16th century History of modern India
1500- Pedro Alvarez Cabral came to India and made a factory at Calicut. He had a conflict with the locals. So, there were skirmishes. The Indian locals destroyed his goods. So, Cabral destroyed many goods from the Arab ships. The ruler of Calicut did not like this attitude and broke his ties with the Portuguese..
1501- Vasco da Gama came to India for a second time. He did not receive the warm welcome from Zamorin that he had received earlier. The Portuguese man wanted to exclude all Muslim intermediaries but Zamorin did not agree. So, Vasco da Gama destroyed many Arab ships. Zamorin did not like it and broke all ties with Vasco da Gama.
Vasco da Gama sets up a factory at Cochin.
1503- The Portuguese fortify their Cochin factory.
1505- Francisco de Almeida becomes the Portuguese governor general to India. The king of Portugal sends him to INdia. He was to promote the Portuguese interesets. He was to build forts around Cochin, Cannanore, Kilwa, and Anjadiva. He was also to harm the Arab trade by winning over Aden, Ormuz, and Malacca. But, he had to face an inhospitable Zamorin in INdia and the wrath of the Egyptian Memeluke Sultan who had much better trade ties with Zamorin.
1507- The battle took place close to Diu, a part of India. The Gujarati navies of India and the Egyptian navies joined hands. They defeated ALmeida's navy and killed his son.
1508- Almeida retaliated and sought revenge from the Gujarati and the Egyptian navies. He crushed the two navies in a battle.
1510- Alfonso de Albuquerque captured Goa from the sultan of Bijapur. In modern India, this became the first chunk of the Indian land to fall under European colonialist's hands.
1529- Nino da Cunha became the Portuguese governor general to India.
1530- Nino da Cunha shifted the Portuguese headquarters in India from Cochin to Goa. We should remember how Calicut was the first territroy where the Portuguese had landed. Then they lost control there and develop adverse relations with locals and the rulers. So, they would have to make Cochin their stronghold. Now that the Portuguese had captured Goa, they wanted to make it their capital in India.
1534- Bassein falls into Portuguese hands. Bassein was an island on which Mumbai city would grow later. But, the Portuguese did not fight a battle to get hold over it. Bahadur Shah ruled over Gujarat. He had a conflict with Humayun so he wanted help from the Portuguese. In return for their support, Bahadur Shah granted them Bassein.
1536- Portuguese ties with Bahadur Shah weaken. It was because Humanyun had withdrawn from Gujarat. The subjects of Bahadur Shah did not like the Portuguese so he estranged them. But, the Portuguese wanted negotiations.
1537- The Portuguese kill Bahadur Shah of Gujarat by treachery.
1579- Akbar send letters to the Portuguese because he wanted two learned Portuguese priests to attend a conference on theology.
An imperial farman circa told the Portuguese to settle near a river bank. They did so near Satgaon, Bengal.
1580, Feb 28- Fathers Aquaviva and Monserrate, the Portuguese priests, reached Fatehpur Sikri. Fatehpur Sikri was the capital of Akbar in those days. The Portuguese wanted to convert the Indians to Christianity. But, Akbar took interest in all religions. So, it would not be possible to convert the king, his court, and his subjects but the Portuguese priests gave it a try.
1580- Union of Spain and Portugual. On a global level, Spain would now become a Portuguese ally whenever Portugual went for a war.
1583- The Portuguese realized that it was not possible to convert Akbar. They returned to Goa.
1590- Akbar invited the Portuguese priests for a second time.
1592- The Portuguese priests invited by Akbar for a second time returned back. to Goa.
1595- Akbar invited the Portuguese priests to Lahore for a third time. They would stay there. Akbar allowed them to intervene in political matters of the court. Fathers Xaviers and Pinheiro were the leaders of the Portuguese missionary activities in India.
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