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Advent of Europeans: Portuguese in India

Posted on March 5, 2025 by Enlite Team

The Advent of European Powers in India

  1. Factors Leading to the Advent of European Powers in India
    • Week Rulers and Mutual Rulers in India
    • Vast wealth in India
    • Huge demand for Indian goods in Europe
    • Fall of Constantinople to Arabs and they lost land route.
    • Technology advancement.
      Aim to the expansion of the market for European goods.
  2. Order of Arrival of Foreign Powers in India
European Powers  Year of Coming 
Portuguese  1498
Dutch  1605
English  1608
Danes  1620
Frech  1664

Portuguese in India

Pic Credit – Wikimedia Commons

Portuguese Rulers in India

Portuguese Rulers Features
Vasco Da Gama
  • Arrived at Calicut (1498) and received permission from King Zamorin for trading.
  • He was guided to India by a Gujarati trader Abdul Majid.
Pedro Alvarez Cabral
  • The first European factory in India in 1500 at Calicut
Francisco De Almeida
  • Built forts at Anjadiva, Cochin, Cannanore, and Kilwa.
  • Introduce the Blue Water Policy (fortification of the Indian Ocean for business and trade) and Cartaz System (naval trade licence)
Alfonso de Albuquerque 
  • The real founder of Portuguese rule in India and acquired Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate.
  • Promoted a mixed colony system and abolished sati in the region.
Nuno da Cunha
  • Major Event: He Shifted the headquarters of the Portuguese government in India from Cochin to Goa in 1530.
  • Territorial Expansion: 
  • During his tenure, he captured Diu and Bassein from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat.
  • He also established settlements at Salsette, Daman and Bombay on the west coast and at San Thome near Madras and Hugli in Bengal on the east coast.

Policy of Portuguese

Area of Policy Features
Economy 
  • Bluewater policy and cartaz system
  • Monopoly in salt trade and levy on tobacco
  • Engaged in the slave trade
Social and Religious 
  • Forced religious conversion of Hindus and Muslims under the guidance of Father Gerome Xavier and Emanuel Pinheiro 
  • Mixed colony system

Decline of Portuguese

  • Arrival of the British.
  • Act of piracy and slave trade.
  • Forced conversions.
  • Policy of mixed colony system.
  • Corruption among officials.
  • Exchange of Salsette Basin to British.
  • Defeat of Portuguese by British in the Battle of Badra.

Significance of Portuguese in India

  • Emergence of naval technology
  • System of military drilling
  • Introduction of the printing press in Goa
  • Introduction of crops like potato, tomato, tapioca, groundnut, corn, papaya, pineapple, avocado, cashew etc.
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