ABSTRACT
The first known British person to visit India was a Jesuit priest, Thomas Stephens, who was at a college in Goa in 1579. His reports back to Britain brought the first British traders to India. The advantages of Bombay as a commercial base for western India were soon apparent: it formed a natural harbour and as an island it was free from the political tensions of the mainland. One problem that British rule frequently caused was the breakdown of traditions and laws, the disruption of family and social ties. Although this did happen in Bombay, both cause and effect were different. The threat of dishonourable dismissal and return to Europe was a big one. The motivation behind the Company's policy may have been simply to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for the good of trade, but for minorities like the Parsis it was an attractive feature of British rule.
