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Q13 (IAS/2021) History & Culture › Modern India (Pre-1857) › European trading companies Official Key

In the first quarter of seventeenth century, in which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the English East India Company located? 1. Broach 2. Chicacole 3. Trichinopoly Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 1 (1 only).

During the first quarter of the seventeenth century (1601–1625), the English East India Company focused on establishing trading posts along the western coast of India. Following the success of Thomas Roe’s mission to the Mughal court, factories were established at Surat, Broach (Bharuch), Ahmedabad, Agra, and Burhanpur by 1619. Broach was a vital center for the export of calicoes and cotton textiles.

  • Chicacole (Srikakulam): Located in the Northern Circars, English influence here developed much later, primarily in the late 17th and 18th centuries as they expanded along the Coromandel Coast.
  • Trichinopoly (Tiruchirappalli): This region was under the internal rule of the Nayaks and later the Carnatic Nawabs; it did not host an English factory during the initial 1600-1625 period.

Since only Broach aligns with the early 17th-century timeline of English expansion, Statement 1 is the only correct choice.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. In the first quarter of seventeenth century, in which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the English East India Company l…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 3.3/10 · 3.3/10
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This is a classic 'Positive List' question. You are not expected to know the history of Chicacole or Trichinopoly; you are expected to possess the definitive list of the first 5-6 EIC factories (Surat, Broach, Ahmedabad, Agra, Masulipatam). If a location isn't on your 'Master List' for 1600–1625, mark it wrong and move on.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Was there an English East India Company factory at Broach (Bharuch) during the first quarter of the seventeenth century (c.1601–1625)?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 3: The Beginnings of European Settlements > The Growth of the East India Company's Trade and Influence, 1600-1744 > p. 52
Presence: 5/5
“The English East Company had very humble beginnings in India. Surat was the centre of its trade till 1687. Throughout this period the English remained petitioners before the Mughal authorities. By 1623 they had established factories at Surat, Broach, Ahmedabad, Agra, and Masulipatam. From the very beginning, the English trading company tried to combine trade and diplomacy with war and control of the territory where their factories were situated.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states that by 1623 the Company had established factories at Surat, Broach, Ahmedabad, Agra and Masulipatam.
  • Places the establishment of a factory at Broach well within c.1601–1625.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 3: Advent of the Europeans in India > Why the English Succeeded against Other European Powers > p. 57
Presence: 4/5
“Formation English East India Company was formed on December 31, 1600 by the charter issued by Queen Elizabeth I, which gave the company monopoly to trade in the East Indies for 15 years. • Settlements in India (i) With Captain Thomas Best's victory over the Portuguese (1612), the English established their first factory at Surat (1613). Subsequently Sir Thomas Roe secured permission from Jehangir to establish factories at Agra, Ahmedabad and Broach.• (ii) Bombay came under the control of the Company, with Charles II (who received it as a part of the Portuguese dowry) leasing it out to the English Company for an annual rent of 10 pounds.• (iii) Madras with the Fort St.”
Why this source?
  • Records that Sir Thomas Roe secured permission from Jahangir to establish factories at Agra, Ahmedabad and Broach.
  • Links diplomatic permission in the early 17th century to the setting up of a Broach factory.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 3: Advent of the Europeans in India > Farrukhsiyar's Farmans > p. 41
Presence: 4/5
“But the English had to vanquish the French before they • Col1: 1600 1609; Col2: : The East India Company is established. : William Hawkins arrives at Jahangir's court. • Col1: 1611; Col2: : Captain Middleton obtains the permission of the Mughal governor of Surat to trade there. • Col1: 1613; Col2: : A permanent factory of East India Company is established at Surat. • Col1: 1615; Col2: : Sir Thomas Roe, the ambassador of King James I, arrives at Jahangir's court.”
Why this source?
  • Timeline notes a permanent English factory at Surat (1613) and Sir Thomas Roe's arrival (1615), establishing the contemporaneous diplomatic and commercial context for other factories like Broach.
  • Helps fix the relevant events within the first quarter of the 17th century.
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Statement analysis

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