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.

(a) 1 only ✓ UPSC's answer
(b) 1 and 2
(c) 3 only
(d) 2 and 3

Why the answer is (a)

• The English East India Company (chartered 1600) set up its earliest west-coast factories at Surat (1613) and soon after at Broach (Bharuch), Ahmedabad and Agra by 1619 — all within the first quarter of the 17th century (item 1).

• Chicacole (Srikakulam) on the Andhra coast and Trichinopoly in the Tamil interior became Company centres only much later, in the 18th century (items 2 and 3).

• The Company's first eastern factory was Masulipatnam (1611); Madras came in 1639.

• Hence 1 only, option (a).

Why the other options are wrong

(b) 1 and 2: Chicacole was not a Company factory in the early 1600s.
(c) 3 only: Trichinopoly came under Company influence only in the 18th century.
(d) 2 and 3: Neither Chicacole nor Trichinopoly had early-17th-century factories.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2021, held on 10 October 2021. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.