Portuguese State and Administration in India
Modern History › Advent of the Europeans in India · Topic 2.2
The Estado da India was the Portuguese state in India: a string of coastal forts, ports and settlements from Goa to Hooghly, ruled by a viceroy who served three years, with captains and factors running the fortresses. Goa became its capital in 1530.
7 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Advent of the Europeans
At a Glance
- What it is The Estado Portugues da India, the Portuguese state in India, built on coastal forts and ports
- Capital Goa, made the Portuguese headquarters in 1530 under Nuno da Cunha
- Head of administration A viceroy, serving three years
- Religious link Jesuit missions at Akbar’s court from 1580
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Advent of the Europeans
Where Does It Fit?
This is the second topic of the category on the advent of the Europeans. The previous topic explained how the Portuguese arrived and won control of the sea. This topic shows what they built on land: a coastal state with its own administration and religious policy. The next topic covers how that state declined. Previous topic: Discovery of the Sea Route and the Portuguese Entry into India.
What Was the Portuguese State in India?
The Estado Portugues da India, the State of the Portuguese India, was a larger element in Indian history than it is usually given credit for. Many coastal parts of India came under Portuguese power within fifty years of Vasco da Gama’s arrival.
| Region | What the Portuguese held |
|---|---|
| Around Goa | Some sixty miles of coast |
| West coast, Mumbai to Daman and Diu | A narrow tract with four important ports and hundreds of towns and villages |
| South | A chain of seaport fortresses and trading posts at Mangalore, Cannanore, Cochin and Calicut |
| East coast | Military posts and settlements at San Thome (Chennai) and Nagapatnam |
| Bengal | A wealthy settlement at Hooghly towards the end of the sixteenth century |
Their power in Malabar was not consolidated, but it was enough to give influence or control over the local rulers who held the spice-growing land. Envoys were exchanged between Goa and many major kingdoms. Treaties were signed between Goa and the Deccan sultans in 1570 and renewed regularly as long as those kingdoms lasted. The Portuguese had a role in the battles for the balance of power between Vijayanagara and the Deccan sultans, between the Deccanis and the Mughals, and between the Mughals and the Marathas.
They were the first Europeans to come to India and the last to leave. The Government of India recaptured Goa, Daman and Diu only in 1961.
How Did Nuno da Cunha Shape the State?
Nuno da Cunha became governor in November 1529. About a year later he moved the headquarters of the Portuguese government in India from Cochin to Goa. This made Goa the capital of the Estado da India.
In 1534 Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, in his conflict with the Mughal emperor Humayun, got Portuguese help by ceding to them the island of Bassein with its dependencies and revenues. He also promised them a base at Diu. Relations soured after Humayun withdrew from Gujarat in 1536. When fighting broke out between the townspeople and the Portuguese, Bahadur Shah wanted a wall of partition, which the Portuguese opposed. During negotiations the ruler of Gujarat was invited onto a Portuguese ship and killed in 1537. Da Cunha also tried to expand Portuguese influence in Bengal by settling many Portuguese at Hooghly.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1503 | First Portuguese fort at Cochin |
| 1505 | Second fort at Cannanore |
| 1510 | Albuquerque captures Goa from Bijapur |
| 1530 | Goa declared the Portuguese capital |
| 1535 | Subjugation of Diu |
| 1559 | The Portuguese capture Daman |
How Was the Portuguese State Administered?
The head of the administration was the viceroy, who served for three years. He had a secretary and, in later years, a council. Next in importance was the Vedor da Fazenda, responsible for revenues and for the cargoes and dispatch of fleets. The fortresses from Africa to China were under captains, assisted by factors. Poor communications increased the factors’ power, and it was too often used for personal ends.
The Portuguese presence rested on forts, ports and sea control, not on large territories. The few men who settled became village landlords, artisans, craftsmen and traders, and many came to regard their new settlements, and not Portugal, as home.
What Was the Religious Policy of the Portuguese?
The Moors were bitter enemies of the Portuguese in North Africa, as were the Arabs. On arriving in the East the Portuguese brought the same zeal to promote Christianity and the wish to persecute all Muslims. They were intolerant of Muslims, but at first fairly tolerant of Hindus. After the introduction of the Inquisition in Goa, this changed and Hindus too were persecuted.
In spite of this intolerance, the Jesuits made a good impression at the court of Akbar, mainly because the Mughal emperor was interested in questions of theology.
Why Did Akbar Invite the Jesuits?
In September 1579 Akbar sent a letter to the authorities at Goa requesting two learned priests. The Church in Goa eagerly accepted, seeing a chance to convert the emperor, his court and the people. Rodolfo Aquaviva and Antonio Monserrate were chosen, and they reached Fatehpur Sikri on 28 February 1580 and were received with honour.
| Mission | Period | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| First | Reached Fatehpur Sikri on 28 February 1580; Aquaviva and Monserrate went back in 1583 | The Portuguese hope of Akbar’s conversion was belied |
| Second | Called by Akbar in 1590; ended in 1592 | Ended on a similar note |
| Third | Arrived in 1595 at Lahore, where the court then lived | Became a sort of permanent institution that extended its influence on secular politics; led by Jerome Xavier and Emanuel Pinheiro |
Letters from the Jesuits at the court became widely known for the information they gave on the later part of Akbar’s reign. When Prince Salim became emperor as Jahangir, he first neglected the Jesuits to please the Muslims, but renewed his favours in 1606. The Jesuits kept the church at Lahore and a residence, and in 1608 twenty baptisms were carried out in Agra. Their hopes of bringing Jahangir into the Christian fold were later disappointed.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Foundation of European expansion The Estado da India showed how a trading power could build a chain of forts and ports
- Exam facts Goa as capital (1530), the viceroy’s three-year term, Daman (1559) and Diu (1535) are direct Prelims items
- Link to the Mughals The Jesuit missions connect the Portuguese with Akbar’s religious curiosity
What Came Next?
The next topic covers how the Portuguese lost favour with the Mughals, their decline and their lasting significance. Next topic: Decline of the Portuguese and Their Significance.
Key People and Terms
- Estado da India The Portuguese state in India, with Goa as its capital from 1530
- Viceroy The head of Portuguese administration, who served for three years
- Vedor da Fazenda The officer responsible for revenues, cargoes and the dispatch of fleets
- Factors Officers who assisted fort captains, whose power grew because of poor communications
- Inquisition The church court brought to Goa, after which Hindus too faced persecution
- Jesuits Catholic priests who went to the courts of Akbar and Jahangir
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Goa declared the Portuguese capital in 1530; Cochin was the earlier headquarters.
- The viceroy served for three years; the Vedor da Fazenda handled revenues and fleets.
- Diu subjugated in 1535; Daman captured in 1559.
- Jesuits reached Fatehpur Sikri on 28 February 1580; the third mission came to Lahore in 1595.
- Goa, Daman and Diu were recaptured by India in 1961.
Do Not Confuse With
- Cochin and Goa as capital Cochin was the earlier headquarters; Goa from about 1530
- Aquaviva and Xavier Aquaviva led the first mission; Jerome Xavier led the third
- Tolerance at first and later The Portuguese were tolerant of Hindus at first; after the Inquisition Hindus too were persecuted
Memory Hook
Forts on the coast, a viceroy at Goa, priests at Akbar’s court.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about the nature of Portuguese rule. These points add depth.
- Coastal, not territorial The state rested on forts, ports and sea power along the coast and not on large land territories
- Religious intolerance Hostility to Muslims and later to Hindus weakened local goodwill, though the Jesuits found favour at Akbar’s court
- Weak administration The power of factors was used for personal ends, which hurt the state’s credibility
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Describe the nature of Portuguese administration and religious policy in India in the sixteenth century.”
How to Answer
- Describe the state Outline the coastal holdings and the capital at Goa.
- Describe the administration Give the viceroy, the Vedor da Fazenda and the captains and factors.
- Discuss religion Cover tolerance at first, the Inquisition, and the Jesuit missions to Akbar.
- Conclude Say that the Portuguese state was a sea-based, coastal empire with a weak administration and a harsh religious policy.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Estado da India?
The Estado da India, or State of the Portuguese India, was the Portuguese possession in India, a chain of coastal forts, ports and settlements from Goa to Hooghly. It was ruled by a viceroy, and Goa became its capital in about 1530 under Nuno da Cunha.
Who headed the Portuguese administration in India?
The Portuguese administration in India was headed by a viceroy who served for three years, assisted by a secretary and later a council. The Vedor da Fazenda handled revenues and fleets, and captains with factors ran the fortresses from Africa to China.
When did Goa become the Portuguese capital?
Goa became the Portuguese capital in about 1530, when Governor Nuno da Cunha, who took office in November 1529, shifted the headquarters of the Portuguese government in India from Cochin to Goa. Albuquerque had captured Goa from the Sultan of Bijapur in 1510.
How did the Portuguese treat Hindus and Muslims?
The Portuguese were intolerant towards Muslims from the start. They were at first fairly tolerant towards Hindus, but after the Inquisition was introduced in Goa, Hindus too were persecuted. The policy created resentment among local rulers and communities.
Why did Akbar invite Jesuits to his court?
Akbar was interested in questions of theology, and in September 1579 he asked the authorities at Goa to send two learned priests. Rodolfo Aquaviva and Antonio Monserrate reached Fatehpur Sikri on 28 February 1580, and later missions in 1590 and 1595 followed.
When did India recapture Goa from the Portuguese?
The Government of India recaptured Goa, Daman and Diu from the Portuguese in 1961. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to come to India and the last to leave, holding these territories for more than four centuries.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Goa was declared the Portuguese capital in about 1530, replacing Cochin.
Nuno da Cunha shifted the headquarters.
2 The head of the Portuguese administration in India served for a five-year term.
The viceroy served for three years.
3 The Portuguese captured Daman in 1559.
Diu was subjugated in 1535.
4 Akbar sent a letter to Goa in September 1579 asking for two learned priests.
The first Jesuit mission reached Fatehpur Sikri in February 1580.
5 The Portuguese were intolerant of Hindus from the beginning of their rule.
They were first fairly tolerant towards Hindus and became intolerant after the Inquisition in Goa.
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