In the first quarter of seventeenth century, in which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the English East India Company located?
1. Broach
2. Chicacole
3. Trichinopoly
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

The correct answer is 1 only.

Step-by-Step Breakdown and Historical Context:

1. Establishment of English East India Company (EEIC) Factories in the early 17^th century (1601-1625):
During the first quarter of the seventeenth century, the English East India Company established its early trade settlements and factories primarily along the western coast and eastern coast of India, under permission/firman from the Mughal Empire and local rulers.

2. Analysis of Option 1 - Broach (Bharuch):
The English established trading posts and factories in western India at Surat (1612), Agra, Ahmedabad, and Broach (Bharuch in Gujarat) by 1619 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Therefore, Broach was indeed a location of an English factory in the first quarter of the 17^th century.

3. Analysis of Option 2 - Chicacole (Srikakulam):
Chicacole (modern Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh) came under British influence and trading operations much later in the mid-to-late 17^th and 18^th centuries. During the early 17^th century, early English factories on the east coast were established at Masulipatnam (1611) and Armagaon (1626), not Chicacole.

4. Analysis of Option 3 - Trichinopoly (Tiruchirappalli):
Trichinopoly was part of the Nayak kingdom of Madurai and did not have an English East India Company factory established during the early 17^th century. It became significant in British military history during the Carnatic Wars in the mid-18^th century.

Hence, among the given options, only Broach (1) had an English East India Company factory in the first quarter of the seventeenth century.