Advent of the Europeans

 

ONE-LINER HISTORY NOTE FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMS

 

Advent of the Europeans

 

1.       A new Sea route to India via Cape of Good Hope (Southern tip of South Africa) by Vasco da Gama in 1498 AD marked the beginning of European period in Indian History.  

2.      He first arrived at Kapad near Kozhikode in Kerala.  

3.      Saint Gabriel was the name of the ship in which Vasco-da-Gama landed at Kappad, the port of Zamorine of Calicut.  

4.      The most famous Portuguese men from the point of view of India Vasco da Gama, Almeida and Albuquerque.  

5.      Vasco-da-Gama arrived for the second time in 1502 and for the third chance in 1524. He died at Fort Cochin and was cremated at the St. Frnacis Church there. Later his remains were brought back to Portugal.  

6.      Don Francisco de’Almedia was the first Portuguese governor in the East. His policy was called ‘‘the bluewater policy’’ which aimed at the establishement of strong navy.  

7.      In 1507 the Portuguese arrived at Madras. The city finally got its name from their leader Madra.  

8.      The greatest Portuguese governor to the East was Albuquerque. He was the real founder of the Portuguese authority in India.  

9.      Albuquerque tried to abolish Sati.  

10.    His policy mixed colony system was to encourage intermarriage between the Portuguese and Indians.  

11.      They Portuguese religious policy was Lantinisation of Kerala.  

12.    The conflict for the establishment of Latin rite and syrian rite led to the Coonan Cross Oath incident in 1653.  

13.    The Portuguese introduced agricultural products such a cashew, coconut, custardapple, pineapple etc in India.  

14.    They introduced Tobacco in the court of Akbar in 1604.  

15.    Portuguese authority in Indian seas remained upto 1595.  

16.    The Portuguese started the first press in India at Goa in 1556.  

17.     The first Portuguese fort in India was constructed at Cochin.  

18.    Portuguese captured Goa from the Bijapur Sulthan in 1510.

 

The Dutch

1.       In 20 March 1602 the United East India Company of the Netherlands was formed. The Name of the Dutch Company was Vereenidge Oostindische Companie (VOC)  

2.      The Dutch set up their first factory at Masulipattanam in 1605.

3.      In 1663 the Dutch captured Cochin.  

4.      In 1741 Marthandavarma, the Travancore ruler defeated the Dutch in the Battle of Kolachal.  

5.      The final Collapse of the Dutch came with their defeat by the English in the Battle of Bedara in 1759.

 

The English and the French

1.       The English East India Company was formed by a group of Merchants known as ‘The Merchant Adventurers’ in 1599.  

2.      Early Name of the company was John Company.  

3.      English East India Company was formally established on 31st December 1600 by a Charter issued by Queen Elizabeth of the Tudor dynasty.  

4.      Hector, the first ship of the English East India company reached Surat on 24 August 1606.  

5.      In 1612 the Company became a joint stock company.  

6.      Sir Thomas Roe, first ambassador of James I of England landed at Surat and met Jahangir in 1613 and the first English factor, was established at Surat.  

7.      The company acquired Bombay from Charles II on lease which he got as dowry from Portugal.  

8.      The designation of ‘Chief Justice’ was introduced in India by the English in 1678.  

9.      Madras became the first presidency chartered as municipal corporation with Mayor’s court 1687.  

10.    Job Charnock founded the city of Calcutta.  

11.      Colbert the minister of Louis XIV created the compangnile des Indes Orientales in 1664.  

12.    Francis Carton set up the first French factory at Surat in 1668.  

13.    The First French Governor of Ponicherry was Francois Martin.  

14.    The arrival of Dupleix as French Governor in India in 1742 saw the beginning of Anglo- French Conflict.  

15.    The first Carnatic war between the French and the English for supremacy in South India occured in 1742. It ended in 1748 by the treaty of Aix-la- Chapple.  

16.    The second Carnatic war was from 1748 to 1754.  

17.     Robert Clive was the Governor of the English during the Carnatic wars.  

18.    The Gregorian Calendar came to be used throughout the British dominion in 1752.  

19.    The Second Carnatic war ended with the treaty of Pondicherry in 1754.  

20.  The Third Carnatic war was from 1758 to 1763.  

21.    At the Battle of Wandiwash Eyre Coot defeated French general Lally in 1760.  

22.   With the treaty of Paris in 1763 peace was settled between the French and English.  

23.   The battle of Plassey was fought in the year 1757 June 13.  

24.   In 1756 Siraj-ud-daula, the Nawab of Bengal, attacked Calcutta and captured it. 146 British prisoners including their commander John Zepheria Holwell and four women were locked in a small room. 123 of them died inside due to suffication. This incident is known a Black-hole tragedy.  

25.   Battle of Plassey was fought between Robert Clive and Siraj-ud-daula, the Nawab of Bengal.  

26.   Siraj-ud-daula was defeated in the battle.  

27.   Mir Zafar was made the Nawab of Bengal after the battle of Plassey.  

28.   After the battle of Plassey Robert Clive became the first Governor of Bengal.  

29.   The Construction of fort William of Calcutta was started by Lord Clive.  

30.  In 1764 the European Bengal Regiment mutinied which was followed by the First Indian Sepoy Mutiny against the British.  

31.    The combined forces of Mirkassim, Emperor of Delhi and Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula of Oudh were defeated in the Battle of Buxar on October 23 1764.  

32.   Robert Clive introduced official postal system in India in 1766. Siraj-ud-daula

33.   Robert Clive introduced ‘Dual government’ in Bengal.

 

Conquest of Mysore

1.       Haider Ali was the son of Fatheh Muhammed.He was born in 1722.  

2.      In 1766 he became the ruler of Mysore after the death of Mysore Raja Krishna Wodeyar.  

3.      First Mysore war between Haider Ali and the English started in 1767 and ended in 1769.  

4.      First Anglo-Mysore war ended with the defeat of English and the treaty of Madras.  

5.      Second Mysore war was from 1780 to 1784.  

6.      Haider Ali died in 1782 and Tipu Sulthan became the Mysore ruler.  

7.      The second Mysore war ended by the treaty of Mangalore in 1784.  

8.      Second Mysore war was fought during the period of Warren Hastings.  

9.      Third Mysore war started in 1790 and ended in 1792.  

10.    The third war ended by the treaty of Seringapatnam on March 19th1792.  

11.      Fourth Anglo Mysore war was in 1799.  

12.    Fourth Mysore war was fought during the period of Governor general wellesley.  

13.    In this battle Tipu was killed in 1799 at Srerangapatanam by Col. Arthur Wellesley.  

14.    Tipu’s Capital was Srerangapatanam.  

15.    Tipu is known as Mysore Tiger.  

16.    Fathul Mujahiddin is the book written by Tippu which describes about Rockets.

 

Maratha Wars

1.       First Anglo Maratha war (1775-82) It ended by the treaty of Salbai.  

2.      Second Anglo-Maratha War was from 1803 to 1805.  

3.      The treaty of Bassein was signed between the last Peshwa Baji RaoII and the English in 1802.  

4.      The second Maratha War was ended by the treaty of Rajghat, 1806.  

5.      The third Anglo Maratha war was from 1817- 1818. Thus by the end of third Maratha war the Maratha power disappeared and the English created the State of Sathara.