The following European Powers entered into Indian trade at one time or the other:

1. The English
2. The Dutch
3. The French
4. The Portuguese.

Select the correct chronological order of their entry.

Key Fact(s)

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to enter Indian trade with the arrival of Vasco da Gama at Calicut in 1498. The Dutch followed in the early seventeenth century, establishing their trading presence after the formation of the VOC in 1602. The English entered Indian trade soon after, with the English East India Company setting up its first factory at Surat in 1613.

The French were the last among the major European powers, entering Indian trade after the establishment of the French East India Company in 1664. This sequence reflects the gradual intensification of European commercial and political rivalry in India.