Q. In the first quarter of seventeenth century, in which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the English East India Company located?

1. Broach
2. Chicacole
3. Trichinopoly

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

• 1 only
• 1 and 2 only
• 3 only
• 2 and 3 only

Answer: (a) 1 only

Notes:

• Broach (present-day Bharuch, Gujarat):
  • Broach was an important trading center in Gujarat. The EIC set up a factory here in 1616, along with other factories at Surat and Cambay.
  • Gujarat was attractive to the English due to its thriving textile and spice trade, and Broach was a key part of this network.
• Chicacole (present-day Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh):
  • ​Chicacole was not a significant center of English trade or factory establishment in the early 17th century.
  • The EIC focused on the western coast during this period, and their presence on the eastern coast grew only later.
• ​Trichinopoly (present-day Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu).
  • Trichinopoly was a significant city in South India, but it was not a focus of the English East India Company’s activities during the early 17th century. 
  • The company began expanding to the Coromandel Coast (Madras) later, towards the mid-17th century.