Lesson 1/35 min
The sea route and the Portuguese
In 1487 the Portuguese sailor Bartholomew Diaz rounded the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa and opened the way to the eastern sea route. In 1498 another Portuguese sailor, Vasco da Gama, followed it to the Indian port of Calicut.
Watch out: One book's list prints 1497 for Diaz, but the same book's text and the other book give 1487. Remember 1487.
The sea route and the Portuguese sailors
- Vasco da Gama reached the port of Calicut on 27 May 1498
- The Portuguese king John II sent Diaz to explore the southern part of Africa
- The list: Pedro Alvares Cabral 1500; Gama's second voyage 1502; Francisco Albuquerque 1509
- The credit for finding the sea route goes to the Portuguese
The five European nations (memory aid: POEDF)
| Nation | Bengali name | Year in the book's chart | What the year marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portuguese (Portugal) | Firingi | 1516 | Arrival in Bengal (according to the books) |
| Dutch (Netherlands) | Olandaj | 1602 | Dutch East India Company formed |
| English (England) | East India Company | 1608 | Arrival in India (Surat) |
| Danes (Denmark) | Dinemar | 1616 | Danish company formed |
| French (France) | Farasi | 1668 | First factory at Surat |
The Portuguese
- Known in Bengal as ‘Firingi’; the first of the European traders to come to Bengal
- According to the books they came to Bengal in 1516 and set up factories at Chittagong (their name Porto Grande) and Saptagram
- They founded colonies at Calicut, Goa, Hooghly, Chittagong and elsewhere
- The first Portuguese viceroy in India was Francisco de Almeida; the first governor was Albuquerque
- The first European fort in India was at Cochin
- They got permission to trade here in Emperor Akbar's reign (Zubair)
Watch out: Both books give 1516 for the Portuguese in Bengal. Banglapedia says João de Silveira's fleet anchored at Chittagong on 9 May 1518, called the first official contact; another entry gives 1517. The books' 1516 may come in an exam.
Portuguese piracy and expulsion
- Portuguese pirates were called ‘Harmad’; together with the Arakanese Magh pirates they terrorised southern Bengal
- In 1632, on Shah Jahan's order, Qasim Khan drove the Portuguese out of Hooghly
- In 1666, on Aurangzeb's order, subahdar Shaista Khan drove them out of Chittagong, crushing them completely
Did you know?: Zubair's book adds: an ancient name of India was Jambudvipa.
Check yourself
In which year and at which port did Vasco da Gama arrive?
At a glance
- 1
Diaz rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1487; Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in 1498.
- 2
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to come to Bengal (1516 according to the books); called ‘Firingi’.
- 3
The Portuguese called Chittagong Porto Grande; their pirates were the ‘Harmad’.
- 4
Qasim Khan expelled the Portuguese from Hooghly in 1632 and Shaista Khan from Chittagong in 1666.
- 5
Order of the five nations: POEDF = Portuguese, Olandaj (Dutch), English, Danes, French.