d) Mohammed Shah

29. Mughal-Maratha treaty of 1719 was concluded in the times of ?

(a) Jahandar Shah (b) Farukh Siyyar
www.mywbcsonline.com
 (c) Mohammed Shah (d) Bahadur Shah II

30. Who among the following Englishmen was well versed in the Turkish language, received a Mansab of 400
and the title of ‘English Khan’ or Firangi Khan?
(a) Fitch (b) Mildenhall
(c) Hawkins (d) Sir Thomas Roe

31. Jahandar Shah ascended the throne after the death of

(a) Azam Shah (b) Bahadur Shah I
(c) Farrukh Siyar (d) Muhammad Shah

32. Who among the following Mughal kings had sent Raja Ram Mohan Roy as his envoy to London?
(a) Alamgir II (b) Shah Alam II
(c) Akbar II (d) Bahadur Shah II

33. Tobacco cultivation was introduced in the Deccan by the Portuguese during the 16th century. Tobacco
smoking reached the Mughal Court because of which one of the following?
(a) The Portuguese missionaries introduced it into the Mughal Court
(b) The Mughal ambassador to Bijapur, Mirza Asad baig introduced it to Akbar
(c) The soldiers of the Deccan spread this among the Mughal nobility
(d) The farmers who took tobacco cultivation introduced this to the Mughal Court

Vasco Da Gama Francisco de Almeida Aurangzeb

Bahadur Shah I Farrukhsiyar Rangeela Shah Alam II

Akbar II Bahadur Shah (II) Zafar

www.mywbcsonline.com

Copy protected with Online-PDF-No-Copy.com