📊 European Trading Companies & Their Factory Establishments in India
| Trading Company | Home Country | First Arrival in India | Key Factory/Settlement | Year Established | Important Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portuguese | Portugal | 1498 (Vasco da Gama) | Goa | 1510 | Captured from Bijapur by Alfonso de Albuquerque |
| Daman & Diu, Bassein | 1531, 1534 | Strong maritime control initially | |||
| Dutch (VOC) | Netherlands | 1605 | Pulicat (Coromandel) | 1609 | Main base until shifted to Nagapattinam |
| Surat, Cochin, Chinsura | Early 17th century | Defeated by English in the Battle of Banda (1759) | |||
| British (EIC) | England | 1608 (at Surat) | Madras (Chennai) | 1639 | Leased from Nayaks of Vijayanagar |
| Bombay | 1668 | Given by Portuguese as dowry to Charles II | |||
| Calcutta (Fort William) | 1690 | Acquired from Sutanuti by Job Charnock | |||
| French (Compagnie des Indes) | France | 1668 | Pondicherry (Puducherry) | 1674 | Governor Dupleix fought Carnatic wars with British |
| Chandernagore, Mahe | 1688+, 1725 | Lost influence after Carnatic Wars | |||
| Danish | Denmark | 1616 | Tranquebar (Tamil Nadu) | 1620 | Sold settlements to British in 1845 |
| Serampore (Bengal) | 1755 | Minimal political role |
🧭 Quick Notes:
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Portuguese were the first to arrive, and also the last to leave (1961).
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Dutch focused more on spice trade in Indonesia than politics in India.
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British & French had intense political rivalry — leading to Carnatic Wars.
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Danes had limited territorial ambitions and were eventually absorbed by the British.
