Decline of the Portuguese and Their Significance
Modern History › Advent of the Europeans in India · Topic 2.3
The Portuguese lost favour with the Mughals after the English arrived at Surat in 1608 and lost Hooghly in 1632. By the eighteenth century they had lost their commercial influence, but they brought naval power, cannon, drilled infantry and new art to India.
8 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Advent of the Europeans
At a Glance
- What it is The loss of Portuguese favour with the Mughals, their decline, and their contribution to India
- Key events William Hawkins at Surat (1608), Siege of Hooghly (1632), Marathas take Bassein (1739)
- Main causes of decline Religious policy, piracy, rise of Marathas and Mughals, discovery of Brazil, union with Spain, Dutch and English rivalry
- Lasting contribution Naval power, cannon on ships, drilled infantry and European art
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Advent of the Europeans
Where Does It Fit?
This is the third and last topic on the Portuguese. The first covered their arrival and the second their state. This topic explains why they declined and what they left behind. The next topic moves on to the second European power, the Dutch. Previous topic: Portuguese State and Administration in India.
How Did the Portuguese Lose Favour With the Mughals?
In 1608 Captain William Hawkins arrived at Surat on the ship Hector with a letter from King James I of England to the Mughal court of Jahangir, asking permission to trade. Father Pinheiro and the Portuguese authorities tried to stop Hawkins from reaching the court but failed. Jahangir accepted his gifts and gave him a very favourable reception in 1609. Hawkins spoke Turki and talked to the emperor without an interpreter, and Jahangir made him a mansabdar of 400 on a salary of Rs 30,000, though Hawkins apparently never received it.
The English trading facilities offended the Portuguese, but after negotiations a truce was made between the Portuguese and the Mughal emperor. The Portuguese stopped English ships from entering Surat, and a baffled Hawkins left the court in 1611. In November 1612 the English ship Dragon under Captain Best, with a small ship, the Osiander, successfully fought a Portuguese fleet. Jahangir, who had no navy worth the name, was greatly impressed.
In 1613 Portuguese piracy led to a clash. They captured Mughal ships, imprisoned many Muslims and plundered the cargoes. An enraged Jahangir ordered Muqarrab Khan, in charge of Surat, to get compensation. Under Shah Jahan the Portuguese lost for ever the advantages they had enjoyed at the Mughal court, and with them the hope of converting the royal family.
What Happened at Hooghly in 1632?
Around 1579, on the basis of an imperial farman, the Portuguese settled on a river bank a short distance from Satgaon in Bengal. They built big buildings, and trade moved from Satgaon to the new port of Hooghly. They monopolised the making of salt, built their own custom house and strictly collected duty on tobacco, an important article of trade since the early seventeenth century.
The Portuguese also ran a cruel slave trade by buying or seizing Hindu and Muslim children and bringing them up as Christians. On 24 June 1632 the Mughal siege of Hooghly began on the orders of Shah Jahan, carried out by the Bengal governor Qasim Khan. It ended with the capture of Hooghly three months later and the flight of the Portuguese. The Mughals lost 1,000 men and took 400 prisoners to Agra, who were offered the choice of converting to Islam or becoming slaves. The persecution of Christians continued for some time and then eased.
Why Did the Portuguese Decline?
By the eighteenth century the Portuguese had lost their commercial influence in India. Some carried on trade as individuals, and many took to piracy and robbery. Hooghly was used as a base for piracy in the Bay of Bengal.
| Cause | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Rise of strong neighbours | Powerful dynasties emerged in Egypt, Persia and North India, and the turbulent Marathas became immediate neighbours; the Marathas captured Bassein in 1739 |
| Religious policy | Jesuit activity raised political fears, and conversion made Hindus resentful as well as Muslims |
| Dishonest trade and piracy | The Portuguese earned notoriety as sea pirates, and their arrogance and violence won them enmity from small states and the Mughals |
| Brazil | The discovery of Brazil diverted Portuguese colonising effort to the West |
| Union with Spain, 1580-81 | It dragged Portugal into Spain’s wars with England and Holland and hurt its trade monopoly |
| Loss of secrecy about the route | The Dutch and the English learnt ocean navigation and the sea route, and had greater resources and more reason to expand overseas |
Goa, which stayed with the Portuguese, lost its importance as a port after the fall of the Vijayanagara empire. The spice trade came under Dutch control, and Brazil replaced Goa as the economic centre of Portugal’s overseas empire. In 1683 the Marathas invaded Goa after two naval assaults.
Which Dates Mark the Rise and Fall?
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1498 | Vasco da Gama arrives at Calicut |
| 1509 | Almeida defeats the combined fleet of Gujarat, Egypt and the Zamorin |
| 1510 | Albuquerque captures Goa from Bijapur |
| 1530 | Goa declared the Portuguese capital |
| 1596 | Ouster of the Portuguese by the Dutch from South-east Asia |
| 1612 | Loss of Surat to the English |
| 1632 | Mughals capture Hooghly |
| 1663 | The Dutch win all Portuguese forts on the Malabar coast |
What Was the Significance of the Portuguese?
Most historians observe that the coming of the Portuguese initiated what may be called the European era, and marked the emergence of naval power. The Cholas, among others, had been a naval power, but for the first time a foreign power now came to India by sea. The Portuguese ships carried cannon, and this was the first step in gaining monopoly over trade through the threat or use of force. They declared that they would keep no rules except their own.
- Military innovation In sixteenth-century Malabar the Portuguese used body armour, matchlock men and guns landed from ships, and may have set an example for the Mughal use of field guns
- Drilled infantry In the 1630s they introduced the drilling of groups of infantry on the Spanish model, as a counter to Dutch pressure. The French and English adopted it first, then the Marathas and Sikhs, and armies of sepoys became new tools of empire in India
- Ship design Their multi-decked, heavily built ships carried heavier armament, and their castled prow and stern helped repel or launch boarding parties. Indian builders adapted both
- Organisation Royal arsenals and dockyards, a regular system of pilots and mapping, and use of state forces against private merchant shipping were even more noteworthy. The Dutch and English were the surer heirs of this knowledge
- Arts Missionaries and the Church were teachers and patrons of painters, carvers and sculptors, and interpreters of European art. Goa became a centre of silversmith and goldsmith work, such as filigree. The churches are generally simple in plan
The memory of religious persecution and cruelty detracts from these cultural contributions in India.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Cause and effect The decline shows how rivals with more resources and better organisation replaced the first European power
- Frequent facts Hawkins (1608), Hooghly (1632) and the causes of decline are common Prelims and Mains items
- Military history Drilled infantry and sepoy armies trace back to the Portuguese example
What Came Next?
The next topic covers the Dutch in India: their company, settlements, rivalry with the English and decline. Next topic: The Dutch in India: Settlements, Anglo-Dutch Rivalry and Decline.
Key People and Terms
- William Hawkins The English captain who reached Surat in 1608 with a letter from James I
- Siege of Hooghly The Mughal siege of 1632 that ended Portuguese power in Bengal
- Sepoy An Indian soldier trained and drilled in European style
- Artillery of the stirrup The Mughal phrase for field guns that moved with the army
- Matchlock men Soldiers armed with early matchlock guns, used by the Portuguese in Malabar
- Brazil The Portuguese colony that replaced Goa as the empire’s economic centre
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Hawkins reached Surat in 1608 on the ship Hector; Jahangir made him a mansabdar of 400.
- The Mughal siege of Hooghly began on 24 June 1632 under Shah Jahan.
- The Marathas took Bassein in 1739 and invaded Goa in 1683.
- Spain and Portugal were united in 1580-81.
- The Dutch won all Portuguese forts on the Malabar coast in 1663.
Do Not Confuse With
- Hawkins and Best Hawkins reached the court by land in 1608-09; Best won the naval fight in 1612
- Hooghly and Satgaon Trade moved from Satgaon to the new Portuguese port of Hooghly
- Akbar’s Jesuits and Jahangir’s Hawkins Akbar invited Jesuits; Hawkins came with a letter from the English king
Memory Hook
Hawkins in 1608, Hooghly in 1632: the English arrive as the Portuguese fall.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for causes of decline and for the lasting effects of the Portuguese. These points add depth.
- Internal weakness Piracy, intolerance and personal misuse of power by factors cost goodwill
- External rivals The Dutch and the English had greater resources and more reason to expand
- Legacy Naval power, ship design and drilled infantry became tools used later by other powers
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Account for the decline of the Portuguese in India. What was their significance?”
How to Answer
- State the decline Show loss of influence by the eighteenth century.
- Give causes Rise of the Marathas and Mughals, religious policy, piracy, Brazil, union with Spain and the Dutch and English.
- Give significance Naval power, cannon, drilled infantry, ship design and arts.
- Conclude Say that they began the European era but were overtaken by stronger rivals.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Portuguese decline in India?
The Portuguese declined because strong dynasties and the Marathas grew around them, their religious policy and piracy created enemies, the discovery of Brazil diverted their effort, and the union with Spain in 1580-81 dragged them into wars. The Dutch and English, with greater resources, overtook them.
Who was William Hawkins?
William Hawkins was an English captain who reached Surat in 1608 on the ship Hector with a letter from King James I asking to trade. Jahangir received him in 1609 and made him a mansabdar of 400, but Portuguese intrigue forced him to leave in 1611.
What happened at Hooghly in 1632?
The Mughals under Shah Jahan besieged the Portuguese settlement at Hooghly from 24 June 1632 and captured it three months later. The Portuguese fled, the Mughals lost 1,000 men and took 400 prisoners to Agra, and Portuguese power in Bengal ended.
When did the Marathas capture Bassein from the Portuguese?
The Marathas captured Bassein from the Portuguese in 1739, and they had earlier invaded Goa in 1683 after two naval assaults. These losses show how the rise of the Marathas reduced the local advantages the Portuguese had gained.
What was the military contribution of the Portuguese in India?
The Portuguese used body armour, matchlock men and guns landed from ships, and in the 1630s introduced drilled infantry on the Spanish model. The French and English adopted this first, then the Marathas and Sikhs, and armies of sepoys became new tools of empire.
What was the cultural contribution of the Portuguese in India?
Missionaries and the Church taught and patronised painting, carving and sculpture, and the art of silver and goldsmiths flourished at Goa, including filigree work. The memory of religious persecution and cruelty, however, reduces the credit given to their cultural contribution.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 William Hawkins reached Surat in 1608 with a letter from James I of England.
He arrived on the ship Hector.
2 The Mughal siege of Hooghly was ordered by Akbar.
It was ordered by Shah Jahan, in 1632.
3 The union of Spain and Portugal in 1580-81 hurt the Portuguese trade monopoly.
It dragged Portugal into Spain's wars with England and Holland.
4 The discovery of Brazil diverted Portuguese colonising effort to the West.
Brazil later replaced Goa as the economic centre of the empire.
5 The Portuguese introduced the drilling of infantry on the Spanish model in the 1630s.
It was later adopted by the French, English, Marathas and Sikhs.
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