Question:medium
Name the first European country to come to India and last to leave.
Name the first European country to come to India and last to leave.
Show Hint
Compare the arrival year of Vasco da Gama with the year Goa was taken back by India.
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- France
- Denmark
- Portugal
- England
Show Solution
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question needs one European country that satisfies two conditions together, being the earliest to reach India and also the latest to give up its Indian territory.
Step 2: Key Fact or Approach:
Comparing the historical arrival and departure years of each European colonial power in India settles this question directly.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama reached Calicut on the Kerala coast in 1498, which was the first time a European sea route to India had been established, so Portuguese contact with India began before any other European power.
The Portuguese held on to Goa, Daman and Diu even after Indian independence in 1947, and these territories were only annexed into India in December 1961 through military action.
By comparison, England's rule ended in 1947, France left Puducherry in 1954, and Denmark had already sold its settlements to Britain in 1845.
None of these three match both conditions of the question the way Portugal does.
Step 4: Final Answer:
Portugal was the first European country to arrive in India and the last one to leave, so option (c) is correct.
The question needs one European country that satisfies two conditions together, being the earliest to reach India and also the latest to give up its Indian territory.
Step 2: Key Fact or Approach:
Comparing the historical arrival and departure years of each European colonial power in India settles this question directly.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama reached Calicut on the Kerala coast in 1498, which was the first time a European sea route to India had been established, so Portuguese contact with India began before any other European power.
The Portuguese held on to Goa, Daman and Diu even after Indian independence in 1947, and these territories were only annexed into India in December 1961 through military action.
By comparison, England's rule ended in 1947, France left Puducherry in 1954, and Denmark had already sold its settlements to Britain in 1845.
None of these three match both conditions of the question the way Portugal does.
Step 4: Final Answer:
Portugal was the first European country to arrive in India and the last one to leave, so option (c) is correct.
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