Correct Option (A):
Statement 1 is correct. The Portuguese were the first European power to establish a presence in Pondicherry (now Puducherry), setting up a factory there in the early 16th century.
Incorrect Options:
Statement 2 is incorrect. The Dutch, not the French, were the second European power to gain control of Pondicherry. The French established their significant presence in Pondicherry later, acquiring it in 1674 from the Sultan of Bijapur and developing it into a major trading centre and colony.
Statement 3 is incorrect. The English did occupy Pondicherry. During the Anglo-French wars, the British forces occupied Pondicherry in 1793. It was subsequently returned to the French in 1814 following the Treaty of Paris.
The chronological sequence of European powers in Pondicherry is as follows:
- Portuguese: Established first trading presence in the early 16th century.
- Dutch: Gained control in the mid-17th century.
- French: Acquired in 1674, establishing it as a key colony.
- British: Temporarily occupied from 1793 to 1814.
Pondicherry remained a French colony until its de facto transfer to India in 1954.