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Q79 (NDA-II/2018) History & Culture › Modern India (Pre-1857) › European trading companies Answer Verified

Where Did the French East India Company first established its factory in India?

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: B
Explanation

The French East India Company, founded in 1664 during the reign of Louis XIV, established its first factory in India at Surat in December 1668 [4]. This was achieved by Francis Caron, who led the expedition and obtained a firman from the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb [4]. Following the success at Surat, the French expanded their commercial footprint by establishing a second factory at Masulipatnam in 1669 [4]. While Pondicherry later became the most significant French settlement and headquarters after its founding in 1674 by Francois Martin, it was not the first [1]. Other trading centers like Chandernagore, Mahe, and Karaikal were established subsequently as the company grew [3]. Therefore, Surat remains the historical site of the first French commercial establishment on Indian soil.

Sources

  1. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 16: The Coming of the Europeans > Pondicherry through Madagascar > p. 251
  2. [4] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 3: The Beginnings of European Settlements > The Anglo-French Struggle in South India > p. 59
  3. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 14: The Mughal Empire > European Factories/Settlements during Mughal Rule > p. 209
  4. [3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 3: Advent of the Europeans in India > Pondicherry—Nerve Centre of French Power in India > p. 43
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