Advent of the Europeans
Advent of the Europeans for UPSC — Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danish and French companies, their settlements, and the Anglo-French Carnatic Wars.
SyllabusGS I · Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present
From Vasco da Gama’s landing near Calicut in 1498 to the Battle of Wandiwash in 1760, five European powers competed for the trade of the Indian Ocean. The Portuguese came first and stayed longest; the Dutch turned to the spice islands; the English and the French fought three Carnatic Wars that decided which company would inherit political power in India.
What UPSC asks
- Prelims: the sequence of arrival, first factories and headquarters, founders and governors (Almeida, Albuquerque, Dupleix), farmans (1717), and the causes, battles and treaties of the Carnatic Wars.
- Mains (GS I): why the English succeeded where the others failed; the transition from trade to territorial power.
Key sub-topics
| Power | Remember |
|---|---|
| Portuguese | Calicut 1498; Goa 1510; cartaz system; last to leave (1961) |
| Dutch | VOC 1602; Masulipatnam, Pulicat, Chinsura; defeated at Colachel (1741) and Bedara (1759) |
| English | Charter 1600; Surat, Madras, Bombay, Calcutta; Farrukhsiyar’s farman (1717) |
| Danish | Tranquebar and Serampore; sold to the British in 1845 |
| French | Company 1664; Pondicherry; Dupleix; Carnatic Wars (1746–63) |
Start with the main notes, then test yourself with the revision sheet and practice set.
European Trading Companies and the Carnatic Wars
The Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danish and French in India for UPSC — settlements, key governors, the 1717 …
Advent of the Europeans — Practice Questions
UPSC Prelims-pattern practice questions on the Europeans in India with full explanations — company chronology, …
Advent of the Europeans — Quick Revision
One-page UPSC revision of the Europeans in India: Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danish and French settlements, …