The Dutch East India Company's trade on the Coromandel Coast registered a significant increase over the 17th century due to:​

Correct option is B

Correct Answer: (B) an increase in the demand for textile from the south-east Asian markets

Explanation:

• The Dutch East India Company (VOC) saw a significant increase in trade on the Coromandel Coast during the 17th century due to the rising demand for Indian textiles, especially cotton fabrics, in Southeast Asian and Indonesian markets.
• The Coromandel region, particularly Masulipatnam, Pulicat, and Nagapattinam, became vital centers for textile production and export, driving the Dutch to strengthen their commercial base.

Information Booster:

• The Dutch established their headquarters at Pulicat (1610) on the Coromandel Coast.
• The VOC’s main interest in India was not territory, but profitable textile trade, which was then re-exported to Java, the Moluccas, and Europe.
• The Coromandel textiles were highly valued in Indonesian spice islands, where they were used in barter trade for spices.
• The Dutch gradually lost control in India due to Anglo-Dutch rivalry, culminating in their final exit in the 18th century.

Additional Information (Why other options are incorrect):

• (A) Decline of British influence – In the 17th century, British influence was growing, not declining.
• (C) White Mutiny – This occurred in 1859 among British troops, long after the 17th century; unrelated.
• (D) Goa and Surat trading posts – These were primarily controlled by the Portuguese (Goa) and British (Surat), not the Dutch.