ADVENT OF THE EUROPEAN INVASION :
India has been a major trading destination for many of the European countries in the Ancient and Medieval Era. Britishers were not the only Europeans who came and settled, but the Portuguese with their developments in navigation first found the sea route to India. The European Age of Discovery started with the Portuguese navigators, where Prince Henry the Navigator started a maritime school in Portugal. The results of these technical and scientific discoveries led Portugal to develop the most advanced ships, including the Caravel, the Carrack, and the Galleon, where for the first time in history maritime navigation was possible. The Portuguese Empire led the Portuguese Kingdom to discover and map most of the Globe, and find seas routes as far as the East and West, such as the remarkable voyage to find the sea route to India via the Cape of Good Hope.
Archives in India
Archives are the place where historical documents are preserved. The National Archives of India (NAI) is located in New Delhi. It is the chief store house of the records of the Government of India. It has the main source of information for understanding past administrative machinery as well as a guide for the future generation related to all matters. It contains authentic evidence for knowing the political, social, economic, culture and scientific life and activities of the people of India. Archives in India is one of the largest Archives in Asia.
Archives based on Tamilnadu :
The Madras record office, presently known as Tamil Nadu Archive TNA is located in Chennai. It is one of the oldest and largest document repositories in South India. Most of the records in Tamilnadu archives are in English. The collections include a series of Administrative records in Dutch,Danish, Persian and Marathi. few documents are in French, Portuguese, Tamil and Urdu. Tamilnadu archives have 1642 volumes of Dutch records which are related to Cochin and Coromandel coast. Their records cover the period from 1657 to 1845. Dodwell prepared with great efforts and the 1st issue of the Calendar of Madras record covers the period from 1777 to 1845, published in 1917. He was highly interested in encouraging historical research. He opened a new chapter in the history of Tamilnadu archives.
Advent of the Europeans:
After the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453 A.D. the land route between India and Europe was closed. the turks penetrated into North Africa and the Balkan Peninsula It became imperative on the part of European Nations to discover new sea routes to the East.
Portugal :
Among the entire European Nations Portugal was the foremost to make a dynamic attempt to discover a sea route to India. Prince Henry of Portugal who is commonly known as the “Navigator” encouraged his countrymen to take up the adventurous life of exploring the unknown region of the world. Bartholomew Diaz, A Portuguese sailor reached the southernmost point of Africa in 1487. He was patronised by the king John 2 .
Vasco da Gama :
Vasco da Gama another Portuguese sailor reached the southernmost point of Africa and he continued his journey to Mozambique from where he sailed to India with the help of an Indian pilot. In 1498 he reached Calicut where he was Cordially received by King Zamorin the ruler of Calicut. Second Portuguese navigator, “Pedro Alvares cabral” sailed towards India following the route discovered by Vasco da Gama with 13 ships and a few hundred soldiers in 1500. On his arrival at Calicut there arose conflicts between the Portuguese and King Zamorin. Vasco da Gama came to India for the second time in 1501 with 20 ships and founded a trading centre at Cannanore. One after another they established factories at Calicut and Cochin. King Zamorin attacked the Portuguese in Cochin but was defeated. Cochin was the first capital of the Portuguese East India company. The third Voyage of Vasco da Gama was in 1524. He soon fell ill and in December 1524 he died in Cochin.
Francisco de Almeida:(1505 - 1509):
Francisco De Almeida in 1505 was sent as the first governor of the Portuguese possessions in India. Almeda had the aim of developing the naval power of the Portuguese in India. His Policy was known as the “Blue Water policy”. As the Portuguese tried to break the Arab’s monopoly of Indian Ocean trade, it negatively impacted the trade interests of Egypt and Turkey. Sultan of Bijapur and Sultan of Gujarat were also apprehensive of the expansions of Portuguese control of ports which led to an Alliance between Egypt, Turkey and Gujarat against Portuguese invaders. In a Naval battle fought near Chaul,The combined Muslim fleet won victory over the Portuguese fleet under the Almeida’s son who was killed in the battle. Almeida defeated the combined Muslim fleet in a Naval battle near Diu, and by the year 1509, Portuguese claimed the naval Supremacy in Asia.
Alfonso de Albuquerque:(1509-1515)
The real founder of the Portuguese power in India was Alfonso de Albuquerque. He captured Goa from the Sultan of Bijapur in November 1510. In 1515 he established the Portuguese authority over Ormuz in the Persian Gulf. Encourage the marriage of the Portuguese with the Indian women. He maintained a friendly relationship with the Vijayanagara empire.
Nino De Cunha (1529 - 1538):
Nino De Cunha as a Governor, moved the capital from Cochin to Goa in 1530. In 1534, he acquired Bassein from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. In 1537, the Portuguese occupied Diu. Later they wrested Daman from the local chiefs of Gujarat. in 1548 they occupied Salsette. During the 16th century Portuguese succeeded in capturing Goa, Daman, Diu, Salsette, Bassein and Bombay on the Western coast, Hugli on the Bengal Coast and Santhom on the Madras Coast and enjoyed good trade benefits. The Portuguese brought the cultivation of tobacco in India. Due to the influence of Portuguese Catholic religion spread in certain regions of India's Western and Eastern Coast. The printing press was set up by the Portuguese at Goa in 1556. A scientific work on Indian medicinal plants by the European writer was printed at Goa in 1563. In the 17th century the Portuguese power began to decline to the Dutch and by 1739 the Portuguese pocket became confined to Goa, Diu and Daman.
Dutch:
The Dutch followed the Portuguese into India. In 1602 the united East India company of the Netherlands was formed and it received the sanction of the government to trade in East India. After the arrival in India the Dutch founded their first factory in Masulipatnam(Andhra Pradesh)in 1605. This company captured Amboyna from the Portuguese in 1605 and established its Supremacy in the spice Island. They captured Nagapattinam near Madras from Portuguese and made this place a stronghold in South India. As first, Pulicat was their headquarters and later the shifted to Nagapattinam in 1690. The most important Indian commodities traded by the Dutch were silk cotton, Indigo, rice and opium. They monopolized the trade in black pepper and other spices. The important factories in India were Pulicat, Surat, Chinsura, Kaasim bazar, Patna, Nagapattinam, Balasore and Cochin. The English East India Company remained engaged in a rivalry with the Portuguese and Dutch throughout the 17th century. In 1623 the Dutch cruelly killed the English traders and 9 Javanese in Amboyna. This incident accelerated the rivalry between two European companies. Their final collapse came with their defeat by the English in the battle of Bedera in 1759. The Dutch lost their settlements one by one to the English and were completely wiped out by the years 1795.
Dutch in Tamil Nadu:
The Portuguese who established control over Pulicat since 1502 where overthrown by the Dutch. in Pulicat the Dutch built the Fort Geldria in 1613. The fort was once the seat of Dutch power. The Dutch established their settlements at Pulicat in 161.0 diamonds were exported from Pulicat to The Western countries. The Other Dutch Forts and possessions were Nagapattinam, Punnakayal, Porto Novo, Cuddalore and Devanampattinam.
The British:
On 31st December 1600, Elizabeth 1 the queen of England granted a charter to the Governor and company of merchants of London to trade with the east Indies. The company was headed by a Governor and the court of 24 directors. Captain Hawkins visited Jahangir’s court in 1608 to get certain concessions for the company. He secured permission to Raise settlement at Surat. however the emperor cancelled the permission under pressure from the portuguese. In 1612 the English captain Thomas Best inflicted a severe defeat over the Portuguese in a Naval battle near Surat. The Mughal Emperor Jahangir permitted the English to establish their factory in 1613 at Surat which initially became the headquarters of the English in West India. Captain Nicholas Downtown won another decisive victory over the Portuguese in 1614. These events enhanced the British Prestige at the Mughal courts. In 1615 sir Thomas Roe was sent to Jahangir scot by King James 1 of England. He remained at Agra for 3 years and succeeded in concluding a commercial treaty with the emperor. Before the departure of Sir Thomas Roe the English had established their trading centre at Surat, Agra, Ahmedabad and broach. on the coastline of Bay of Bengal the English established their first factory in 1611 at masulipatnam Important port in the territory of the kingdom of Golconda. In 1639,The English Merchant Francis day obtained Madras as a lease from Chennappa Nayaka the ruler of Chandragiri. The East India Company built its famous factory e known as Fort Saint George in Madras which became their headquarters for the whole of the Eastern belt and first fort built by the British. King Charles 2 of England received the island of Bombay as a part of his dowry from the Portuguese king on the occasion of his marriage with Catherine. In 1668 the East India Company acquired the island at an annual rent of (pounds)£ 10 from the Charles 2. In 1690, a factory was established at Sutanuti by Job Charnock. The zamindari of the three villages of the Sutanuti, Calcutta and Govindpur was acquired by the British in 1698. These villages later grew into the city of Calcutta. the factory at Sutanuti was fortified in in 1696 and this new fortified settlement was named as Fort William 1700
The Danish:
On March 17, 1616 the king of Denmark Christian 4 issued the charter and created a Danish East India Company. They established settlements at Tranquebar (Tamil Nadu) in 1620 and Serampore (Bengal) in 1676. Serampore was their headquarters in India. They failed to strengthen themselves in India and they sold all the settlements in India to the British 1845.
The French:
The French East India company was formed by Colbert, in 1664 minister of king Louis 14 . In 1667, a French expedition came to India under francois Caron. France was the last European country to come to India as traders. Caron founded the first French factory in India at Surat. In 1669 Marcara founded the second French Factory at masulipatnam by securing a patent from the Sultan of Golconda. In 1673 the settlement of Pondicherry was founded by Martin under a grant from Sher Khan Lodi the ruler of Bijapur. Pondicherry became the most important and prosperous French settlement in India. A fort known as Saint Louis Was built by Francis Martin in Pondicherry. In 1673, the French obtained permission from Saishta Khan, the Mughal Subedar (governor) of Bengal to establish a Township at chandernagore near Calcutta. The French East India Company established factories in different parts of India particularly in the coastal region such as Mahi, Karaikal, Balasore and Quasim bazar. There were a few important trading centres at the French East India Company. The vision of the French power in India was further reinforced by the appointment of Joseph Francis Duplex as the governor of the French East India Company in 1742. He succeeded the Dumas as the French Governor of Pondicherry
Conclusion:
Since the Portuguese were eliminated by the Dutch and later distinguished by the English, the French were left to face the English for control over trade and territory. The French neglected trade and entangled themselves in war with Indian and other European powers. The three “Carnatic Wars” ruined the French and rejuvenated the English to embark on a systematic territorial expansion. The comparative success of the British over the Portuguese, that Dutch, the Danish and the French was largely due to their commercial competitiveness, spirit of Supreme sacrifice, Government support, Naval superiority, National character and their ascendancy in Europe.
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