SSC CGL - Detailed Guide 2025
Self-Paced Course
Advent of Europeans in India
Reference: Lucent GK, NCERT Class 6–12
Portuguese (First to arrive, last to leave)
- Arrival: 20 May, 1498 AD
- Explorer: Vasco da Gama – arrived at Calicut (Kozhikode), welcomed by Zamorin
- Established base: Cochin (1500), later moved to Goa (capital in 1530).
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Key Figures
- Francisco de Almeida – Policy of Blue Water (Naval Supremacy)
- Alfonso de Albuquerque – captured Goa in 1510
- Contributions: Introduced tobacco, potatoes, printing press, cashew, etc
Dutch (Netherlands)
- Established: Dutch East India Company (1602)
- Centers in India: Masulipatnam, Nagapattinam, Pulicat (HQ), Cochin
- Defeated by British in the Battle of Bedara (1759)
- Lost influence in India post-18th century
British (Most successful)
- East India Company formed: 1600 (charter by Queen Elizabeth I)
- First factory: Surat (1613)
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Key Treaties and Events:
- 1608: Captain Hawkins at Jahangir’s court
- 1615: Sir Thomas Roe – got firmans to establish factories
- Major trading centers: Bombay, Madras, Calcutta
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Important battles:
- Battle of Plassey (1757)
- Battle of Buxar (1764)
French
- French East India Company: 1664 (By Colbert)
- Key Settlements: Pondicherry (main), Mahe, Karaikal, Chandernagore
- Important Governor: Joseph François Dupleix
- Rivalry with British: Three Carnatic Wars (ended with British supremacy)
Danish
- Established trading posts at Tranquebar (Tamil Nadu) and Serampore (Bengal)
- Not politically ambitious, sold settlements to British in 1845
Important Points to Remember for SSC CGL
| Europeans | Arrival Year | First Place Reached | Important Place(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portuguese | 1498 | Calicut | Goa |
| Dutch | 1605 | Masulipatnam | Pulicat, Nagapattinam |
| British | 1600 | Surat | Bombay, Calcutta, Madras |
| French | 1664 | Surat | Pondicherry |
| Danish | 1616 | Tranquebar | Serampore |
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