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The Advent of the British Empire marked the beginning of Modern History in India. The discovery of the sea routes for trade purposes and the Advent of Europeans like Portuguese, Dutch, French and British in India during the mid 15th Century also was the beginning of a long period of colonialism in India with events such as Company Rule Expands, Conflict among Trading Powers among others.
British Entry In India
The first entry of the British in India was through the East India Company was established in 1599 and 1600; they got permission from the Queen to start trading with the East
In 1608 Captain William Hawkins obtained the royal permit for the British East India Company for establishing companies across the Western Coast of India
The English established the first factory in the year 1613 at Surat. This was followed by setting up factories at Agra, Broach, and Ahmedabad after Captain Thomas Roe secured permission from Mughal Empire Jehangir
The English quickly established their strongholds in the south and the west by setting up several factories by the first half of the 17th Century
The British established a stronghold over India by the 19th Century. However, after the Revolt of 1857, they had to concede their power over India to the British government
The ongoing fight for Independence in India and the two World Wars weakened the British power in India. And in 1947, India won its independence
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British East India Company
The British East India company established in 1600 was a joint-stock company. Their venture into India was as traders, but they found it more profitable to rule India eventually. They held their dominance and power in India till 1900. The British East India company gained their first foothold in India under the Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1612 when Sir Thomas Roe was given the right to establish a factory in Surat, Gujrat. Captain Willian Hawkins, however, was the first person to try establishing this factory in 1608 but failed due to Portuguese opposition.
For the next 50 years, their only intention was to trade in India and earn profit. This changed with a new generation of British traders who took over the guards in 1650 in the British East India Company and wanted to gain political power to get the free hand of trade in India and keep the rival Europeans out.
Initially, The East India Company gained political footing in India through a marriage alliance where the king of Portugal gave Bombay to King Charles II as dowry and then was given to the East India Company for an annual payment of 10 pounds. Here the company became stronger and spread its arms across the subcontinent.
Period | Event |
1674-1698 | A native resistance was forcibly suppressed to make Calcutta the centre of British activity in Bengal province. |
1700- 1800 | The eventual collapse of the Mughal Empire opened doors to European powers to gain control over India. The East India Company formed its own army in India for ease of trade. With the victory in the Battle of Plassey in 1757 under Robert Clive their dominance over India was established. All basic social, political and economic structures were built to enable a long haul of rule in India for the next 200 years. |
1800-1900 | The British Raj in India started meeting resistance in India. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 also called the Indian Revolt or the Sepoy Mutiny marked a turning point in the history of Britain in India. Resentment began to grow during this period. The East India Company was abolished and India came under the formal rule of the British crown. Reforms such as religious independence and recruitment of Indians in civil services. The Viceroy became the embodiment of British rule in India Lord Curzon became the Viceroy in 1898. He instituted very unpopular policies that urged an Indian Nationalist Movement to emerge. |
1900-1947 | Indians gained strength across India with the motive to seek independence. India finally became independent in 1947. |
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Conclusion
The Advent of the British and the subsequent rule over India with the formation of the British Empire marks several high points in world history. The British people were attracted by the rich resources and geography of India as it had promising prospects of profit. There are several such topics from Indian history that will make an interesting read, such as the Modern History of India, Emergence of the New States, The Marathas and such other phases.
