Correct Option: (c)
Explanation:
Reasons Why Europeans Wanted to Come to India:
• Re-establish Direct Trade: Europeans sought to reduce their dependence
on Arab Muslim intermediaries by establishing direct contact with India,
a key hub for valuable goods.
• Access to Indian Commodities: India was a major source of spices,
calicoes, silk, and precious stones, which were in high demand across the
world.
• Renaissance Spirit and Advancements: The Renaissance era
encouraged a spirit of exploration, and advances in shipbuilding and
navigation made it possible for Europeans to venture across the seas to
reach the East.
• Rising Economic Prosperity in Europe: Economic growth in Europe
increased the demand for oriental luxury goods, especially spices for
cooking and preservation, further motivating European expeditions to
India.

Correct Option: (b)
Explanation:
Alfonso de Albuquerque
• Succeeded Almeida as Portuguese Governor in India and is considered to be the real founder of Portuguese power in the East.
• Successfully established bases at Ormuz, in Malabar, in Malacca as well as in the Red Sea to maintain Portuguese control over the Indian Ocean.
• He introduced a ‘permit system’ for other ships.
• Acquired Goa from Sultan of Bijapur in 1510, which became the first Indian territory under European control since Alexander the Great.
• Introduced new crops like Tobacco and Cashew nut, or better plantation varieties of coconut.
• Bitter persecution of Muslims due to Portuguese leadership of Christendom.
• Albuquerque abolished sati and encouraged Portuguese men to marry locals. Portuguese settlers in Goa and the North Province became landlords, introducing new crops and infrastructure.

Correct Option: (c)
Explanation:
Key areas under British control in India included the following:
• In 1632, the Sultan of Golconda issued the ‘Golden Farman,’ granting the British the privilege of trading freely in Golconda. Bombay was given as a dowry gift to King Charles II, who later transferred it to the East India Company in 1668, where it became the headquarters of the Western Presidency.
• In 1639, the ruler of Chandragiri allowed the British to build a fortified factory in Madras, later named Fort St. George, replacing Masulipatnam as the English headquarters in South India.
• The British extended their trading activities to the east, establishing factories in Hariharpur and Balasore (Odisha) in 1633.
• In Bengal, Shah Shuja allowed them to trade in exchange for an annual payment, leading to the establishment of factories at Hooghly (1651), Kasimbazar, and Patna.
• Though William Hedges’ attempt to build a fortified settlement failed, Job Charnock succeeded in securing permission for an English factory in Sutanuti in 1691.
• By 1698, the British obtained the zamindari of Sutanuti, Gobindapur, and Kalikata, later forming Fort William in 1700, which became the seat of the Eastern Presidency (Calcutta), with Sir Charles Eyre as its first president.

Correct Option: (d)
Explanation:
The French
• The French were the last Europeans to arrive in India with the purpose of trade.
• Compagnie des Indes Orientales (French East India Company) was established by minister Colbert in 1664 during the reign of Louis XIV. The company got a 50 year monopoly on French trade in Indian & Pacific oceans as well as other concessions.
• First French Factory in India was established by Francois Caron in Surat in 1667. Mercara, a Persian who accompanied Caron, founded another French factory in Masulipatnam in 1669 after obtaining a patent from the Sultan of Golconda.
• In 1673, The French obtained permission from Shaista Khan, the Mughal subahdar of Bengal, to establish a township at Chandernagore near Calcutta.
• Francois Martin was granted the site of Pondicherry by Bijapur in 1674 by Sher Khan Lodi. Later, Pondicherry became the nerve center of the French in India.
• Other important French trade centers were Mahe, Karaikal, Balasore which helped their expansion into India.
• The Dutch captured Pondicherry in 1693 but later, it was restored to the French under the Treaty of Ryswick.
• Later, the French Company was reorganized under the stewardship of governors Lenoir and Dumas between 1720 and 1742.

Correct Option: (a)
Explanation:
Dupleix
• Took charge as Director-General of French colonies in India in 1741. He also had taken charge of Pondicherry earlier where he became wealthy due to private trade. Known as an able administrator, he built fortifications around Pondicherry
• Muzaffar Jang, Mughal Emperor and Subahdar of Deccan, conferred the title of ‘Nawab’ on Dupleix.
• During the Carnatic wars, he became known due to his strategic acumen and protected French interests under the protection of the Nawab
• The first European to meddle in the internal affairs of the Indian emperors was Dupleix. After his candidates, Muzzaffar Jang for Hyderabad and Chanda Sahib for Carnatic won, they made significant concessions to Dupleix.
• Dupleix was also the originator of the practice of subsidiary alliance in India as he placed a French army at Hyderabad.
• Dupleix was recalled in 1754 due to initial defeats of the French in the Second Carnatic War. This is seen as a historical blunder that led to eventual English domination.