Trace the arrival of the British in the subcontinent

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The British arrival in the subcontinent began with the establishment of the East India Company in 1600. Initially, the British came as traders and established trading centres in different regions. Gradually, the East India Company expanded its influence through military power, political strategies and alliances with local rulers. This allowed the company to gain control over large parts of the subcontinent. After the War of Independence in 1857, the British government ended the authority of the East India Company and took direct control of India, beginning formal British colonial rule.