The question asks for the year in which the English East India Company was established under a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I, granting it exclusive trading rights with Asia. This is a direct historical fact.
Correct Option: D) 1600
The question asks about the geographical scope of the monopoly granted to the English East India Company by its Royal Charter. This requires knowledge of the historical context and the primary objectives of the company's formation.
B) Asia (including India and the East Indies). The Royal Charter of 1600 granted the English East India Company a monopoly over English trade "into and from the East Indies." This broadly covered all territories east of the Cape of Good Hope and west of the Strait of Magellan, essentially encompassing Asia, including the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asian islands, which were rich in spices and other commodities.
The question asks for the location and year of the East India Company's first permanent trading post (factory) on the Indian mainland. This requires knowledge of early British colonial history in India.
The East India Company, after initial attempts and conflicts, successfully established its first permanent factory on the Indian mainland at Surat in 1613. This was made possible after Captain Thomas Best's victory over the Portuguese in the Battle of Swally (1612), which impressed the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, leading to the grant of permission for a factory at Surat.
Correct Option: C) Surat, in 1613
The East India Company established its first permanent factory (trading post) on the Indian mainland at Surat in 1613. This was a crucial step in their expansion in India, following the grant of a 'firman' (royal decree) by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir.
The question asks to identify the Mughal Emperor who granted the farman (royal order) allowing the East India Company to establish its factory at Surat. This requires knowledge of the early interactions between the East India Company and the Mughal Empire.
D) Jahangir: Emperor Jahangir granted the farman in 1613, allowing the East India Company to establish its first permanent factory at Surat. This was a crucial step in the Company's expansion in India.
The question asks to identify the fortification around which the English East India Company's settlement on the south-eastern coast of India, which later became Madras, was centered. This requires knowledge of the historical establishment of British trading posts in India.
Correct Option: B) Fort St. George was the first English fortress in India, established in 1639 at the coastal city of Madras (now Chennai). It served as the nucleus around which the city developed and became a significant center for British trade and administration in South India.
The question asks about the English King who married the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza, leading to the transfer of Bombay to English control as part of her dowry. This is a direct historical fact related to Anglo-Portuguese relations in the 17th century.
Correct Option: A) Charles II
King Charles II married Catherine of Braganza in 1662. As part of her dowry, the Portuguese transferred the island of Bombay to the English Crown. This was a significant event in the history of British India.