History CUET UG Test: Colonial Cities- 1 Free Online Test 2026

Lord Wellesley (1798-1805) Lord Wellesley (as Governor General) came to India in 1798 at a time when the British were locked in a life and death struggle with France all over the world.

The Portuguese crown gave two cities as dowry to the British Crown, in 1661, when King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland married Catherine of Braganza, a princess of Portugal. They were Mumbai (Bombay) in India and Tangier in Morocco.

The Fort St. George was built by the East India Company in 1639-40. It was one of the first English establishments in India.

The Battle of Plassey took place on June 23rd 1757, at Palashi in West Bengal, on the banks of the Bhagirathi River. It was fought between the forces of Sirajudaulah and the English East India Company. After this, the Company became the political ruler of Bengal.

Bombay (Mumbai) was given to the East India Company, in 1661, by the English King who, in turn, had got it from the King of Portugal as part of his wife's dowry.

In August 1690, Job Charnock, an agent of the English East India Company (established 1600) settled in Calcutta. In 1698, the East India Company bought three villages (Sutanuti, Kalikata, and Gobindapur) from local landlord Sabarna Chowdhury. In 1699, the East India Company started developing Calcutta as a Presidency city.

The Dutch established their trading company’s base at Masulipatnam in 1605.

Calcutta (Kolkata) became the centre of the Indian Independence Movement during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It also underwent partition in 1905 on communal grounds, resulting in widespread agitation. All these activities, along with the disadvantageous location of Calcutta on the eastern fringes of India, prompted the British to shift their capital to Delhi in 1911.

The first successful modern cotton textile mill in India was established in 1854 at Bombay by Cowasji Nanabhoy Davar.

However, 1857 is often mentioned because the mill began full-scale production around that time. Bombay (now Mumbai) became the center of India’s early textile industry due to:

• Availability of raw cotton (especially from Deccan region)
• Humid climate suitable for spinning
• Proximity to port for export

The Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan founded the city of Shahjahanabad in Delhi, and thus, it was named in the name of Shah Jahan. It remained the capital of Mughals till the end of the Mughal dynasty.