18th Century India 07: Daily Class Notes

‭Modern History‬
‭CH 02: 18th century India‬

‭Lecture 07: Arrival of Europeans (Part 02)‬
‭The Portuguese in India:‬

‭●‬ ‭In 1450, Prince Henry sent a sea expedition that could not be completed. In 1460, a second expedition reached‬
‭as far as Benguela, but this voyage was also incomplete.‬
‭●‬ ‭In 1488‬‭, the Portuguese navigator,‬‭Bartholomew Dias,‬‭rounded the Cape of Good Hope in Africa and sailed up‬
‭the eastern coast.‬
‭●‬ ‭In 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus‬‭led‬‭Spanish transatlantic maritime expeditions of discovery to‬
‭the Caribbean, and to Central and South America. Technically he discovered a ‘new world,’ which later became‬
‭America and this new world was not India had been assured by the Amerigo around five years later.‬
‭●‬ ‭In May 1498, three ships arrived at Calicut, under Vasco Da Gama, which were led by a‬‭Gujarati pilot‬‭named‬
‭Abdul Majid‬‭. The Hindu ruler of Calicut, the Zamorin‬‭(Samoothiri), gave a friendly reception to Vasco Da‬
‭Gama.‬
‭●‬ ‭The Portuguese were the first to discover a new sea route to India and were the last European power to leave‬
‭India.‬
‭●‬ ‭The Portuguese came to India primarily for trade, aiming to take over the lucrative spice trade from the Arab‬
‭traders. They even resorted to piracy to capture the spice trade.‬
‭Portuguese Establishment in India‬
‭●‬ ‭The Portuguese established trading centers in Calicut, Cannanore, and Cochin.‬
‭●‬ ‭In 1505,‬‭Francisco de Almeida was appointed as the‬‭governor of India‬‭.‬
‭●‬ ‭He was tasked with‬‭consolidating the Portuguese position in India‬‭and‬‭monopolizing trade‬‭by‬‭destroying‬
‭the Arab traders‬‭.‬
‭Daily Class Notes ||‬‭PW Web/App:‬‭https://smart.link/7wwosivoicgd4‬

‭●‬ ‭Almeida‬‭launched the‬‭Blue Water policy‬‭to establish and maintain‬‭Portuguese supremacy‬‭at sea instead of‬
‭creating a territorial empire with forts in India. The Blue Water Policy was a‬‭strategy to establish‬
‭Portuguese supremacy on the ocean.‬
‭●‬ ‭Further, he established the‬‭cartaz system,‬‭which was‬‭a‬‭mandatory naval trade license‬‭or pass issued by‬
‭the Portuguese in the‬‭Indian Ocean.‬
‭●‬ ‭In 1509, Francisco de Almeida was‬‭succeeded by Afonso‬‭de Albuquerque‬‭as the Portuguese governor in India,‬
‭who is‬‭considered the real founder of Portuguese power‬‭in the East‬‭.‬
‭●‬ ‭With the‬‭support of Vijayanagar‬‭,‬‭Albuquerque captured‬‭Goa from the ruler of Bijapur in 1510‬‭, and‬
‭subsequently, Goa became the‬‭capital of the Portuguese‬‭settlements in India.‬
‭●‬ ‭After the death of Afonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese captured Diu, Daman, Bombay, Ceylon, Salsette,‬
‭Bassein, and Hugli.‬
‭Decline of Portuguese Power in India‬
‭●‬ ‭Initially, the Portuguese established c‬‭ontrol over‬‭mercantile activity‬‭between India and Europe, having‬
‭discovered the sea route to India via the Cape of Good Hope.‬
‭●‬ ‭Portugal lacked a‬‭powerful merchant class,‬‭and the‬‭Crown took the lead in providing finances and political‬
‭support to the Portuguese overseas mercantile enterprises.‬
‭●‬ ‭By the end of the sixteenth century, Dutch and English‬‭corporate merchant companies entered the arena‬
‭and started challenging the Portuguese monopoly.‬‭The‬‭English East India Company was formed in 1600 and‬
‭the Dutch East India Company in 1602.‬
‭●‬ ‭The Portuguese administration had‬‭become corrupt.‬
‭●‬ ‭By the 18th century, the Portuguese in India lost their influence‬‭due to the emergence of powerful‬
‭Marathas in the region.‬
‭●‬ ‭Additionally, the‬‭missionary activities and religious‬‭policies‬‭pursued by the Portuguese were resented‬‭by the‬
‭local Hindus and Muslims, leading to further backlash.‬
‭●‬ ‭After the‬‭discovery of Brazil in 1500,‬‭Portugal shifted‬‭its‬‭focus to establishing its empire there rather‬
‭than in India‬‭.‬
‭●‬ ‭In the 17th century, the‬‭Dutch expelled the Portuguese‬‭from most parts of India.‬
‭●‬ ‭Gradually, the Portuguese lost their territories one by one until they were reduced to the areas of Goa, Daman,‬
‭and Diu, which they eventually left in 1961.‬

‭(‭N
‬ ote:‬‭From 1498 to 1602, the Portuguese enjoyed a period of monopoly over trade between Europe and India,‬
‭with no other European powers challenging their dominance during this time)‬
‭Brief Summary of the Discussion:‬

‭●‬ ‭Arrival of Portuguese‬
‭●‬ ‭Their real intentions in India.‬
‭●‬ ‭Tools they applied to fulfill their interest in India.‬
‭●‬ ‭Arrival of Other Europeans and decline of the Portuguese.‬
‭Dutch‬
‭●‬ ‭The Dutch came from the Netherlands, then known as Holland.‬
‭●‬ ‭The States-General, the national governing body of the Dutch Republic, founded the‬‭Verenigde Oost-Indische‬
‭Compagnie (VOC).‬
‭●‬ ‭The company was formed through the‬‭merger of several‬‭smaller companies.‬
‭●‬ ‭Wealthy merchants from‬‭Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Zeeland‬‭augmented the capital resource base of the‬
‭company.‬
‭●‬ ‭The Charter of the States-General granted the‬‭company‬‭monopoly rights to trade in the East for 21 years.‬
‭●‬ ‭They primarily traded with East Asia, particularly the "Spice Islands."‬
‭●‬ ‭Their main interest was in‬‭Indonesia and the Spice‬‭Islands‬‭, not India.‬
‭●‬ ‭They understood the significance of India.‬‭Indian‬‭clothes made of cotton and silk‬‭were in‬‭good demand‬‭in‬
‭their native country‬‭. So they came to India for textiles.‬
‭●‬ ‭They established their factory at Masulipatnam (Andhra Pradesh) on the Coromandel Coast in 1605, which‬
‭served as a principal supply point for textiles to the Southeast Asian markets.‬
‭●‬ ‭Textiles from Coromandel and Gujarat were exchanged for peppe‬‭r and other spices in the Indonesian‬
‭archipelago.‬
‭●‬ ‭Meanwhile, the English were also becoming prominent in Eastern trade, posing a‬‭serious threat to Dutch‬
‭commercial interests‬‭. Conflicts arose between the‬‭two powers. Eventually, in 1667, the Dutch and English‬
‭companies reached a compromise: the British‬‭agreed‬‭to withdraw all their claims on Indonesia, while the‬
‭Dutch retired from India‬‭to focus on their‬‭more profitable‬‭trade in Indonesia.‬
‭●‬ ‭They monopolized the trade in black pepper and spices.‬
‭●‬ ‭The most important Indian commodities the Dutch traded were silk, cotton, indigo, rice, and opium.‬

‭Danish‬
‭●‬ ‭The Danish East India Company was‬‭chartered in 1616‬‭by the Danish-Norwegian Kingdom.‬
‭●‬ ‭In 1620, the company established a‬‭factory at Tranquebar,‬‭near Tanjore, on the eastern coast. Their main‬
‭settlement was in Serampore, near Calcutta.‬
‭●‬ ‭The Danes were better known for their‬‭missionary activities‬‭than for commerce.‬
‭●‬ ‭Eventually, the Danish factories were sold‬‭to the‬‭British government in 1845.‬
‭English‬
‭●‬ ‭In 1599, the "Merchant Adventurers" formed a company‬‭.‬

‭●‬ ‭On December 31, 1‬‭600, Queen Elizabeth I‬‭issued a charter‬‭granting‬‭exclusive trading rights to the company,‬
‭which was named the "Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies" (later‬
‭known as the East India Company).‬
‭●‬ ‭The British‬‭landed in India at Surat on August 24,‬‭1608.‬
‭●‬ ‭The British East India Company arrived in India as‬‭traders of spices,‬‭a crucial commodity in Europe‬‭at the‬
‭time for preserving meat.‬
‭●‬ ‭In addition to spices, they primarily traded‬‭in silk,‬‭cotton, indigo dye, tea, and opium.‬
‭●‬ ‭A delegation led by Captain Hawkins reached the Mughal Emperor Jahangir's court to secure permission to‬
‭establish a factory in Surat, but their request was turned down due to opposition from the Portuguese.‬
‭●‬ ‭The company then established its‬‭first Indian factory‬‭at Masulipatnam on the Andhra Coast of the Bay of‬
‭Bengal in 1611.‬
‭●‬ ‭Later, in 1612, Jahangir was impressed by the‬‭British‬‭victory over the Portuguese‬‭and granted permission‬‭for‬
‭them to establish a factory in Surat in 1613‬‭.‬
‭●‬ ‭In 1615, Sir Thomas‬‭Roe arrived as an ambassador of‬‭King James I at the court of Jahangir‬‭to negotiate‬‭a‬
‭commercial treaty with the Mughal emperor.‬
‭●‬ ‭Although he was unable to secure a formal treaty, he did obtain several privileges,‬‭including permission‬‭to‬
‭establish factories at Agra, Ahmedabad, and Broach.‬
‭●‬ ‭In 1639, the British merchant‬‭Francis Day‬‭secured‬‭permission from the ruler of‬‭Chandragiri to build‬‭a‬
‭fortified factory at Madras‬‭. This fortified factory‬‭later became‬‭Fort St. George‬‭, the headquarters of‬‭the‬
‭English settlements in South India.‬

‭●‬ ‭Another company agent in the Bengal Province,‬‭Job Charnock, purchased three villages—Sutanuti,‬
‭Gobindapur, and Kalikata (Kalighat)—‬‭which later‬‭became‬‭Calcutta.‬‭The British fortified their settlement,‬
‭which came to be known as‬‭Fort William in 1700.‬
‭●‬ ‭In 1715, English ambassador John Surman‬‭secured‬‭three‬‭significant farmans from the Mughal emperor‬
‭Farrukhsiyar,‬‭granting the‬‭Company many valuable privileges‬‭in Bengal, Gujarat, and Hyderabad.‬‭These‬
‭farmans were regarded as the‬‭Magna Carta of the Company‬‭,‬‭as they‬‭exempted British imports and exports‬
‭from customs duties in the three provinces.‬
‭●‬ ‭The issuance of the three farmans marked a turning point for British influence in the Indian subcontinent.‬
‭Initially, it was challenging for the British to dominate India’s lucrative trade due to Portuguese and Dutch‬
‭dominance in the region.‬
‭●‬ ‭However, fortune favoured the British. In 1662,‬‭Portugal‬‭and Britain entered into a marital alliance,‬‭with‬
‭Portugal offering‬‭Bombay as a dowry to King Charles‬‭II of Britain‬‭upon his marriage to‬‭Catherine of‬
‭Braganza.‬‭This alliance led to peace between the two‬‭nations.‬
‭●‬ ‭Further in 1667, the British concluded a compromise with Dutch. And thus the British got rid of two‬
‭arch-rivals in India. But, the threat from the French was still there.‬
‭The French:‬
‭●‬ ‭They were the‬‭last Europeans to arrive in India.‬
‭●‬ ‭The‬‭French East India Company (Compagnie des Indes‬‭Orientales)‬‭was founded by the king's famous‬
‭minister‬‭Colbert‬‭in‬‭1664,‬‭during the reign of‬‭Louis‬‭XIV‬‭.‬
‭●‬ ‭They became the most powerful opponents to the British. The British and French were engaged in numerous‬
‭conflicts to establish their supremacy over India.‬

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‭Modern History‬

‭CH 02: 18th century India‬

‭The Portuguese in India:‬

‭Portuguese Establishment in India‬

‭Daily Class Notes ||‬‭PW Web/App:‬‭https://smart.link/7wwosivoicgd4‬

‭Decline of Portuguese Power in India‬

‭Daily Class Notes ||‬‭PW Web/App:‬‭https://smart.link/7wwosivoicgd4‬

‭Brief Summary of the Discussion:‬

‭Daily Class Notes ||‬‭PW Web/App:‬‭https://smart.link/7wwosivoicgd4‬

‭●‬ ‭In 1599, the "Merchant Adventurers" formed a company‬‭.‬

‭Daily Class Notes ||‬‭PW Web/App:‬‭https://smart.link/7wwosivoicgd4‬

‭Daily Class Notes ||‬‭PW Web/App:‬‭https://smart.link/7wwosivoicgd4‬

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