British In India

21 Pages 5127 Words

lizabeth I gave her blessing and five British vessels set sail for what is now known as Indonesia. Upon arrival, they found the Dutch far from eager to share their profits. The British therefore turned back to India's west coast, dropping anchor near Surat in 1608, and Sir William Hawkins proceeded to the imperial Mogul court in Agra to seek permission to set up a trading post. But the Portuguese, who had staked some claims on the subcontinent when Vasco da Gama landed in 1498, proved quite as reluctant as the Dutch were to part with their monopoly.

Trading requests, backed up by force

As the Mogul emperor dithered about giving permissions and the Portuguese connived, the British took to backing up their local requests with threats of force. By 1639, English traders were established on the east coast, too, leasing for 600 a year a harborless beach just five miles long and one mile wide, which they christened Fort St. George (later Madras). In 1661 they picked up another site when, for a paltry annual rent of 10, King Charles II handed ove...