SSC231:

INDIAN CULTURE AND

HISTORY

Dr. Akash Kumar Rawat

Assistant Professor
Lecture
Outcomes
After this lecture, you will be able to

• analyze the causes and importance of the advent of

Portuguese company in India
 Unit V: Political, Social, and Administrative
Development Before 1857

• Vasco De Gama was the first Portuguese explorer to set

foot in India in 1498. However, Portuguese rule in India
is said to have lasted from 1505 to 1961
• The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in
India and the last to go
• Portuguese colonialism outlasted English colonialism,
but unlike them, had little influence outside of their
colonies
 Background

• Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese navigator, arrived in

Calicut, a major seaport in South-West India, on May 20,
1498
• King Zamorin, the local ruler, welcomed him and
bestowed some rights on him. The Portuguese were
greatly aided by their control of the coastal areas and
naval dominance
Calicut
 Factors

• The Renaissance spirit, with its appeal to discovery,

captivated Europe in the fifteenth century
• During this period, Europe made significant advances in
shipbuilding and navigation
• As a result, there was a strong desire throughout Europe
for daring naval expeditions to the uncharted territories of
the East
Contd.
 Contd.

• Historians have noted that finding an ocean route to India

became an obsession for Prince Henry of Portugal,
known as the 'Navigator,' as well as a way to avoid
Muslim dominance of the eastern Mediterranean and all
roads connecting India and Europe
 Portuguese in India

• In terms of organization and cohesiveness, the Arab

merchants and shipowners who had previously controlled
Indian Ocean commerce
• Fortifications were commanded by captains from Africa
to China, who were assisted by 'factors,' whose influence
was amplified by communication barriers and was all too
frequently used for personal gain
 Importance

• Most historians agree that the arrival of the Portuguese

not only marked the start of the European era but also the
rise of maritime power
• For example, the Cholas were a maritime force, but this
was the first time a foreign power arrived in India by
water
 Contd.

• The Portuguese ships were armed with cannons, which

was the first step toward establishing a monopoly over
commerce through threat or use of force
• On the other hand, a significant military contribution
made by the Portuguese onshore was the system of
drilling infantry groups, which was implemented in the
1630s in response to Dutch
 Contd.

• As the silversmith and goldsmith arts flourished, Goa

became a centre of complex filigree work, fretted foliage
work, and metalwork incorporating diamonds
• While the interiors of churches built under the Portuguese
include a great deal of woodwork and art, as well as
painted ceilings, the architectural plans are often simple
That’s all for now…