UPSC Prelims 2007 Q60: Modern History – Advent Of Europeans & British Expansion

UPSC Prelims 2007, General Studies Paper I · Modern History

Who among the following Europeans were the last to come to pre - independence India as traders?

Answer: (c) French

Explanation

Order of arrival of European traders in India

Order	Company	Year of arrival / founding
1	Portuguese	1498 — Vasco da Gama at Calicut
2	Dutch	1602 company; first factory Masulipatnam 1605
3	English	1600 company; Surat factory 1613
4	Danes	1616 company; Tranquebar 1620
5	French	1664 company (Colbert); Surat factory 1668

Of the four options, the French were the last to arrive.

(The Danes are not in the options.)

Answer: (c) French.

(a) Incorrect. The Dutch arrived early in the 17th century (Masulipatnam 1605).
(b) Incorrect. The English East India Company was founded in 1600 — before the French.
(c) CORRECT. The French East India Company was set up only in 1664 — the last of these four.
(d) Incorrect. The Portuguese were the first (Vasco da Gama, 1498).

Arrival order: Portuguese → Dutch → English → Danes → French. French = last (1664).

First Europeans = Portuguese (1498); last = French (1664).

Ranking by company founding year only. The English company (1600) is older than the Dutch (1602), but the Dutch set up factories in India earlier.
Forgetting the French came last even though they fought the English hardest (Carnatic Wars).
Thinking the Danes are not part of the list — they came in 1616, before the French.

Mnemonic: 'Please Do Eat Delicious Food' — Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danes, French.