Correct Option: D

Near the end of the 15th century, Portuguese sailor Vasco da Gama became the first European to reestablish direct trade links with India since Roman times by being the first to arrive by circumnavigating Africa (1497-1499). His subsequent visits laid the foundation of Portuguese rule in India. Trading rivalries brought other European powers to India. The Netherlands, England, France, and Denmark established trading posts in India in the early 17th century.