Certain factors aided the Europeans in expanding their territorial and commercial interests in India. Which of the following is not one of those factors?
Absence of Nationalism in the country allowed Europeans to take advantage of mutual quarrels of Indian rulers.
Incorrect AnswerThe crucial support the Europeans received from local religious leaders.
Correct AnswerWestern trained army equipped with modern weapons.
Incorrect AnswerA strong navy allowing control over high seas and international trading routes.
Incorrect AnswerExplanation:
Second statement is incorrect. The Europeans didn't receive support from local religious leaders.
Of all the European East India companies which came to India as traders in different periods of the 15th and 16th centuries, only the British and the French East India companies remained as dominant ones by the beginning of the 18th century.
The two European trading companies after realizing the weakness of the then country powers decided to make sincere efforts to become a strong political power and to expand and consolidate their sway in India. It is the trade interest that made the two European companies chart out this process of territorial expansion.
The European trading companies established their factories on the western, eastern and southern coastal areas and in this process they extended their influence into the mainland territories of the Indian subcontinent.
They also needed agricultural and mineral raw materials to feed their industries. This led to intense commercial rivalry among European states.
The governments of Europe were willing to promote their commercial interests even by the use of force against their rivals as well as against the country to be commercially penetrated.
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By: Abhipedia