India and European Colonialism
Short Questions
1. Who was the first Portuguese seafarer to reach India?
Answer: Vasco da Gama.
2. In which year did Vasco da Gama reach Calicut?
Answer: 1498.
3. What was the Portuguese license for sailing called?
Answer: Cartaz.
4. Which city was the capital of the Portuguese Empire in India?
Answer: Goa.
5. When was the British East India Company established?
Answer: 1600.
6. What was the name of the fort built by the British in Chennai?
Answer: Fort St. George.
7. Which Dutch company was formed in 1602?
Answer: United East India.
8. When was the French East India Company established?
Answer: 1664.
9. What were the wars between the British and French called?
Answer: Carnatic Wars.
10. Who gifted Mumbai to Charles II?
Answer: King of Portugal.
Long Questions
1. How did the Portuguese establish their control over Indian coasts?
Answer: The Portuguese, led by Vasco da Gama, reached Calicut in 1498 and quickly set up colonies on India’s western coast, like Goa and Diu. They built forts, used strong naval forces to control the Indian Ocean, and forced Indian rulers to get a Cartaz for sailing, seizing or sinking ships without it.
2. Why did Indian rulers struggle to fight the Portuguese?
Answer: Indian rulers lacked strong naval forces, unlike the Portuguese, who had advanced ships with cannons and skilled seamen. The Portuguese launched sudden sea attacks and controlled the Indian Ocean, making it hard for Indian rulers to resist, except for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who built his own navy.
3. What was the role of the Cartaz in Portuguese trade?
Answer: The Cartaz was a license issued by the Portuguese that Indian rulers needed to sail in the Indian Ocean. It included details like the ship’s name, captain, and weapons. Ships without a Cartaz were seized or sunk, ensuring Portuguese control over sea trade.
4. How did the British East India Company start trading in India?
Answer: Established in 1600 with Queen Elizabeth’s permission, the British East India Company began trading by sending cargos to eastern countries. They built factories in places like Surat and Chennai to store goods, and later forts like Fort St. George, gaining rights to maintain armies and make treaties.
5. What were the key features of British factories in India?
Answer: British factories were large plots with warehouses, offices, and residential quarters, flying the Union Jack. They housed staff like factors and clerks, provided meals, and had gardens. Factories in Surat, Chennai, and Mumbai were key trading hubs with strict company rules.
6. How did Mumbai come under British control?
Answer: In 1661, the King of Portugal gifted Mumbai to Charles II as part of his marriage to Princess Braganza. Charles II leased it to the East India Company in 1669, who appointed governors like George Oxenden and established a mint, encouraging trade and settlement.
7. What rights did the Dutch government give to the United East India Company?
Answer: In 1602, the Dutch government licensed the United East India Company to trade with eastern countries, appoint staff, build forts and factories, engage in battles, and sign treaties. This allowed them to establish colonies from Africa to Japan, including in India.
8. How did the Dutch establish their presence in India?
Answer: The Dutch formed the United East India Company in 1602 and built factories in places like Pulicat, Machilipatnam, and Surat. They defeated the Portuguese to gain forts in Kochi and Kannur, secured a monopoly in black pepper trade, and used strong naval forces to control shipping.
9. Why was Pondicherry important for the French in India?
Answer: Pondicherry was the main center of French operations after they established a factory there in the 1660s. It became a hub for trade and military activities, but internal conflicts in the Nawab’s family led to French-British rivalry, culminating in the Carnatic Wars.
10. What was the outcome of the Carnatic Wars?
Answer: The Carnatic Wars (1744–1763) were three battles between the British and French in India. The British defeated the French in the third battle, eliminating French influence in India and leaving the British with no major European rivals, strengthening their control.
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