MODERN INDIAN HISTORY
Early Europeans explored sea
routes to India, for the purpose of trade. Main pioneers were the Portuguese(Portugal).
Vasco da Gama, was the first one to discover the sea route to India, in 1498
and he reached Calicut(Kerala) (present Kozhikode). After Portuguese(Portugal),
the Dutch, the English, the Danes and the French came to India. Ultimately, it
was the French and English who continued to remain in power in India. These
foreign traders started attaining political power with the decline of the
Mughal Empire.
THE ADVENT OF THE EUROPEANS
India was termed as Land of
Great Opportunities by Shakespeare. Also, it was called as land of desires by
Hegel. Three trade routes were there until 15th Century and they were- Caspian
Sea and Black Sea via Central Asia, Mediterranean Sea via Syria and the Red Sea
via Egypt.
THE PORTUGUESE(PORTUGAL)
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On 20 May, 1498, Vasco da Gama reached Calicut(Kerala) and he
was welcome by King Zamorin.
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Different centres of trade got established at Calicut(Kerala), Cochin(Kerala)
and Cannanore(Kerala).
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Adam Smith called two discoveries as the two greatest
developments, i.e., new sea route via Cape of Good Hope and the discovery of
America by Columbus.
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The Portuguese(Portugal) made Cochin(Kerala) as their new
capital and later Goa.
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Francisco de Almeida was the first Portuguese(Portugal) Governor
in India. The policy of blue water was introduced by him.
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Alfonso de Albuquerque was the Portuguese(Portugal) Governor,
who came to India in 1509. In 1510, Goa was captured by him from Bijapur and he
brought the policy of imperialism.
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In 1515, Portuguese(Portugal) became the strongest naval power
in India.
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In 1530, Nino da Cunha transferred Portuguese(Portugal) capital
from Cochin(Kerala) to Goa. He acquired Diu and Bassein from Bahadur Shah of
Gujarat in 1534. And in 1631, he was defeated by Qasim Khan, who was a Mughal
noble of Shahjahan and there Nino da Cunha lost Hoogli.
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Daman was acquired by Portuguese(Portugal) in 1559.
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By the end of the 16th Century, the Portuguese(Portugal) power
declined.
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Bombay was given to Charles II of England as the royal dowry, by
the king of Portugal, for marrying his sister Catherine in 1661.
Ø Due to religious intolerance
and piracy, it became difficult for the Portuguese(Portugal) to continue in
India.
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The Tobacco cultivation in India was taught by Portuguese(Portugal).
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The first Portuguese(Portugal) factory got established in Calicut(Kerala).
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Francis Xavier was the famous Jesuit saint who arrived in India
with Martin Alfonso de Souza in 1542-45.
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Eventually, all the Portuguese(Portugal) territories were taken
by Marathas, Dutch and the English, except Goa, Diu, Daman.
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