The Portuguese In India (1505–1961)

Portuguese India, Portuguese Estado da India, was the name given to the parts of India that were ruled by the Portuguese from 1505 to December 1961. The first Europeans to discover a direct maritime route to India were the Portuguese. On May 20, 1498, Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama arrived in Calicut, an important seaport in South-West India. The local ruler, King Zamorin, welcomed him and conferred some rights on him. The Portuguese's control of the coastal areas and naval dominance aided them greatly. 

 

•    Europe was enthralled by the spirit of the Renaissance in the fifteenth century because of its appeal to exploration.

 

•    Europe made tremendous advancements in shipbuilding and navigation during this time.

 

•    As a result, there was a tremendous demand across Europe for daring naval expeditions to the undiscovered regions of the East.

 

•    Portuguese colonists established the Portuguese State of India, also referred to as Portuguese India, in the Indian Subcontinent.

 

•    The first and final Europeans to leave India were the Portuguese.

 

•    The first Portuguese to enter India was Vasco De Gama in 1498. Portuguese rule in India, however, is thought to have lasted from 1505 until 1961.

 

•    Portuguese colonialism lasted longer than English colonialism, but it had little impact outside of its own countries. The regions of India that the Portuguese ruled from 1505 to December 1961 were known as dia. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to find a direct maritime route to India. 

 

•    Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese navigator, arrived in Calicut, a significant seaport in South-West India, on May 20, 1498. King Zamorin, the local tyrant, welcomed him and granted him some privileges. The Portuguese were immensely helped by their control of the coastal regions and naval superiority. 

 

•    According to historians, finding an ocean passage to India had been Prince Henry of Portugal, also known as the "Navigator’s passion and a way to avoid Muslim control of the eastern Mediterranean and all the roads leading from India to Europe.

 

•    In accordance with the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), the kings of Portugal and Spain divided the non-Christian world between them in 1497 along a fictitious line in the Atlantic Ocean, some 1,300 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands.

 

•    According to the deal, Spain could claim everything west of the line, while Portugal could claim and occupy whatever to the east of the line.

 

•    The stage was therefore set for Portuguese incursions into the waters of the Indian Ocean.

 

•    A Portuguese navigator named Bartholomew Dias passed Africa's Cape of Good Hope in 1487 and proceeded along the eastern coast, thinking he had found the long-sought sea route to India.

 

•    However, an expedition of Portuguese ships left for India about ten years later (in 1497) and arrived there in May 1498 after travelling for less than 11 months. 

 

•    1498    Vasco-da-Gama arrives at Calicut and is greeted by the local ruler, Zamorin.

 

•    1503    The first Portuguese fort was built in Cochin.

 

•    1505    The second Portuguese fort is built in Cannanore.

 

•    1509    The third Portuguese fort is built in Cannanore. The Portuguese governor Francisco Almeida defeats the united fleets of Gujarat, Egypt, and Zamorin.

 

•    1510    The Portuguese governor Alfonso Albuquerque takes Goa from Bijapur

 

•    1530    Goa is declared the Portuguese capital

 

•    1535    Diu is conquered by the Portuguese

 

•    1559    Daman is captured

 

•    1596    The Dutch drove the Portuguese out of South-East Asia

 

•    1612    The English took Surat

 

•    1663    The Dutch captured all Portuguese forts on the Malabar Coast and drive the Portuguese out.

 

•    With the exception of Gujarat, which was ruled by the great Mahmud Begarha (or Begada) from 1458 to 1511, the northern region of India was significantly divided among various small-scale rulers.

 

•    In the Deccan, the Bahmani Kingdom was breaking apart into smaller kingdoms. None of the powers had a notable fleet, and they had no intentions to increase their marine might.

 

•    The imperial proclamation of the Chinese emperor restricted the range of Chinese ships in the Far East.

 

•    The Portuguese were more organized and coherent than the Arab traders and ship-owners who had previously dominated trade in the Indian Ocean. On their ships, the Portuguese also placed guns.

 

•    The Portuguese had taken over several of India's coastal regions fifty years after Vasco da Gama arrived.

 

•    The Portuguese had controlled sixty miles of shoreline in the area of Goa.

 

•    In addition to the approaches to Gujarat, they also controlled a narrow strip of territory on the west coast between Mumbai and Daman and Diu, which included four important ports as well as numerous towns and cities.

 

•    In the south, they held authority over a number of naval strongholds and trading ports, including Mangalore, Cannanore, Cochin, and Calicut.

 

•    The local monarchs who ruled the area where spices were grown were under their influence, even if their power in Malabar was not great.

 

•    The Portuguese built settlements and military facilities on the east coast at San Thome, close to Chennai, and Nagapattinam, in Tamil Nadu.

 

•    By the end of the 16th century, Hooghly in West Bengal had developed into a wealthy community.

 

•    In the Deccan, the Bahmani Kingdom was breaking apart into smaller kingdoms.

 

•    None of the powers had a notable fleet, and they had no intentions to increase their marine might.

 

•    The imperial proclamation of the Chinese emperor restricted the range of Chinese ships in the Far East.

 

•    The Portuguese were more organized and coherent than the Arab traders and ship-owners who had previously dominated trade in the Indian Ocean.

 

•    On their ships, the Portuguese also placed guns.

 

•    The administration was overseen by the viceroy, who presided for three years, together with his secretary and a council afterwards.

 

•    The Vedor da Fazenda, who was in charge of revenue, cargoes, and fleet dispatch, was the next insignificance.

 

•    Captains were in charge of fortifications from Africa to China, and they were assisted by "factors" whose authority was frequently exploited for personal gain and whose influence was heightened by communication barriers.

 

•    In September 1579, Akbar wrote to the kings of Goa and requested the sending of two learned priests.

 

•    The Goa church leaders eagerly accepted the invitation because they saw it as a chance to win the emperor, his court, and subjects over to Christianity.

 

•    Two Jesuit priests, Rodolfo Aquaviva and Antonio Monserrate, were picked for the job. On February 28, 1580, they landed in Fatehpur Sikri and were welcomed with honors.

 

•    Aquaviva and Monserrate dispelled Portuguese hopes that Akbar would become a Christian in 1583.

 

•    The second mission of Akbar, which was sent out in 1590, also came to a similar conclusion in 1592.

 

•    The third mission, which was once more accepted by Akbar, came to Lahore (where the court was at the time) in 1595 and remained there as a sort of permanent institution, increasing its influence on secular politics.

 

•    Prince Salim ignored the Jesuit priests when he ascended to the throne as Jahangir to appease the Muslims.

 

•    With time, his brief break from the Jesuits became less noticeable, and in 1606, he renewed his connections with them.

 

•    Both the beautiful and sizable church in Lahore and the collegium, or priests' apartments, were theirs to keep.

 

•    Priests in Agra conducted multiple baptisms in 1608 while acting with the same level of public freedom that they did in Portugal.

 

•    Because of his actions, the Jesuit missionaries were optimistic that they could convert Jahangir to Christianity.

 

•    However, these hopes were crushed. Additionally, the Mughal emperor and the Portuguese viceroy split apart because of the viceroys' arrogant demeanor.

 

•    The majority of historians concur that the Portuguese presence not only marked the start of the European era but also the expansion of naval power.

 

•    For instance, the Cholas were a maritime power, but this was the first invasion of India by a foreign nation.

 

•    The cannons on the Portuguese ships were the first step in securing a monopoly over trade by intimidation or coercion.

 

•    In the 16th century, the Portuguese utilized body armor, matchlock troops, and weaponry that were brought in by ships from the Malabar.

 

•    On the other hand, the system of drilling infantry groups, which was instituted in the 1630s as a response to Dutch pressure and was fashioned after the Spanish model, was an important military contribution made by the Portuguese ashore.

 

•    The Portuguese were experts in cutting-edge marine strategy.

 

•    They were able to carry more armaments since their multi-decked ships were well-built and designed to withstand Atlantic gales rather than sail in advance of the typical monsoon.

 

•    As the silversmith and goldsmith trades flourished, Goa became a mecca for intricate filigree work, fretted foliage work, and metalwork containing diamonds.

 

•    The interiors of churches constructed during the Portuguese era frequently have elaborate woodwork and artwork in addition to painted ceilings, while the architectural designs are frequently simple. 

 

•    The arrival in Calicut in May 1498 of three ships commanded by Vasco Da Gama and piloted by a Gujarati named Abdul Majid had a profound effect on Indian history.

 

•    Vasco da Gama visited India for three months.

 

•    He brought a pricey cargo with him when he left, and he successfully sold the goods on the European market.

 

•    Vasco de Gama visited India once more in 1501.

 

•    The Zamorin refused to shun Arab traders in favor of the Portuguese when Vasco Da Gama combined commercial greed with murderous animosity and exacted retribution on Arab trade everywhere he could.

 

•    Vasco da Gama constructed a trading facility at Cannanore.

 

•    Cochin, Cannanore, and Calicut progressively developed into important Portuguese commercial hubs.

 

•    In order to protect Portuguese interests, King Ferdinand I of Portugal appointed a three-year governor in India and provided him with sufficient troops in 1505.

 

•    By capturing Aden, Ormuz, and Malacca, the newly appointed governor, Francisco De Almeida, was given the job of strengthening the Portuguese position in India and obliterating Muslim trade.

 

•    Almeida's son was killed when the Portuguese squadron was defeated by the combined Egyptian and Gujarati navies off the coast of Diu in 1507.

 

•    Almeida destroyed both ships the next year to exact revenge for his loss. Portuguese dominance over the Indian Ocean was Almeida's ultimate goal.

 

•    He followed the Blue Water Policy (cartaze system).

 

•    The actual founder of Portuguese rule in the East was Alfonso de Albuquerque Albuquerque, who succeeded Almeida as Portuguese governor of India and completed that task before his passing.

 

•    He guaranteed Portugal's strategic domination over the Indian Ocean by building castles commanding all of the sea's entrances.

 

•    The Portuguese reinforced their hold during Albuquerque's rule by establishing a permission system for other ships and taking control of the major shipbuilding hubs in the area.

 

•    One notable aspect of his rule was the sati's eradication.

 

•    Nino do Cunha was named governor of Portuguese interests in India in November 1529, and nearly a year later, the Portuguese administration in India relocated its administrative center from Cochin to Goa.

 

•    Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, who was fighting the Mughal ruler Humayun, gained the Portuguese' assistance by giving them the island of Bassein in 1534, along with its inhabitants and income.

 

•    He also suggested that they set up camp in Diu.

 

•    By settling a significant number of Portuguese citizens in the city of Hooghly, Da Cunha also sought to increase Portuguese influence in Bengal.

 

•    The Portuguese Empire in India eventually broke up due to the weak and ineffective leadership of the governors who replaced Afonso de Albuquerque.

 

•    The Portuguese were intolerance and fanaticism in matters of religion. The indigenous people were coerced into accepting Christianity.

 

•    In India, where religious tolerance was the norm, people strongly disagreed with their approach in this regard.

 

•    The Portuguese government further alienated the Indian populace by prioritizing its own wealth accumulation.

 

•    They also disobeyed the law and committed horrific acts. Even yet, they didn't think twice about engaging in piracy and plunder. An anti-Portuguese feeling was the result of all of these measures.

 

•    The Portuguese and Spanish had far outpaced the English and the Dutch during the 15th and early 16th centuries.

 

•    However, during the latter half of the 16th century, the burgeoning economic and naval powers of England, Holland, and later France waged a fierce conflict with the Spanish and Portuguese dominance of world trade.

 

•    In this encounter, the latter were victorious. This also resulted in a decline in their authority in India.

 

•    It was also challenging for the Portuguese to sustain their commercial monopoly in India for an extended period of time due to the growing power of the Marathas and the Mughal Empire. For instance, they fought the Mughal rulers in Bengal about 1631 CE and were ultimately driven out of their town at Hughli.

 

•    The Portuguese discovered Brazil in Latin America, and they soon began to focus much more on it than on their Indian lands.

 

•    Spanish interests prevailed over Portuguese ones when Portugal was annexed by Spain in 1580 CE, these interests were eventually disregarded.

 

•    The Portuguese were involved in a conflict with the imperial Mughal authority as a result of their piracy.

 

•    When the Portuguese captured Mughal ships in 1613, detained countless Muslims, and pillaged the cargo, Jahangir was furious.

 

•    The English and Dutch, who were learning ocean navigation skills, soon learnt about the Portuguese's historic monopoly on knowledge of the nautical route to India.

 

•    There was intense competition among the new European business groups that were setting up shop in India.

 

•    In this conflict, the Portuguese had to make room for their stronger and more creative adversaries.

 

•    The Dutch and the English were able to overcome Portuguese resistance because they had more resources and felt more need to expand abroad.

 

The Portuguese always had a role in the countless fights for the balance of power between Vijayanagara and the Deccan sultans, the Deccan is and the Mughals, and the Mughals and the Marathas. Being the first Europeans to enter India, the Portuguese were also the last to depart. The Indian government didn't regain Goa, Daman, and Diu until 1961.