The question asks to identify the Indian kingdom that decisively defeated the Dutch in the Battle of Colachel in 1741. This is a direct historical fact question.
Correct Option: D) Travancore — The Battle of Colachel in 1741 was a decisive victory for the Kingdom of Travancore, led by King Marthanda Varma, over the Dutch East India Company. This battle is considered a turning point in Indian history as it effectively ended Dutch colonial ambitions in India.
The question asks to identify the Indian king who defeated the Dutch at the Battle of Colachel. This requires knowledge of significant historical battles and the rulers involved in them, particularly focusing on the interactions between Indian kingdoms and European colonial powers.
B) Marthanda Varma
Marthanda Varma, the King of Travancore, decisively defeated the Dutch East India Company forces at the Battle of Colachel in 1741. This victory is historically significant as it marked the decline of Dutch power in India and the rise of Travancore as a dominant regional power. It was one of the earliest instances where an Asian power comprehensively defeated a European naval and military force in a land battle.
The question asks to identify which commodity was NOT a major item of Dutch trade from India. This requires knowledge of the primary goods traded by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) from the Indian subcontinent during the colonial period.
C) Tea from China. Tea was a major item of European trade, but it was sourced primarily from China, not India, during the period of Dutch dominance in Indian trade. Commercial tea cultivation in India by Europeans began much later.
The question asks for the establishment year of the French East India Company. This requires knowledge of specific historical dates related to European colonial expansion in Asia.
Correct Option: B) 1664
The French East India Company (Compagnie des Indes Orientales) was founded in 1664 by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the finance minister to King Louis XIV. Its purpose was to compete with the British and Dutch East India Companies in trade with the East.
The question asks about the location of the first French trading post in India in 1668. To answer this, one needs to recall the historical establishment of French trading activities in India.
Correct Option: C) Surat
The question asks to identify the specific French company responsible for establishing Pondicherry as their chief settlement in India. This requires knowledge of the history of European colonial powers in India, particularly the French.
Correct Option: C) Compagnie des Indes Orientales. This is the French name for the French East India Company, which was established by Jean-Baptiste Colbert in 1664 under King Louis XIV. This company was responsible for French colonial ventures in India, including the establishment and administration of Pondicherry (Puducherry) as their chief settlement from 1674.