East India Company

31st December 1600 marked the beginning of commercial prosperity when the East India company earlier known as "Merchant Adventurer" was given trading rights with India for 15 years. 

The first Effort begun in 1600 when captain William Hawkins was sent with a letter of James I in the court of Akbar (but reached in the court of Jahangir). Hawkins was welcomed nicely but he could not establish factory because of Portuguese opposition. Hawkins left Agra in 1611. In the beginning of 1613, Jahangir issued a firman by which the English were allowed to establish a permanent factory in Surat. James I sent another ambassador, Saint Thomas to the Mughal Court with the objective of signing a commercial treaty. St. Thomas was in the court of Jahangir from December 1615 to the end of 1618, but he could not succeed in forming a treaty with Mughal emperor. Sir Thomas Row left India in November 1618.

Charles II

In 1668, Charles II gave Bombay to East India Company on the annual rent of 10 pound and thus Bombay became more important place than Surat in 1687.

In 1611, the Britishers established a factory at Masulipatnam on the South Eastern coast (it was the main seaport of Golkunda state). From this area, textiles were purchased and exported to Persia, but due to the Dutch opposition in 1627 another factory was established at Armagaon.

In 1632, the Sultan of Golkunda gave Britishers a golden firman, according to which they could trade freely from the port by giving 500 pagoda tax annually.

In 1633, factories were opened in Hariharpur and Balasaur in North East of Mahanadi.

In 1639, Francis Dey took Madras on lease from the ruler of Chandragiri. Fort of St. George was built in here and it became the headquarter of the settlement of Coromondal coast.

In 1651, Mr. Bridgeman opened a factory in Hoogli.

In 1658, Bengal, Bihar, Orisaa and Coromondal coast factories were placed under St. George fort.

Gradually the company changed its policy , instead of peaceful trading it started trying to establish its dominance by means of territorial expansion and it gained success due to political weakness of India.