Colonial India is the part of the Indian subcontinent, which was under the powers and control of colonial Europeans through trade and conquest.
The first European power to arrive in India was the army of Alexander the Great in 327-326 BC.
The satraps he established in the northwest of the subcontinent quickly collapsed after he left.
Trade was conducted between the Indian states and the Roman Empire by Roman sailors who came to India via the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, but the Romans never sought commercial settlements or territory in India.
The spice trade between India and Europe was one of the main trading floors of the world economy and was the main catalyst for the European exploration period.
