Page 3 - ch 9

Module - III Colonial Era and the Indian Sepoy

Military History of the
Intext Questions 9.1
Colonial Era

1. Who came first and explored India?
2. Who landed in Calicut, India in1498?

9.1.2 The Dutch in India

Note Do you know who these Dutch people were? The people of Holland are called the
Dutch. After the Portuguese the Dutch also explored the high seas and crossed the
Indian Ocean and landed in Indian Territory for trade purposes. In 1602 the United
East India Company of Netherland was formed and permission was given by the
Dutch government to trade with the East Indies including India. All these settlers
established their factories in strategic locations in order to attract and develop their
business. It also enabled them to easily go back to their home country. In 1605,
Admiral Van der Hagen established the first Dutch factory in Masulipattanam in Andhra
Pradesh. The other factories that were built were in Pettapoli (Nizamapatanam),
Tirupapuliyur and Devenampatnam. The Dutch negotiated with the king of Chandragiri
in 1610 and had another factory at Pulicat and it was fortified and named as Geldria.
The Chief of Pulicat Van den Broecke became the governor and made a factory at
Surat. In 1627 Dutch Bengal was established. The Dutch in Bombay, Ahmedabad,
Agra and Burhanpur, Bimlipatam, Karikal, Chinsura, Patna, Balasore, Cochin,
Kasimbazar, Gustavus constructed several factories and forts. The other Dutch factories
in India were successful than the Portuguese.

The British faced tough challenge for the Dutch, while establishing themselves. This
resulted in wars between them. Due to the Anglo-Dutch rivalry, Trivancore Marthanda
Varma gave a fatal blow to the Dutch East India Company in the battle of Colachel in
1741, which resulted in complete defeat of Dutch power in Malabar. As a result the
British made use of this victory and so they captured the Dutch strongholds.

9.1.3 The French in India

After the Portuguese and the Dutch,, the French also established their companies. In
1664 Jean-Baptiste Colbert founded the French East India Company (Map 9.2). The
company established its first factory at Surat under Francis Caron in 1668 and the
Second factory was established a year later in Masulipattanam. French East India
Company under Francois Martin in 1674 established a trading centre at Pondicherry.
In 1693 Dutch captured Pondicherry but returned it to French later. The French
acquired Mahe in 1720, Yanam in 1731, and Karaikal in 1738. The other factory they
established was in Chandranagar in Bengal. In 1701 Pondicherry was made the capital
of French settlements in India. Francois Martin was the President and the Superior
Council and director general of French affairs in India. Later in 1742, Joseph Francois
Dupleix took charge of the French empire in India. In 1746 he captured Madras but
failed to take the neighboring British fort St.David. There were series of fights between
the French and the British. In 1744 a British Officer Robert Clive arrived in India who

58
58
MILITARY HISTORY