In the context of early British rule in India, from which ruler did the East India Company obtain the island of Bombay in the seventeenth century?

Introduction / Context:
The transfer of Bombay in the seventeenth century is an important event in the story of how the English presence in India slowly expanded from trading posts to territorial power. Many questions in Indian history ask you to distinguish between the role of the British Crown and the East India Company. This particular question focuses on a key step: how exactly the East India Company came to control the island of Bombay, which later became one of the most important port cities under British rule.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The subject is the island of Bombay in western India. - The time frame is the seventeenth century, when the English were still mainly traders. - Four possible sources of control are listed: The Dutch, Charles I, Charles II and The Portuguese. - The question is about the transfer specifically to the East India Company, not to England in general.

Concept / Approach:
Historically, the Portuguese controlled Bombay until the mid seventeenth century. In 1661, Bombay was given as part of the dowry of the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza when she married King Charles II of England. At that point, the island became a possession of the English Crown, not of the East India Company. A few years later, Charles II decided that the Company would administer Bombay. He therefore leased the island to the East India Company. So if we focus on the exact step when the Company obtained Bombay, the transfer was from Charles II, even though the territory originally came from the Portuguese to the English Crown.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Remember that Portugal was the first European power to control Bombay. Step 2: Note that in 1661, by the marriage treaty between Charles II and Catherine of Braganza, the Portuguese handed Bombay over as part of the dowry. Step 3: Recognise that this transfer was between Portugal and the English Crown, so the owner at that point was King Charles II. Step 4: A few years later, in 1668, Charles II leased Bombay to the East India Company for administration and development. Step 5: Therefore, in a question that asks from whom the East India Company had taken Bombay, the accurate answer is Charles II, not the Portuguese directly.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify the sequence by remembering two separate transfers. First, Bombay goes from Portuguese control to English royal control through marriage. Second, it goes from Charles II to the East India Company through a formal lease. Most exam guides explain this clearly when they discuss the early history of Bombay as a Presidency town. Once you keep these two transfers separate in your mind, the logic of the correct answer becomes obvious.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The Dutch are wrong because they were commercial rivals in the Indian Ocean but never legally transferred Bombay to the East India Company.

Charles I is wrong because he died before the marriage treaty that brought Bombay into English hands; he played no role in this territorial transfer.

The Portuguese are wrong in this specific question because, although they ceded Bombay to the English Crown, the East India Company itself received Bombay through a lease from Charles II, not through a direct treaty with Portugal.

Common Pitfalls:
Many students rush to choose the Portuguese because they correctly remember the dowry story but forget that the question is framed from the viewpoint of the East India Company, not the British monarchy. Another common confusion is between Charles I and Charles II, since both names appear often in English history. To avoid mistakes, always recall the sequence: Portuguese to Charles II by dowry, then Charles II to the East India Company by lease. When the question says “had taken Bombay from,” read it carefully and answer from the Company point of view.

Final Answer:
The East India Company obtained the island of Bombay on lease from Charles II of England.