UPSC Prelims 2022 Q59: Modern History – Advent Of Europeans & British Expansion
With reference to Indian history, consider the following statements :
1. The Dutch established their factories/warehouses on the east coast on lands granted to them
by Gajapati rulers.
2. Alfonso de Albuquerque captured Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate.
3. The English East India Company established a factory at Madras on a plot of land leased from a
representative of the Vijayanagara empire.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
Explanation
European footholds on the Indian coast
| Statement | Verdict | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dutch factories on the east coast stood on land granted by Gajapati rulers | Incorrect | The Dutch set up at Masulipatnam (1605) under Golconda and at Pulicat (1610) under the Vijayanagara (Chandragiri) ruler |
| 2. Albuquerque captured Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate | Correct | Alfonso de Albuquerque took Goa from Yusuf Adil Shah of Bijapur in 1510 |
| 3. The English factory at Madras stood on land leased from a Vijayanagara representative | Correct | Francis Day got the land in 1639 from Damarla Venkatadri Nayaka, a Nayak under the Vijayanagara (Chandragiri) king |
The Gajapatis ruled Odisha and had faded by the early 16th century, long before the Dutch arrived.
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Statement 1 is wrong; the Dutch got land from Golconda and Vijayanagara, not the Gajapatis.
- (b) CORRECT. Goa (1510) came from Bijapur and Madras (1639) from a Vijayanagara Nayak.
- (c) Incorrect. It keeps the false Gajapati claim and drops Albuquerque's capture of Goa.
- (d) Incorrect. The Gajapatis of Odisha did not grant the Dutch their east-coast factories.
Key point
Goa 1510 from Bijapur (Albuquerque); Madras 1639 from Damarla Venkatadri Nayaka (Vijayanagara); Dutch at Masulipatnam and Pulicat.
Remember
Goa from Bijapur (1510); Madras from a Vijayanagara Nayak (1639).
Common mistakes
- Assuming every east-coast grant came from the Gajapatis of Odisha.
- Thinking Goa was taken from Vijayanagara; it belonged to the Bijapur Adil Shahis.
- Forgetting that Fort St George at Madras rose on land leased from a Nayak.
Exam tip
Match each European base to the Indian ruler who granted it: Goa-Bijapur, Masulipatnam-Golconda, Madras-Vijayanagara Nayak, Surat-Mughals.
Sources
- NCERT Class VIII — Our Pasts III, Ch 2 (From Trade to Territory)
- Bipan Chandra — History of Modern India, Ch 1