Question

Write in detail about the Portuguese colonies in India.

Answer 1

1. They established their colonies on the western coast and built forts for their protection and used them to protect their colonies from external attacks and to reinforce them continuously with supplies by using seaways.
2. The Portuguese naval force was very strong. They used to launch sudden attacks on their enemy’s territory from the sea and wreck it completely. The Indian local rulers could not match the Portuguese in their war tactics.
3. When they established their firm control on the Indian Ocean, they made it obligatory for the Indian rulers to get license (Cartaz) from them for sailing on the Indian Ocean.
4. If the local rulers dared to set out on the sea without a Portuguese license, the ships were either seized or sunk by force. The Portuguese had become so powerful that even the mighty Mughals, and the Sultanates in the south had to buy a license from them.
5. By 1608, the Portuguese had their colonies on the western coast of India at Diu, Daman, Chaul, Goa (including Sashti and Bardesh), Honnavar, Gangoli, Basrur, Mangalore, Kannur, Kodungallur, Cochi and Kollam.
6. Similarly on the eastern coast they had trader colonies at Nagpattinam, Mylapore (Mayilappore or also Sao Tome/San Thom), and Hugli in Bengal. This stretch of the Portuguese Empire had its capital at Goa.