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| V.O.C. |
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East India Company |
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Until 1752, Portuguese India included all Portuguese territories east of the Cape of Good Hope. These included
capital Goa (1510-1961), Ambon (Moluccas, 1513/1580-1605), Bahrain (1521-1602), Bassein (1534-1739),
Ceylon (1505-1658), Hormuz (1515-1622),
Macau (1557-1997), Malacca (1511-1641),
Moçambique (c. 1510-1974), Mombasa (1528-1698),
Muscat (1505-1650), Nagapattinam (1554-1657) (list not complete). Portugal claimed to "own the Ocean". The Portuguese regarded themselves crusaders, carrying the struggle with Islam into the Indian Ocean. While Portugal established control over certain trade centers, established a Portuguese trade network in the Indian Ocean, it also tried to destroy other centers of trade : the Portuguese sacked Surat in 1512 and 1530, Thatta (Sindh) in 1565. The Portuguese actively promoted Catholicism in the countries they traded with, with some success in India, Ceylon, Macau, Timor, and temporarily in Malacca, Siam and China. Attempts to proselytize in Burma and Vietnam were at least undertaken. The economy of Portuguese India was mainly based on trade; before the arrival of the Dutch, the Portuguese in Europe held a significant share in the import of overseas products such as spices, chinaware, tea, Asian textiles (Indian trade through Alexandria with Venice continued). Of significant importance was entrepot trade, for instance the Portuguese hold of the trade between China and Japan. Often overlooked is the Portuguese Indian Ocean slave trade. The arrival of the Dutch (see V.O.C. spelled disaster for Portuguese India. The Moluccas, Malacca, Ceylon, most of its positions in Bengal, Coromandel and Malabar were lost to the Dutch, as was the lucrative China-Japan entrepot trade. Bahrain and Hormuz were lost to Persia, Muscat and the northern Swahili Coast (Mombasa) to Oman. Goa barely held out against several Dutch blockades. In 1628, the Portuguese East India Company was established. The marriage of Charles II. of England with Catherine of Bragança in 1661 cost Portuguese India Bombay, which was part of Catherine's dowry and would become the first stronghold of the E.I.C. in India. But it also constituted the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, which protected the remainder of Portuguese India from further V.O.C. attacks. At the close of the 17th century the northwen Swahili Coast was lost to Oman, in 1739 Bassein to the Marathas. For the history after 1670, see Portuguese India (- 1961), Portuguese Timor (- 1975), Macau (- 1997) |
