The advent of Europeans in India

• Europeans arrived in India to trade, but they eventually achieved political and administrative control of the nation.
• Heavy demands for Indian commodities like spices, calicoes, silk, etc. Catch the attention of European traders from early times.
• The advent of Europeans in India is the beginning of modern India's History.

Arrival of Europeans in India

• The traditional trade routes between the East and the West fell under Turkish dominance following the Ottoman conquest of Asia Minor and the capture of Constantinople in AD 1453.
•  Merchants from Venice and Genoa, who had monopolized these routes, denied West European states, including Spain and Portugal, any participation in trade through the old routes.
• Seeking to break the Arab and Venetian trade monopolies and circumvent Turkish hostilities, West European states and merchants began searching for new and safer sea routes to India and Indonesia.
• The advancements in ship-building and navigation science in the 15th century enabled these states to discover sea routes.
• Portugal and Spain took the initial steps, with their seamen, sponsored and controlled by the governments, initiating a significant era of geographical exploration.

Timeline of Europeans in India

The Portuguese

• Encouraged by Prince Henry of Portugal, Bartholomeu Dias, the first Portuguese sailor, reached the Cape of Good Hope in AD 1498 in search of sea routes to India.

Vasco da Gama

• Hailing from Lisbon, Vasco da Gama, a colonial explorer, discovered a new sea route from Europe to Asia via the Cape of Good Hope. 
• He received assistance from the Gujarati navigator Ibn Majid and landed at Calicut on May 21, 1498. Calicut, then under the Zamorin, was prosperous. 
• Vasco da Gama returned to Portugal in AD 1499 and revisited India in AD 1501. 

Pedro Alvares Cabral

• In AD 1500, Pedro Alvares Cabral led the second European expedition to reach India via the sea route around the Cape of Good Hope. 
• He strengthened the factories at Cochin and Cannanore, leaving a squadron to supervise the Malabar coast and thwart any Arab vessels arriving from the Red Sea. 
• The Portuguese maritime empire came to be known as Estado da India, aiming to monopolize the spice and pepper trade in the East.

Treaty of Tordesillas

• The Treaty of Tordesillas signed in AD 1494 between Spain and Portugal, aimed to divide the world between them along an imaginary line down the center of the Atlantic Ocean. This agreement served as an amendment to the papal bulls issued by Pope Alexander VI in AD 1493.

Important Portuguese Governors

Here are some significant Portuguese Governors and events during their rule:

Francisco de Almeida (AD 1505-1509)

Francisco de Almeida, the first Governor of Portuguese territory, fortified Fort Manuel in Cochin and erected a fort at Anjediva.

Blue Water Policy

• The Blue Water Policy, introduced by Governor Francisco de Almeida, emphasized maintaining Portuguese dominance as the sole trade power in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. 
• This policy advocated for Portuguese naval strength rather than building fortifications on the Indian mainland.
• Almeida led a systematic assault on the Muslim (mainly Arab) monopoly of trade in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. 
• In a naval battle near Chaul, the combined Muslim fleet achieved victory over the Portuguese fleet under Almeida's son, who lost his life in the battle (January 1508).
•  A year later, Almeida successfully defeated the combined Muslim fleet in a naval battle near Diu (February 1509).

Alfonso de Albuquerque (AD 1509-1515)

• Albuquerque's first major achievement was the conquest of Goa from the Adil Shahi Sultan of Bijapur in February AD 1510. Although the city was quickly recaptured by the Sultan of Bijapur, Albuquerque undertook a second expedition.
• He captured Bhatkal from Sri Krishna Deva Raya (1510) of Vijayanagara and initiated a policy of intermarriage with the natives of India. Albuquerque also banned the practice of sati in his area of influence.
• Albuquerque's successors went on to establish Portuguese settlements on the West coast at Daman, Salsette, and Bombay, while also extending their presence on the East coast with settlements at Santhome (near Madras) and Hooghly (Bengal).
• Cartaz System The Cartaz System, a naval trade license or pass, was implemented by the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean during the 16th century under the dominion of the Portuguese Empire.

Battle of Goa (1510)

• In the Battle of Goa (1510), Alfonso de Albuquerque, with the assistance of Hindu chieftain Timoji, successfully captured Goa. Although the Portuguese initially faced defeat, the reinforcement led by Albuquerque turned the tide, resulting in the defeat of Adil Shahi's forces and the occupation of the city by Timoji.
• Recognizing the strategic significance of Goa, Portuguese Viceroy Alfonso de Albuquerque saw it as an ideal permanent base for Portugal's navy and commerce in the Indian Ocean.

Nino da Cunha (AD 1529-1538)

• Nino da Cunha continued the expansion of Portuguese influence by establishing settlements at Santhome near Madras and at Hooghly in Bengal, thus fostering commerce on the Eastern coast.
• In AD 1534, the Portuguese obtained permission from the Sultan of Bengal to build factories at Satgaon and Chittagong.

• Cochin served as the early capital of the Portuguese in India, later transferred to Goa by Nino da Cunha.
• In AD 1535, Cunha acquired Diu and Bassein from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. 
• Over time, most of their territories were lost to the Marathas (Salsette and Bassein in AD 1739), Dutch, and English. Only Goa, Diu, and Daman remained under Portuguese control until AD 1961.
• By AD 1571, the Asiatic Empire had divided into three distinct commands:
  • A Governorship overseeing settlements on the African coast, with Mozambique under its control.
  • A Viceroyalty located at Goa, responsible for the territories of India and Persia.
  • A Governorship situated at Malacca, tasked with regulating the trade of Java and the spice archipelago.

Other Notable Governors

• Afonso de Souza: During his Governorship (1542-45), the first Jesuit priest, Francisco Xavier, arrived in India.
• Monserrate and Acquaviva: In response to Akbar's request in September 1579, Jesuit fathers Rodolfo Aquaviva and Antonio Monserrate reached Fatehpur Sikri on 28th February 1580. 
• They made a second visit in AD 15 with Fathers Jerome Xavier and Emmanuel Pinhei. In AD 1595, the third Portuguese mission requested by Akbar arrived at Lahore. Their letters from the court served as a valuable source for the later part of Akbar's reign.

Contributions of the Portuguese in India

• The Portuguese had a significant social, economic, and cultural influence in India, particularly along the Western coasts.
• They enriched Indian vocabulary and made advancements in medicine. Garda da Orta, a Portuguese scholar, wrote the first treatise on the medical plants of India. The first scientific work on Indian medicinal plants by a European writer was printed at Goa in AD 1563.

• They opened up the global market for Indian goods like spices and muslin.
• The Portuguese played a vital role in expanding trade with coastal Indian regions, contributing to unprecedented growth.
• Assisted by the Portuguese, India witnessed the influx of various imported goods from European countries and China. 
• The Portuguese are also acknowledged for introducing tobacco cultivation in India. 

Additional contributions of the Portuguese include:

• Naval Contribution: The arrival of the Portuguese not only marked the onset of the European age but also the rise of maritime power. Equipping their ships with cannons, the Portuguese took the initial steps to establish a commerce monopoly by employing threats or force.
• Military Contribution: On land, the Portuguese made a significant military contribution by implementing a system of drilling infantry groups, modeled after the Spanish approach. This system was introduced in the 1630s in response to pressure from the Dutch.
• Maritime Technologies: The Portuguese were adept in advanced maritime tactics. Their robust multi-decked ships were designed to withstand Atlantic gales rather than sail ahead of the regular monsoons, enabling them to carry more weapons.
• Architectural Contribution: The Portuguese had a profound influence on Indian architecture, particularly in ecclesiastical architecture, known as Gothic architecture in Western and South India.