Early European Settlements in India Unit Structure 1.1
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UNIT 1 : EARLY EUROPEAN SETTLEMENTS IN INDIA UNIT STRUCTURE 1.1 Learning Objectives 1.2 Introduction 1.3 Advent of the Early European in India 1.3.1 The Portuguese 1.3.2 The Dutch 1.3.3 The Danes 1.3.4 The English 1.3.5 The French 1.4 Anglo-French Conflicts 1.4.1 First Carnatic War 1.4.2 Second Carnatic War 1.4.3 Third Carnatic war 1.5 Joseph Francois Dupleix 1.5.1 Causes for the failure of Dupleix 1.6 Let us sum up 1.7 Further reading 1.8 Answers to check your progress 1.9 Model questions 1.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES : After going through this unit, you will be able to :- Know the discovery of direct new sea route between India and West ern World. Explain the direct commercial and diplomatic communication be- tween India and Western World. Discuss the commercial rivalry among the European Powers in India and later colonial supremacy of British in India. History (Block 1) 5 Unit 1 Early European Settlements in India 1.2 INTRODUCTION : This is the first unit of this course. In this unit, we are going to dis- cuss the discovery of new Sea route to India by Portuguese navigator, Vasco-da-Gama in 1498. We know that the Portuguese were the first to trade with India and after this discovery; a new chapter in the history of India began. After them, the Dutch, the British and the French. They were involved in commercial rivalries with each other in India. There was a tough struggle for supremacy between the French and the British and eventually the British came out successful. 1.3 ADVENT OF THE EARLY EUROPEANS IN INDIA India had commercial relations with the countries of the Europe from time immemorial. India was known for her wealth and prosperity through- out Europe. The European nations were always eager to trade with India. During the Middle ages trade between Europe and India was carried on along several routes. One was by sea along the Persian Gulf and from there overland through Iraq and Turkey and then by sea to venice. A second was via Red sea and then overland to Alexendria and from there by sea to Venice and Genoa. A third was the overland route which is lay through the passes of the North East Frontier of India, Central Asia and Russia to the Baltic. From India, Arab Merchants and Sailors imported various goods from Asia to Europe passed through many hands. Trade was highly profit- able, especially the spice trade. But this trade suffered in the later middle ages. The fall of Asia Minor and Constantinople into Turkish hands in 1453, the expansion of Turkish power into Europe and the hostility between Chris- tian and Muslims hampered this trading pattern that had been in vogue in the middle ages. On the other hand, the Italians opposed the entry of the west European merchants into trade with India along the traditional land and sea routes. But , since Indian spices were much in demand in Europe to keep meat palatable for the winter months and trade in spices was highly profitable, the West European merchants began to search for new and 6 History (Block 1) Early European Settlements in India Unit 1 safer direct sea routes to India. On the other hand, the fifteenth century Renaissance engendered a spirit of adventure and enterprise in European minds. This new spirit also manifested itself in new geographical discover- ies and sailors undertook perilos voyages accross high seas to discover unknown lands. We are now going to discuss about the European coun- tries which took leading steps to discover the new sea routes and reached India. Figure: 1.1 Sea Routes used by Europeans to India Source: google image 1.3.1 THE PORTUGUESE Do you know who are Portuguese? Portuguese are an ethnic group of indigenous to the country of Portugal, in the west of the lberian Pensisula of South Western Europe. The Portuguese sailors were successful to materialize the discovery ofnew sea route in India. Portuguese sailor Bartholomew Diaz started his journey and reached in the southern part of Africa. He could not able to proceed further due to heavy storm in that Island and returned from that place giving the name of that place as the 'cape of storm'. 'Vasco-Da-Gama' ventured to cross the cape of storm and reached near Calicut in the year 1498 on the western coast of India. As he could not get any trouble in the cape of storm and could easily enter into the stream of Indian Ocean he renamed that Island as 'Cape of Good Hope'. History (Block 1) 7 Unit 1 Early European Settlements in India Vasco-Da-Gama received a good treatment from the Hindu rulers of Calicut, bearing the hereditary title of Zamorin Figure 1.2 : VASCO-DA-GAMA Source : google image After Vasco Da Gama, cabralcame. He reached in 1500 . Vasco- Da-Gama came for the second time in 1502. He erected a factory at Cochin and returned to Lisbon in 1505. The King of Portugal appointed a Viceroy named Francisco De Almeida. He defeated the Zamorin 1506 and com- pelled the rules of Ceylon to pay him a tribute of cinnamon and elephants. In the spring of 1509 Alameida defeated the combined fleets of Egyptians, the Zamorian and the King of Gujarat at Diu. This victory turned 'the Indian ocean for the next century into a Portuguese Sea' Alfonso de Albuquesrque was the Second viceroy of the Portuguese in India. He occupied Goa in 1510 and made it the seat of Portuguese authority. Albuquerque was the real founder of Portuguese power in India. He tried to establish friendly relations with the Hindu rulers. He died in 1515. In Course of time, the Portuguese established their settlements in Diu, Daman, Salsette, Bassein , Chaul, Hoogly , Ceylon. But the Portuguese power in India declined in the seventeenth century. Several causes led to their decline. Some of the important causes are - Firstly Albuquerque was an able Governor and he was the real founder of the Portuguese possessions in India but unfortunately his suc- cessors were not very able and competent. They therefore, could not con- solidate to what he gained. Secondly, Portuguese also did not follow policy of religious toleration. Their 8 History (Block 1) Early European Settlements in India Unit 1 policy of intoleration earned hatred of them. Thirdly their trading method was piratical. Fourthly, Portuguese officers were very corrupt with the result that the administration became inefficient and weak. Fifthly, after the discovery of Brazil by the Portuguese, the colonising activities of Portugal to India gradually began to decline. Lastly they failed to compete successfully with other European com- panies. Thus the Portuguese, who had got thier foothold on the soil of India at a very early stage, had to disappear from the scene. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. When and where Vasco-Da-Gama reached in In- dia? ...................................................................................... 2. Write two reasons of Decline of Portuguese power in India. .................................................................................................................. 3. What do you mean by Zamrin? ................................................................................................................... 4. Write three Chief Settlement of Portguese in India. ................................................................................................................... 5. Who was the first viceroy of the Portuguese Possession in India? ................................................................................................................... 1.3.2 THE DUTCH : Like to Portuguese, the Dutch one of the foremost maritime power of Europe also desired to trade with India. But who were the Dutch? The people of Holland were popularly known as the Dutch. By 1956, the Dutch navigators rounded the Cape of Good Hope and reached Sumatea and Banton. In 1602 the Dutch states general sanctioned the formation of the United East India company for carrying on trade with India. They had to face sharp opposition from the Portuguese in the beginning and finally the Dutch emerged successful and captured a number of Places from the History (Block 1) 9 Unit 1 Early European Settlements in India rivals. The main aim of the Dutch company was to import spices from India and for the whole of the 17th Century they were the Chief spice traders from the East to West. The Dutch established thier factories at different places in India. The most notable of those places were Musalipattam, Surat, Karikal, Chinsura, Nagaptam, Cassimbazar, Balasore,Patna and Cochin. Besides spices, they were making hectic business in Silk, Cotton, goods, rice, Indigo and opium. In the long struggle between the English and Dutch the English became victorious and the Dutch power began to decline. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 6. Who were Dutch? ................................................................................................................... 7. In which year the United East India Company of Nederland was founded? ................................................................................................................... 8. Name two places where Dutch established Factory in India? ................................................................................................................... 1.3.3THE DANES IN INDIA The people of Denmark or Danes also came to India towards the later part of 17tH Century. They made Serampur in Bengal as the Chief Centre of thier trade activities. They were very weak than other European and with foundation of the British Empire, the Danish hope to thrive ended power. 1.3.4 THE ENGLISH Like other Europeans, Englishmen also were desires of getting the things produced in India and the far east. The English were also afraid of Challenging the naval supremacy of Spain and Portugal but the successful sea voyage of the English navigators round the world in 1580, and the victory over the 'invincible Spanish Armada' finally emboldened the English 1 0 History (Block 1) Early European Settlements in India Unit 1 to undertake trading voyages to the East. After their victory over the Span- ish Armada in 1588, their desire to trade directly began to increase.