WS-70 DWARKA, NEW DELH
SUMMER HOLIDAYS HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
CLASS VIII HISTORY
CHAPTER 2- FROM TRADE TO TERRITORY
Q1.The East India Company transformed from a trading company to a territorial
colonial power. How and when did the Company set foot in India? Which were the
other trading Companies that came to the Indian shores? What was the result of the
competition between the trading companies from different European countries?
How did the East India Company establish trade in India and enter the political
scene.
Answers
Answer:In 1600, the East India Company acquired a licence to trade, from Queen Elizabeth I, of England. The company got the sole right to trade with Eastern countries. No other company in England was given the right to trade.
This competition resulted in fierce clashes between the trading companies and the sinking of each others ships. They blocked routes and prevented rival ships from moving with supplies of goods.
East India Company started its first factory in West Bengal, on the banks of the River Hugli, in 1651. As trade developed, the Company asked local merchants, who acted as middle men for them, to come and settle near the factory. By 1696, the Company built a fort around the settlement of merchants. In 1698, the company got zamindari rights for 3 villages, from the Mughal ruler. Thus they entered the political scene in India.