Arrange the following in chronological order from the earliest to recent : I. British East India Company formed II. Magellan circumnavigated the globe III. Dutch East India Company formed IV. Vasco da Gama reached Calicut/ Kozhikode Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- A.IV, I, II, III
- B.IV, II, I, III
- C.II, IV, III, I
- D.II, IV, I, III
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, IV, II, I, III. Vasco da Gama came first in 1498, Magellan's voyage followed in 1519–1522, and the English and Dutch companies were set up in 1600 and 1602.
Vasco da Gama landed at Kappad near Calicut in May 1498, opening the sea route from Europe to India round the Cape of Good Hope. Ferdinand Magellan's fleet left Spain in 1519 and returned in 1522, completing the first voyage round the world, though Magellan himself was killed in the Philippines in 1521. Queen Elizabeth I granted the charter of the English East India Company on 31 December 1600, and the Dutch United East India Company (VOC) was formed in 1602.
A is wrong because it puts the 1600 English company before Magellan's voyage of the 1520s. C and D are wrong because they start with Magellan, who sailed two decades after Vasco da Gama; C also puts the Dutch company before the English one.
Exam tip: Vasco da Gama 1498, Magellan 1519–22, English EIC 1600, Dutch VOC 1602, French company 1664.
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