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Progress of the English Company in India I. Foothold in West and South India Early Attempts (Surat): 1609: Captain Hawkins arrives at Jahangir's court to get permission for a factory at Surat. Problem: Portuguese oppose, mission fails. Hawkins left in 1611 . 1612: Captain Thomas Best defeats Portuguese at sea near Surat. 1613: Impressed by the victory, Jahangir allows the English to set up a factory at Surat (first permanent factory). South-Eastern Coast (Masulipatnam & Madras): 1611: English start trading at Masulipatnam . 1616: Factory established at Masulipatnam . 1639: British merchant Francis Day gets permission from the ruler of Chandragiri to build a fortified factory at Madras . Fort St. George built at Madras, becomes HQ for South India, replacing Masulipatnam. Mughal Privileges: 1615-1619: Sir Thomas Roe, ambassador of King James I, stays at ...

  Charter of Queen Elizabeth I & the East India Company   Background Francis Drake’s Voyage (1580) : First Englishman to sail around the world, inspiring exploration. Defeat of Spanish Armada (1588) : England’s naval victory boosted confidence to challenge Spain/Portugal in global trade. Portuguese & Dutch Profits : Europeans made huge money from Asian spices, textiles, and goods → England wanted a share! Formation of the East India Company 1599 : Group of English merchants ( Merchant Adventurers ) formed a company to trade in Asia. 31 December 1600 :  Queen Elizabeth I  granted them a  Royal Charter , giving: Exclusive Rights : Only this company could trade east of Africa (monopoly). Name : “Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies” (later called  East India Company ). 1609 : Monopoly extended  indefi...

Decline of the Dutch in India: Key Factors Prioritization of the Spice Islands (Indonesia) : The Dutch East India Company (VOC) focused on the  Malay Archipelago , where spices like nutmeg and cloves yielded massive profits. This diverted resources and attention away from India. Anglo-Dutch Rivalry : Third Anglo-Dutch War (1672–74) : Dutch disrupted English trade by capturing ships in the Bay of Bengal, but this led to retaliation. Battle of Hooghly (1759) : A decisive English victory near Calcutta crushed Dutch military ambitions in India, marking their decline. Trade Over Empire : Unlike the British, the Dutch prioritized  commerce  over territorial control. They built factories (trading posts) but avoided costly empire-building, leaving them vulnerable to British expansion. British Ascendancy : The British East India Company focused on  political and military dominan...

Why Did the Dutch and English Fight? Trade Competition : Both wanted control over  spices  (pepper, cloves),  textiles , and  indigo  in Asia. The Dutch dominated  Indonesia  (East Indies), while the English focused on  India . Revenge Against Spain & Portugal : The Dutch hated  Spain  (who ruled them) and its ally  Portugal . They targeted Portuguese colonies in Asia (e.g., capturing  Amboyna  in 1605). Key Event: Amboyna Massacre (1623) What Happened? Dutch tortured and killed  10 Englishmen  and  9 Japanese  in Amboyna (Indonesia). Accused them of plotting to seize the Dutch fort. Result : Turned rivalry into  open warfare . English vowed to weaken Dutch power in Asia. Compromise of 1667 Deal : British  left  Indonesia  (let Dutch control spices). Dutch  l...

Dutch Settlements in India (1605–1663) Key Factories & Strongholds First Factory :  Masulipatnam  (Andhra Pradesh, 1605). Main Stronghold :  Nagapatam  (Tamil Nadu, captured from Portuguese). Other Major Factories : Coromandel Coast : Pulicat (1609), Karaikal (1645). Gujarat : Surat (1616). Bengal : Chinsura (1653), Balasore, Patna. Bihar : Patna. Kerala : Cochin (1663). Trade Goods Exported from India : Textiles & Silk : Bengal, Gujarat, Coromandel. Indigo : Yamuna Valley, Central India. Saltpetre : Bihar (used for gunpowder). Opium & Rice : Ganga Valley. Redistributive Trade : Shipped Indian goods to  Southeast Asia  (e.g., spices from Indonesia). Impact Competition : Challenged Portuguese dominance in India. Economic Power : Controlled key ports, boosting Dutch glob...

Dutch East India Company (VOC) Why Did the Dutch Go East? Goal : Trade and profit from spices, silk, and other goods in Asia. First Voyage :  Cornelis de Houtman  reached  Sumatra  and  Bantam  (Indonesia) in  1596 . Formation of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) Year : 1602. What Happened? The Dutch government ( States-General ) combined many small trading companies into one big company:  VOC  (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie). Powers Given : Trade : Buy and sell goods in Asia. War : Fight rivals (e.g., Portuguese, English). Treaties : Make deals with local rulers. Territory : Take over land. Fortresses : Build forts to protect trade. Why Was the VOC Powerful? Monopoly : Only the VOC could trade between the Netherlands and Asia. Military Power : Could wage wars and control ...

  Significance of the Portuguese in India: Simple Notes Beginning of European Era: Most historians say the Portuguese arrival in 1498 (Vasco-da-Gama in Calicut) started what we can call the "European era" in India. They were the first Europeans to come to India by sea . Rise and Fall Timeline (Key Dates): 1498: Vasco-da-Gama arrives in Calicut. 1503-1559: Portuguese set up forts (Cochin, Cannanore), defeat enemies (Gujarat, Egypt, Zamorin), capture key places (Goa, Diu, Daman). Goa becomes their capital ( 1530 ). 1596-1663: Decline starts. Dutch push them out of Southeast Asia ( 1596 ). Lose Surat to English ( 1612 ). Dutch take Portuguese forts on Malabar Coast, pushing them out of India ( 1663 ). Naval Power - A New Era: India had naval powers before (like the Cholas), but this was the first time a foreign power came to India by sea . Portuguese ships had ca...

Decline of the Portuguese in India 1. Loss of Commercial Influence (18th Century) By the  18th century , the Portuguese lost their  commercial power  in India. Some Portuguese continued  individual trade , while others turned to  piracy and robbery . Hooghly  became a base for Portuguese piracy in the  Bay of Bengal . 2. Reasons for Decline a. Rise of Powerful Dynasties: Powerful dynasties in  Egypt, Persia, and North India  reduced Portuguese influence. The  Marathas  became strong neighbors and captured  Salsette and Bassein  in  1739 . b. Religious Policies: The Portuguese  Jesuits  and their  conversion activities  created political fears. Their  hostility toward Muslims  and  forced conversions of Hindus  made them unpopular. c. Dishonest Trade Practices: The Portuguese were known for  d...

  Portuguese Lose Favour with the Mughals 1. English Entry into India (1608) Captain William Hawkins: Arrived in  Surat  in  1608  with a letter from  King James I  of England. He sought permission to trade in India. Jahangir’s Reaction: Jahangir welcomed Hawkins and gave him a  favourable reception  in  1609 . Hawkins spoke  Turki  (Jahangir’s language) and impressed the emperor. Jahangir appointed Hawkins as a  mansabdar  (rank of 400) but never paid his salary. Hawkins married the daughter of an  Armenian Christian , Mubarak Shah. Portuguese Opposition: The Portuguese tried to stop Hawkins from reaching the Mughal court but failed. They were  offended  when Jahangir allowed the English to trade. 2. Conflict Between English and Portuguese (1612) Naval Battle: In  161...

  Portuguese State in India 1. Portuguese Control in India Extent of Control: The Portuguese controlled  coastal areas  of India within 50 years of Vasco da Gama’s arrival. Key regions included: West Coast:  Goa, Mumbai, Daman, Diu, and ports like Mangalore, Cannanore, Cochin, and Calicut. East Coast:  San Thome (Chennai), Nagapatnam (Andhra), and Hooghly (West Bengal). Influence: They had  military posts  and  trading settlements  across the coast. They influenced local rulers in  spice-growing regions  of Malabar. Diplomacy: The Portuguese signed  treaties  with Deccan sultans and played a role in power struggles between: Vijayanagara  and Deccan sultans. Deccanis  and Mughals. Mughals  and Marathas. Last to Leave: The Portuguese ...