UPSC CSE Prelims 2005
Kochi was initially a Portuguese colony, established in 1503. In 1663, the Dutch East India Company successfully defeated the Portuguese and took control of Kochi. Following their victory, the Dutch constructed Fort Williams in Kochi. Later, in 1795, the British took over Kochi from the Dutch, and it remained under British rule until India's independence in 1947.
Option (1) is incorrect. Kochi became a British colony in 1795 and remained under British administration until India's independence in 1947, not a Dutch colony.
Option (3) is incorrect. The Portuguese were the first European power to establish a colony in Kochi (1503), followed by the Dutch (1663). The sequence presented in the option is reversed.
Option (4) is incorrect. Kochi came under British rule in 1795 after being acquired from the Dutch. It remained a part of the British colonial empire until India's independence in 1947.