Arrival of European Companies in India

Company Established in Europe →

🇵🇹

1498

Portuguese
(State, not co.)

🇬🇧

1600

English EIC

🇳🇱

1602

Dutch VOC

🇩🇰

1616

Danish

🇫🇷

1664

French

🇸🇪

1731

Swedish

First Factory in India — Arrival Order →

🇵🇹

1503

Cochin
1st European!

🇳🇱

1605

Masulipatnam

🇬🇧

1613

Surat
(Permanent)

🇩🇰

1620

Tranquebar

🇫🇷

1668

Surat

Country	Est.	1st Factory	HQ	Exit
🇵🇹 Portuguese	1498 (arrival)	Cochin 1503	Goa (1510)	1739 — Marathas
🇬🇧 English	1600 EIC	Surat 1613	Calcutta	Stayed → British Raj
🇳🇱 Dutch	1602 VOC	Masulipatnam 1605	Pulicat (1610)	1759 — Bedara
🇩🇰 Danish	1616	Tranquebar 1620	Serampore	1845 — sold to British
🇫🇷 French	1664	Surat 1668	Pondicherry (1674)	1763 — Carnatic Wars
🇸🇪 Swedish	1731	—	China focus	India mein role negligible

🇵🇹

Portuguese — Sabse Pehle (1498)

State power — Company nahi

Vasco da Gama — Teen Arrivals

⛵

May 1498 — 1st arrival: Calicut (Kozhikode). Local king = Zamorin.

⛵

1502 — 2nd arrival (re-arrival).

⛵

1524 — 3rd arrival. Cochin mein mar gaya.

Key Dates

🏛️

1503 — 1st factory: Cochin → Pehli European factory in India!

🌍

1505 — Sri Lanka discover kiya.

📍

1510 — Goa capture kiya — Yusuf Adil Shah (Sultan of Bijapur) se.

📍

1534 — Bassein (Vasai) conquered. 1535 — Diu conquered. (Nino da Cunha ke time)

❌

1739 — Salsette + Bassein Marathas ne jeeta → Decline.

Governors — Zaroor Yaad Rakho

👤

Francisco de Almeida (1505–1509) — 1st Governor. Blue Water Policy (sea dominance, land pe nahi). Cartaz System = Sea Pass system.

⭐

Afonso de Albuquerque (1509–1515) — Real founder of Portuguese power in India. Goa capture 1510. Sati ko discourage kiya (local level).

👤

Nino da Cunha (1529–1538) — Bassein (1534) + Diu (1535). HQ Cochin → Goa shift kiya.

1st in India 1498 Vasco da Gama → Calicut → Zamorin Cochin = 1st factory 1503 Sri Lanka discover 1505 Goa HQ 1510 Cartaz = Sea Pass Blue Water Policy = Almeida

🇬🇧

English / British EIC (1600)

31 Dec 1600 — Queen Elizabeth I ka Royal Charter

Key Dates

📅

1579 — Thomas Stephens (Jesuit priest) — earliest Englishman in India.

🏛️

31 Dec 1600 — East India Company established. Queen Elizabeth I ne Royal Charter diya.

👤

William Hawkins (1609) — Jahangir ke court mein gaya. Jahangir ne diya title: "English Khan". Surat factory delay hui — Portuguese pressure ki wajah se.

🏛️

1611 — Masulipatnam: Pehli temporary factory (South India).

🏛️

1613 — Surat: Pehli permanent factory. Director: Thomas Aldworth.

👑

Sir Thomas Roe (1615) — James I ka envoy. Jahangir se permission li: poore Mughal empire mein trade.

EIC = 31 Dec 1600 Hawkins = "English Khan" Masulipatnam 1611 = temporary Surat 1613 = permanent — Aldworth Thomas Roe = James I envoy 1615

🇳🇱

Dutch / Netherlands VOC (1602)

Spice trade — Indonesia focus

Key Dates

⚠️

Houtman (1596) — India nahi, Indonesia (Sumatra) gaya tha! (Common trap)

🏛️

1605 — 1st factory: Masulipatnam → English ki Surat factory se pehle!

🏛️

1610 — Pulicat factory → Dutch HQ. Yahan Pagoda (gold coins) introduce kiye.

❌

Battle of Bedara/Biderra (1759) — British se haare → India se exit.

Dutch factory 1605 > English 1613 Pulicat = HQ + Pagoda gold coins Battle of Bedara 1759 = Dutch exit Houtman → Indonesia, India nahi

🇩🇰

Danish / Denmark (1616)

Chhoti scale — South India + Bengal

Key Dates

📅

1616 — India arrival.

🏛️

1620 — 1st factory: Tranquebar (Tharangambadi), Tanjore, Tamil Nadu.

🏛️

1755 — 2nd factory: Serampore, Bengal.

❌

1845 — Saari Indian factories British ko bech di. (Battle mein nahi haare — becha!)

Tranquebar 1620 = 1st factory Serampore 1755 = Bengal Sold to British 1845

🇫🇷

French (1664)

Compagnie Française des Indes Orientales — State-controlled

Key Dates

📅

1664 — French East India Company established.

🏛️

1668 — 1st factory: Surat. Founder: Francis Caron.

📍

1674 — Pondicherry acquired from Sher Khan Lodi → Main base bana.

⚔️

1746–1763 — Three Carnatic Wars vs British → French teeno mein haare.

Surat 1668 = 1st factory Founder = Francis Caron Pondicherry 1674 = from Sher Khan Lodi 3 Carnatic Wars 1746–1763 State-controlled company

🇸🇪

Swedish (1731) — Bonus

PDF mein mentioned — Exam mein low priority

📅

1731 — Swedish East India Company established.

🗺️

Focus: China trade. India mein role na ke barabar tha.

1731 est. China focus, India nahi

📝 Exam Note

Swedish ka BPSC/BSSC mein directly poochha jaana unlikely hai — lekin agar "which European company last came" ya comparison question aaye toh yaad rakho: Swedish 1731 sabse last mein aaya.

⚠ Trap #1 — Establishment vs Factory in India

Dutch VOC (1602) English EIC (1600) ke baad bani, lekin India mein Dutch ki factory (1605) English ki factory (1613) se pehle lagi! Yahi most common confusion hai.

⚠ Trap #2 — Portuguese = State, Company Nahi

Portuguese ek State power tha, koi trading company nahi. Baaki sab (EIC, VOC, French, Danish) formal companies the. Portuguese ka "est." = 1498 arrival, koi company formation date nahi.

⚠ Trap #3 — Houtman India Nahi Gaya

Dutch traveler Houtman (1596) ne Indonesia (Sumatra) visit kiya tha, India nahi. Bahut students yahan galat karte hain.

⚠ Trap #4 — 1st Factory in India Kaun Si?

1st European factory = Portuguese, Cochin, 1503.
1st English temporary factory = Masulipatnam 1611.
1st English permanent factory = Surat 1613 (Thomas Aldworth).

⚠ Trap #5 — Vasco da Gama Ki Teen Trips

1st visit: 1498 — Calicut (Zamorin se mila).
2nd visit: 1502 — re-arrival.
3rd visit: 1524 — Cochin mein mar gaya.

⚠ Trap #6 — Carnatic Wars Ki Count

French vs British = Teen (3) Carnatic Wars, 1746–1763. French teeno mein haare. Count galat mat karna.

⚠ Trap #7 — Danish Ka Exit

Danish battle mein nahi haara — factories British ko bech di 1845 mein. Dutch haare battle mein (Bedara 1759), Danish ne peacefully becha. Dono alag hain!