History of European Companies which entered in India The Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama reached Calicut Harbor on 17 May 1498 AD. The Portuguese set up the first business cottage in Cochin in 1503 AD. The first Portuguese Viceroy was Francisco de Almeida. He was appointed in 1505 AD to establish the Portuguese Empire in India. Francisco de Almeida defeated the United Fleet of Gujarat and Egypt in 1500 and became the most powerful navy of the Indian Ocean.
History of Portuguese Governor
- Portuguese Governor Albukark won the prosperous West Port Goa from Bijapur in 1510 In 1530, the Portuguese made Goa the capital of Portuguese state.
- Goa was the main port of import of Arabic horses, which the Portuguese controlled.
- Through the Portuguese “Cortez Armada convoy arrangement”, he tried to control the Indian Ocean trade.
The History of East India Company
1.) The Portuguese East India Company
- The Portuguese East India Company was established in 1498.
- The Dutch came to India after the Portuguese.
- In 1602, the Dutch East India Company was established.
- The Dutch established the first business cottage in 1606 AD in Masulipatnam.
2.)The English East India Company
- The English East India Company was established in 1620 AD.
- The British established the first trading cottage in Masulipatnam in 1611 AD.
Captain Hawkins was the first Englishman to go to the Mughal court.
- Captain Hawkins went to Jahangir’s court in 1600 AD to get a business
- King James I of England sent his ambassador Sir Thomas Row to Jahangir’s court in 1615 AD.
- In 1632, the Sultan of Golconda issued the “golden farman” to the English company. According to this, giving 500 pagodas annually, business could be done freely on the port of Golkonda State.
- In 1662, Emperor Charles II of England got married to Portuguese Princess Catherine Bregenza. On this wedding occasion, the Portuguese gave the Bombay to Charles II in dowry.
- Charles II gave the Bombay to East India Company at a rent of mere 10 pounds annually in 1668 In 1651 AD, the ruler of Bengal Shah Suja issued a mark to the English company, according to which the privilege of trade in Bengal was given by paying 3000 annually.
- In 1698 AD, the Subedar Azimushshan gave the land in three villages – Sutanati, Kolkata, and Govindpur in only Rs. 1200 to the British. It was here that Fort William was built which later became known as Calcutta.
- In 1717 AD, Mughal ruler Farrukhsiyyar issued a royal decree that according to the tax of 3000 rupees annually, the business was confirmed in Bengal.
- The British called it Magna Carta of Business in Bengal.
3.) The French East India Company
- The French East India Company was established in 1664.
- The French set up the first trading cottage in India in Surat in 1668 AD.
Due to the imperial ambition of the British and French company, there were three major wars between the two, which is known as Karnataka war.
- Franco Martin founded Pondicherry in 1673 AD.
- By 1740, the goals of the French East India Company were completely commercial.
First Carnatic War (1746 to 1748 AD)
- The first Carnatic war was influenced by the succession war of Austria.
- This war ended with the Treaty of A-La-Shapla.
Second Carnatic War (1749 to 1754 AD)
- The death of Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah died triggered the war of succession between his son Nasir Jung and grandson Muzaffar Jung.
- This war of succession and releted events are referred to as Second Carnatic War.
- The second Carnatic war ended by French governor Godehu concluded with the Treaty of Pondicherry.
Third Carnatic War (1758 to 1763 AD)
- In 1760, the British defeated the French.
- After this, the Third Carnatic War ended in the Treaty of Paris.