During whose reign did the English East India Company establish its first factory in India?

Key Fact(s)

The English East India Company set up its first factory in India at Surat in 1613 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir. This permission was granted after the English defeated the Portuguese in the Battle of Swally (1612), which weakened Portuguese influence along the western coast.

Jahangir followed a policy of controlled openness to European traders, allowing the English to operate in return for customs revenue. The establishment of the Surat factory marked the formal beginning of English commercial activities in India. Over time, this commercial foothold expanded into political and territorial dominance, shaping the course of Indian history.