Advent of Europeans in India

1. Background

Decline of the Mughal Empire and prosperity of India attracted European trading companies.
Main aim: trade in spices, silk, cotton, indigo, saltpetre.
Traders gradually interfered in Indian politics and became rulers.

2. Portuguese (The First to Arrive)

1498 – Vasco da Gama reached Calicut (Kerala).
1505 – Francisco de Almeida became first Portuguese Governor; introduced Blue Water Policy.
1510 – Albuquerque captured Goa, made it Portuguese capital.
Introduced: tobacco, potato, maize, pineapple, cashew.
1612 – Defeated by English in Battle of Swally; retained only Goa, Daman, Diu till 1961.

3. Dutch (Netherlands)

1602 – Dutch East India Company formed.
1605 – First factory at Masulipatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
Important centers: Pulicat, Surat, Nagapattinam, Chinsura.
1759 – Defeated by English in Battle of Bedara; later focused on Indonesia.

4. English (The Most Successful)

1600 – English East India Company established.
1613 – First factory at Surat with Jahangir's permission.
Important centers: Madras (1639), Bombay (1668), Calcutta (1690).
Major Battles: Plassey (1757), Buxar (1764) – English became rulers of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa.

5. French

1664 – French East India Company founded.
1668 – First factory at Surat; HQ at Pondicherry.
Other centers: Chandernagore, Karaikal, Mahe, Yanam.
Carnatic Wars (1746–1763):
- First War: Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.
- Second War: Dupleix defeated.
- Third War: Battle of Wandiwash (1760) – English victory.
French influence ended; remained in Pondicherry, Karaikal, Chandernagore, Mahe, Yanam till 1954.

6. Danish (Denmark)

1616 – Danish East India Company formed.
1620 – First settlement at Tranquebar (Tamil Nadu), another at Serampore (Bengal).
1845 – Sold all settlements to English.

7. Conclusion

- Portuguese: first to arrive but declined.
- Dutch: active, later shifted focus to Indonesia.
- French: competed with English, lost.
- English: became most powerful, transforming from traders to rulers in India.