The Advent of the Europeans From (1498-1763)

Overview of European Companies

Note: Danish companies were forced to sell all their settlements in India to the British in 1845.

Portuguese

The Cape Route and Early Expansion

• The Cape route was discovered from Europe to India by Vasco da Gama.

• He reached the port of Calicut on May 17, 14,98, and was received by the Hindu ruler of Cali, cut known by the title of Zamorin.

• This led to the establishment of trading stations at Calicut, Cochin, and Cannanore.

• Cochin was the early capital of the Portuguese in India.

• Later, Goa replaced it.

Portuguese Governors and Expansion

• Francisco de Almeida was the first governor of Portuguese governor.

• Almeida (1505-09) introduced the policy of Blue water.

• Alfonso d' Albuquerque was the second governor of Portugal.

• Albuquerque (1509-15) introduced the policy of Imperialism.

• He captured Goa from the ruler of Bijapur in 1510.

• Nino da Cunha (1529-38) transferred his capital from Cochin to Goa (1530) and acquired Diu and Bassein (1534) from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat.

• Martin Alfonso de Souza (1542-45). The famous Jesuit Saint Fransisco Xavier arrived in India with him.

Decline of Portuguese Power

• The Portuguese power witnessed a decline by the end of the 16th century.

• They lost Hugli in 1631 after being driven out by Qasim Khan, a Mughal noble of Shahjahan.

• In 1661, the King of Portugal gave Bombay to Charles II of England as dowry when he married the former's sister.

• The Marathas captured Salsette and Bassein in 1739.

• In the end, they were left only with Goa, Diu, and Daman, which they retained till 1961.

Dutch

Formation and Powers

• The formation of the company in March 1602 was by a charter of the Dutch parliament.

• The Dutch East India Company was formed with the power to make wars, conclude treaties, acquire territories, and build fortresses.

Factories in India

• The Dutch set up factories at

  • Masulipattam (1605)

  • Pulicat (1610)

  • Surat (1616)

  • Bimilipatam (1641)

  • Karaikal (1645)

  • Chinsura (1653), Kasimbazar, Baranagore, Patna, Balasore, Negapatam (all in 1658), and Cochin (1663).

• The Dutch replaced the Portuguese as the most dominant power in European trade with the East, including India.

• Pulicat was the main centre in India till 1690, after which Negapatam replaced it.

• The Dutch conceded to the English after their defeat in the Battle offender in 1759.

English (East India Company)

Early English Contacts

• Before the English East India Company established trade in India, John Mildenhall, a merchant adventurer, was the first Englishman who arrive in India in 1599 by the overland route, ostensibly for trade with Indian merchants.

Establishment of the Company

• The Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies, popularly known as the English East India Company, was formed in 1600.

• Captain William Hawkins arrived at Jahangir's court (1609) to seek permission to open a factory at Surat. A Farman was issued by Jahangir permitting the English to build a factory at Surat (1613).

• Sir Thomas Roe came to India as the ambassador of James I to Jahangir's court in 1615 to obtain the permission to trade and erect factories in different parts of the empire.

Expansion and Fortification

• The English East India Company acquired Bombay from Charles II on lease.

• Gerald Aungier was its first governor from 1669 to 1677.

• In 1690, Job Chamock established a factory at Sutanati, and the zamindari of the three villages of Sutanati, Kalikata, and Gobindpur was acquired by the British (1698).

• These villages later grew into the city of Calcutta.

• The factory at Sutanati was fortified in 169,6, and this new fortified settlement was named Fort William in 1700.

Company Amalgamation

• In 1694, the British parliament passed a resolution giving equal rights to all Englishmen to trade in the East.

• A new rival company was formed (1698), known as the English Company of Merchants Trading to the East Indies. 

• The final amalgamation of the company came in 1708 under the title of

'The United Company of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies'.

• This new company continued its existence till 1858.

French

Formation and Early Expansion

• The French East India Company was formed by Colbert under state patronage in 1664.

• The first French factory was established at Surat by Francois Caron in 1668.

• A factory at Masulipatam was set up in 1669.

Revival and New Settlements

• The French power in India was revived under Lenoir and Dumas (governors) between 1720 and 1742. They occupied Mahe in the Malabar, Yanam in Coromandal, and Karaikal in Tamil Nadu (1739).

• The arrival of Dupleix as French governor in India in 1742 saw the beginning of the Anglo-French conflict (Carnatic Wars), resulting in their final defeat in India.

Anglo-French Conflict / Carnatic Wars

First Anglo-French War (1746–48)

• An instance of Anglo-French rivalry.

• The French besieged Madras.

• At the St. Thome battle, the Nawab of Carnatic's army was defeated by the French army under Dupleix.

• The Treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle (1748) ended the War of the Austrian Succession and the First Anglo-French War in India.

Second Anglo-French War (1749–54)

• Dupleix aligned with Muzaffar Jung (Hyderabad) and Chanda Sahib (Carnatic/Arcot).

• After initial reverses, Robert Clive emerged victorious.

• The Treaty of Pondicherry/Treaty by Godehu (new French governor in place of Dupleix): 1754 – ended the Second Anglo-French War.

Third Anglo-French War (1758–63)

• French Count de Lally captured Fort St. David.

• The French were defeated at Wandiwash (1760).

• It was a decisive defeat for the French.

• The Treaty of Paris (1763) ended the Third and Final Anglo-French War in India.

• Pondicherry was returned to the French by this treaty.

Final Thoughts

The arrival of European trading powers in India marked a significant chapter in the subcontinent’s history. The Portuguese were the pioneers, followed by the Dutch, English, and French, each seeking dominance over trade and territory.

While the Portuguese and Dutch influence gradually faded, the English East India Company emerged as the most powerful, eventually paving the way for British colonial rule. The French, despite their efforts, were defeated in the Carnatic Wars.

These European rivalries shaped India's political and economic landscape for centuries. The legacy of these interactions still echoes in India’s ports, cities, and cultural exchanges.