Modern History Class Notes

Arrivals Of Europeans
● Portuguese were the first European who discovered a direct sea route to India
● Europeans discovered new sea routes to promote their business

VA
Portuguese
● In 1498, Vasco-da-Gama discovered India via the Cape of Good Hope and

TA
became the first person to link Europe and Asia by an ocean route.
● King Zamorin, the local ruler, received him and bestowed on him certain
privileges.

AS
● After 3 months Vasco da Gama returned with a rich cargo which he sold in
the European market at 60 times the cost of his voyage.
● Vasco da Gama came back to India for the second time in 1501 AD
● He set up a trading factory at Cannanore. Calicut, Cannanore and Cochin
IV
emerged the significant Portuguese centers in India.
● In 1505 AD, Francisco de Almeida was appointed as the first
SR

Portuguese governor in India.

● To control the Indian Ocean, it formulated the 'Blue Water Policy',
which was later discontinued by Alfonso de Albuquerque.
● In 1509 AD, Albuquerque was the second Portuguese governor in
AN

India.
● He was the real founder of the Portuguese power in India.
● He captured Goa from the Sultan of Bijapur in 1510 AD.
AM

● Goa was made the capital city in 1530.

● By the end of the 16th century, they not only occupied a vast tract
along the Indian coast including Goa, Daman, Diu and Salsette.

Portuguese Contributions to India

● In 1515, Alfonso de Albuquerque banned the sati system in India.
● They spread Catholicism in western and eastern coast of India.
● They brought tobacco, potato and tomato cultivation to India.
 ● The Indian Medicinal Plants 'was the first scientific work which was
published at Goa in 1563.
● They established the first printing press in India at Goa in 1556 AD.
● They were the first who defined 'How to establish maritime trade and
supremacy over Sea' through the Cartaze System.

Dutch

VA
● The people of Holland (present day Netherlands) are called Dutch.
● In 1602, the United East India Company of the Netherlands was
formed and allowed by the Dutch government to trade in the East

TA
Indies, including India.
● The first Dutch to come to India was Cornelis de Houtman.
● The Dutch established their first factory in 1605 at Masulipatnam in
Andhra Pradesh.
AS
● Inspired by the commercial benefits, the Dutch set up factories on the
Coromandel Coast in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
IV
● He also captured the Portuguese forts on the Malabar Coast in 1671
AD.
SR

● He established mints at Cochin, Masulipatnam, Nagapattinam

Pondicherry and Pulicat.
● The Dutch presence on the Indian subcontinent lasted from 1605 AD
to 1825 AD.
● The Battle of Bedra in 1759 was decisive in which the Dutch were
AN

defeated by the British.

BRITISH
AM

● In 1599, the East India Company was established in England and received
a charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1600.
● Initially the East India Company was a joint stock company with 125
shareholders.
● The first governor of the Company was Thomas Smith.
● James Lancaster was the commander of the Company's first voyage to
India.
● Red Dragon: The ship by which the British came to India.
 ● Rudolph Fitch and John Mildhall came to Akbar's court to obtain
permission to open a factory in Surat.
● First factory in India - Surat.
● Calcutta was declared the first Presidency town by the British in 1700.
● The Mughal ruler Farrukhsiyar issued "The Farman" in 1717 for trade
facilities to the British.
● Factories of British in India:-
➔ Surat

VA
➔ Masulipatnam (A. P.)
➔ Bombay
➔ Calcutta

TA
● Colonies – Chandranagar (West Bengal), yanam (Andhra Pradesh),
Puducherry (Tamil Nadu), Mahe (Kerala)

Francis Day

Job charnock AS
Madras was established.

Calcutta was established.

IV
Gerold angier Bombay was established.
SR

FRENCH
● The last European to come to India.
● The French East India Company was formed in 1664 AD during the
reign of King Louis XIV to trade with India.
AN

● Pondicherry was the Capital of the French Colony in India.

● In 1668 AD the French established their first factory at Surat and in
1669 AD at Masulipatam.
AM

● In 1673 AD the Mughal Subedar of Bengal allowed the French to set

up a township at Chandernagore.
● In 1674 AD, the French obtained a village called Pondicherry from the
Sultan of Bijapur.
● Francois Martin is regarded as the founder of Pondicherry. He was
the first French Governor General of Puducherry.
Battle of Wandiwash - 1760
● This war was fought between the British and the French.
● During this the British army was led by Ayrcoot.
● The Comte-de-Lally headed the British government.
● The French were defeated in this war.

VA
TA
AS
IV
SR
AN
AM