Q.Which of the following European trading companies eventually gained political control over large parts of India and used that control to reshape Indian trade primarily to serve British commercial interests?

Although the Portuguese arrived first and the Dutch and French also established trading posts, it was the English East India Company that, after gaining political control (notably from Bengal after 1757), reshaped Indian trade policy to favour British manufacturing interests.

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish a direct sea trade with India (from 1498) and later held Goa, but they never gained control over large parts of the subcontinent. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) and the French East India Company (based chiefly at Pondicherry) also competed for Indian trade but, after a series of conflicts, lost out to the English East India Company as the dominant European power in India.

The English East India Company, chartered in 1600, expanded from its first Surat factory (1613) into a position of direct political control, beginning decisively with Bengal after the Battle of Plassey in 1757. Once it held political power, the Company was able to shape tariff and revenue policy in Britain's commercial interest — favouring British manufactured imports, extracting revenue used to fund the purchase of Indian exports, and building infrastructure …

Students sometimes select the Portuguese because they arrived first, forgetting that 'arriving first' is different from 'gaining political control and reshaping trade polic …