Portuguese in India
Also called: Estado da India · Topic: Europeans in India and the Rise of Company Rule · NCERT: Class 8, Ch 4 "The Colonial Era in India"; Class 12, Ch 1 "Through the Eyes of Travellers"; Class 12, Ch 3 "An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara"
Meaning
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach India by sea. Vasco da Gama landed near Kozhikode in 1498. They captured Goa in 1510 and made it the capital of their Indian territories, which were known as the Estado da India. They also set up trading and military posts along the Malabar and Coromandel coasts. Their strong navy and better guns let them dominate the Arabian Sea and take part in the politics of the Deccan. Portuguese writers and travellers also left accounts describing Indian society.
Example
Through the cartaz system, a pass every ship had to buy, the Portuguese held a monopoly of the India–Europe spice trade for nearly a century. In Goa they set up the Inquisition in 1560, which persecuted non-Christians.
Don't confuse with
- Dutch East India Company: the Dutch came in the early 1600s, cared mainly about trade, and pushed the Portuguese out of Malabar. The Portuguese also used religious force.