Previous Year Question
With reference to Pondicherry (now Puducherry), consider the following statements :
The first European power to occupy Pondicherry were the Portuguese.
The second European power to occupy Pondicherry were the French.
The English never occupied Pondicherry.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is correct. The Portuguese were the earliest among the European powers to establish themselves at Pondicherry. According to the historical account of the Revenue Department, Government of Puducherry, the Portuguese set up a factory there in 1523. The detailed history published by the Government of Puducherry also states that the Portuguese established a factory there at the beginning of the sixteenth century.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The French were not the second European power to reach Pondicherry. Dutch and Danish presence preceded the French after the Portuguese. The French officer Bellanger took up residence at Pondicherry on 4 February 1673, and in 1674 François Martin began developing the French settlement.
Statement 3 is incorrect. The English did occupy Pondicherry. During the Anglo-French struggle, the English captured Pondicherry in 1761 and the town was razed. It was returned to France after a peace treaty in 1765. During the following roughly fifty years, Pondicherry changed hands several times between France and England.