British Raj .E2.80.93 Modern Period Indian maritime history

the british east india company shipped substantial quantities of spices during 17th century. rajesh kadian (2006) examines history of british navy in british raj established in india:

in 1830 ships of british east india company designated indian navy. however, in 1863, disbanded when britain s royal navy took control of indian ocean. thirty years later, few small indian naval units called royal indian marine (rim). in wake of world war i, britain, exhausted in manpower , resources, opted expansion of rim. consequently, on 2 october 1934, rim reincarnated royal indian navy (rin).

the treaty of nanking signed in 1842 onboard hms cornwallis (1813), made shipbuilders @ bombay dockyard.

the indian rulers weakened advent of european powers. shipbuilders, however, continued build ships capable of carrying 800 1000 tons. shipbuilders @ bombay dockyard built ships hms hindostan (1795) , hms ceylon (1808), inducted royal navy. historical ships made indian shipbuilders included hms asia (1824) (commanded edward codrington during battle of navarino in 1827), frigate hms cornwallis (1813) (onboard treaty of nanking signed in 1842), , hms minden (on star spangled banner composed francis scott key). david arnold examines role of indian shipbuilders during british raj:

shipbuilding well-established craft @ numerous points along indian coastline long before arrival of europeans , significant factor in high level of indian maritime activity in indian ocean region....as cotton textiles, european trade stimulus indian shipbuilding: vessels built in ports masulipatam , surat indian hardwoods local craftsmen cheaper , tougher european counterparts.

between seventeenth , nineteenth centuries indian shipyards produced series of vessels incorporating these hybrid features. large proportion of them built in bombay, company had established small shipyard. in 1736 parsi carpenters brought in surat work there and, when european supervisor died, 1 of carpenters, lowji nuserwanji wadia, appointed master builder in place.

wadia oversaw construction of thirty-five ships, twenty-one of them company. following death in 1774, sons took charge of shipyard , between them built further thirty ships on next sixteen years. britannia, ship of 749 tons launched in 1778, impressed court of directors when reached britain several new ships commissioned bombay, of later passed hands of royal navy. in all, between 1736 , 1821, 159 ships of on 100 tons built @ bombay, including 15 of on 1,000 tons. ships constructed @ bombay in heyday said ‘vastly superior built anywhere else in world’.