factors responsible for advent of the Europeans to India
The Quest for and discovery of a Sea Route to India led Vasco Da Gama to reach Calicut in 1498 and it is generally regarded as the beginning of a new era in world history. Apart from Portuguese, there were other European countries like Dutch, and French who aspired to establish commercial relations with India.
Factors Responsible for the Advent of the Europeans to India
Weak Rulers and Fragmented Polity: After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, there were weak rulers and wars of succession. This led to the nobles breaking away and establishing their own kingdoms. Vast Wealth of India: The Europeans were drawn to India because of its enormous wealth, which they learned about through Marco Polo’s accounts and other sources.
High Demand for Indian Commodities: Demand for luxuries Indian commodities like cotton, silk, dities: Demand for lux spices (pepper, clove, cardamom, etc.), calicoes, silk, various precious stones, porcelain, etc
Advancement in Navigational Technologies: In the 15th century, Europe achieved great advancement in the art of ship building and navigation.
Quest of the Expansion of the Market: The strength of European economies significantly increased as a result of industrialization, which also raised the need for government support and market expansion to satisfy demand for capitalism.
They came to India for trade, but they eventually gained political and administrative control of the country. As a result, Britain ruled India for more than two centuries. Thus, it sparked nationalistic feelings among Indians and ripened the material, moral, intellectual, and political conditions for a major national movement to emerge.