MODERN INDIAN HISTORY

Early Europeans explored sea routes to India, for the purpose of trade. Main pioneers were the Portuguese(Portugal). Vasco da Gama, was the first one to discover the sea route to India, in 1498 and he reached Calicut(Kerala) (present Kozhikode). After Portuguese(Portugal), the Dutch(Netherlands), the English, the Danes and the French came to India. Ultimately, it was the French and English who continued to remain in power in India. These foreign traders started attaining political power with the decline of the Mughal Empire.

THE ADVENT OF THE EUROPEANS

India was termed as Land of Great Opportunities by Shakespeare. Also, it was called as land of desires by Hegel. Three trade routes were there until 15th Century and they were- Caspian Sea and Black Sea via Central Asia, Mediterranean Sea via Syria and the Red Sea via Egypt.

THE ENGLISH(BRITISH)

Ø The original name of the East India Company. was the Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies. On 31 December, 1600, the Company was granted royal charter, by Queen Elizabeth I.

Ø Thomas Smith was the first Governor of the Company and Merchant Adventurers were the group of traders.

Ø Jahangir gave 400 manasabs to William Hawkins in 1613. A farman was issued to the English(BRITISH) by

Ø Jahangir for establishing trading centre in Mughal India. Hence, the first British factory was established at Surat in 1613.

Ø Sir Thomas Roe came to the court of Jahangir in 1615 as the Ambassador of James I. A title called "Journal of the mission to the Mogul Empire" was written by Thomas Roe to account the details about Mughal Empire.

Ø Another British factory was built at Masulipatnam in 1616.

Ø In 1639, Raja of Chandagiri gave Madras to the English(BRITISH)

Ø In 1642, another factory was opened in Bangalore. .

Ø In 1644, Fort St. George, was constructed at Madras

Ø At Sutanuti, a factory was established by Job Charnock in 1690 and the British acquired zamindari of 3 villages of Sutanuti, Kalikata, Gobindapur in 1698. The later Calcutta was the amalgamation of these villages.

Ø In 1696, the factory was fortified at Sutanuti and in 1700 Fort William became the new fortified settlement.

Ø A resolution was passed in 1694 regarding giving of equal rights to all English(BRITISH)men to trade in the East. The English(BRITISH) Company of Merchants Trading to the East Indies was formed as the new rival company in 1698,

Ø English(BRITISH) settlement in India made three presidency towns, i... Bombay, Madras and Calcutta by 1700 with Calcutta as the capital.

Ø The Mughal Emperor Farrukh Siyar gave three villages of Sutanati, Kalikata and Gobindapur to Hamilton in a royal farman in 1717.

Ø In 1708, the Company got finally amalgamated under the title of "The United Company of Merchants of English(BRITISH) Trading to the East Indies'. The existence of this new Company continued till 1858.