Who among the following Europeans were the last to come to preindependence India as traders?

The French were the last major European trading power to arrive in India. Contemporary accounts state that although France had long desired Eastern trade, it appeared late on the Indian coast; Colbert founded the Compagnie des Indes Orientales in 1664 under Louis XIV, marking France’s formal entry into Asian commerce [1]. Earlier arrivals included the Dutch, who reached India in the early 17th century and established the VOC with trading posts along the west and east coasts [2], and the Portuguese, who were the very first Europeans after Vasco da Gama’s 1498 voyage [3]. This chronology places the French after the Portuguese, Dutch and English as traders in pre‑independence India.

Sources

1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 3: Advent of the Europeans in India > Foundation of French Centres in India > p. 42
2. [2] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: The Colonial Era in India > The Dutch: commerce and competition > p. 89
3. [3] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 16: The Coming of the Europeans > Introduction > p. 243