Introduction and Advent

of Europeans-I
 Trends
Prelims Mains
GS 1 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 201 2020
9

Freedom 35 30 37.5 37.5 65 40 50 25

Movement

Post 45 0 0 0 0 15 0 0
Independen
ce

World 40 30 25 12.5 10 15 15 0

Culture 20 40 25 25 10 35 10 50
Mughal Decline
 Reasons
• Weak Successors

• Economic Bankruptcy

• Invasions

• The Jagirdari Crisis

• Rebellions and Agrarian Distress

• Religious Policy
 Weak Successors
Bahadur Shah I (1709–March 1712)
• After a nearly two-year-long war of succession, the 63-year-old Prince
Muazzam, the eldest son of Aurangzeb, became the emperor, taking the
title Bahadur Shah. He was later called Bahadur Shah I).
• He adopted a liberal policy with the Rajputs. In 1709 C.E., he
recognized Ajit Singh as the Rana of Marwar.

Jahandar Shah (March 1712-February 1713)

• With the help of Zulfikar Khan, Jahandar Shah became the emperor.
Zulfikar Khan was appointed prime minister; Jahandar Shah abolished
Jaziya.
Farrukhsiyar (1713-1719)
• After killing Jahandar Shah with the help of Sayyid brothers—Abdulla Khan and
Hussain Ali, Farrukhsiyar became the new emperor. He followed a policy of
religious tolerance by abolishing Jaziya and pilgrimage tax. In 1717, he gave
farmans to the British.

Rafi-ud-Darajat (February 28 to June 4, 1719)

• He ruled for the shortest period among the Mughals.

Muhammad Shah (1719-48)

• After the death of Rafiud-Daula, Raushan Akhtar became the choice of the Sayyid
Brothers. Muhammad Shah, as he came to be known in history, was given the title
of ‘Rangeela’ due to his luxurious life-style.
• In 1739, Nadir Shah defeated the Mughals in the Battle of Karnal and later
imprisoned Muhammad Shah and annexed areas west of the Indus into the Persian
empire.
Ahmad Shah (1748-1754)
• Ahmad Shah was an incompetent ruler who left the state affairs in the
hands of Udham Bai, the ‘Queen Mother’.

Alamgir II (1754-1758)
• Alamgir II was a grandson of Jahandar Shah. Ahmed Shah Abdali, the
Iranian invader, reached Delhi in January 1757. During his reign, the
Battle of Plassey was fought in June 1757.

Shahjahan III (1758-1759)

• Shah Alam II (1759-1806) His reign saw two decisive battles—the Third
Battle of Panipat (1761) and the Battle of Buxar (1764). In 1765,
according to the terms of Treaty of Allahabad (August 1765), he was taken
under the East India Company’s protection and resided at Allahabad. He
also issued a farman granting to the Company in perpetuity the Diwani
(the right to collect revenue) of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
Akbar II (1806-37)
• He gave the title of Raja to Rammohan Rai. In 1835, the coins bearing
the names of Mughal emperors were stopped.

Bahadur Shah II (1837-1857)

• Bahadur Shah II or Bahadur Shah Zafar (Zafar being his surname) was
the last Mughal emperor.
Advent of Europeans
Why they needed a Sea Route to India?
What is colonialism and Imperialism?
 The Portuguese
• Vasco da Gama became the first European
to re-establish direct trade links with India
since Roman times by being the first to
arrive by circumnavigating Africa (1498).

• The three ships under Vasco Da Gama was

led by a Gujarati pilot named Abdul Majid

• Dias originally named the Cape of Good

Hope as the Cape of Storms (Cabo das
Tormentas).

• It was later renamed (by King John II of

Portugal) the Cape of Good Hope (Cabo da
Boa Esperança) because it represented the
opening of a route to the east.
 Early Interaction
• Vasco da Gama stayed in India for three months. When he returned to
Portugal, he carried back with him a rich cargo

• Pedro Alvarez Cabral; he negotiated and established a factory at Calicut,

where he arrived in September 1500. There was an incident of conflict when
the Portuguese factory at Calicut was attacked by the locals, resulting in the
death of several Portuguese.

• Cabral succeeded in making advantageous treaties with the local rulers of

Cochin and Cannanore.

• Vasco da Gama once again came to India in 1501. Conflict with Zamorians
• The closing of the traditional
trade routes in western Asia by
the Ottoman Empire & rivalry
with the Italian states
1503: The Portuguese
sent Portugal in search of an Empire established the 1505: 2nd factory at
alternate sea route to India. 1st Portuguese factory Cannanore (Kannur).
at Cochin.

• 1st successful voyage to India

was by Vasco da Gama, when
he arrived in Calicut. Here he 1510: Portuguese Portuguese established a
conquered the city chain of outposts along
obtained permission to trade in of Goa, which had been India's west coast & on
the city. Welcomed by the controlled by Sultan of the island of Ceylon in
Bijapur. the early 16th century.
Zamorin. Permitted trade in
Spices & set up a factory on the
coast.
 Francisco de Almeida (1505-09)
• First Governor

• Followed ‘Blue water policy’: Completely concentrated on trade (didn’t

interfere in local politics)

• 1508: Battle of Chaul (Alliance of Sultan Mahmud Begarah of Gujarat,

Egyptian Mamluk fleet) Vs Lourenco de Almeida ( was killed) ;Victory for
alliance.

• 1509: Battle of Diu (Almeida defeats alliance).

 Alfonso de Albuquerque (1509-15)
• Real founder of the Portuguese power in the East.

• 1510: Captured Goa.

• 1511: Concluded a friendly treaty with Krishnadevaraya by which the

Portuguese were to supply Arabian horses only to Vijayanagar & not to Bijapur.
Friar Luis, his ambassador resided at Vijayanagar.

• He established a fortresses at Goa (1510), Malacca (1511), Calicut (1513) and

Hormuz (1515).He did not interfere in the religious matter of the communities
,except for the abolition of sati. Albuquerque introduced the policy of
association and assimilation.
 Nino da Cunha (1529-38)

• Nino da Cunha assumed office of the governor of Portuguese interests in India

in November 1529 and almost one year later shifted the headquarters of the
Portuguese government in India from Cochin to Goa.

• Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, during his conflict with the Mughal emperor
Humayun, secured help from the Portuguese by ceding to them in 1534 the
island of Bassein with its dependencies and revenues.

• Bahadur Shah’s relations with the Portuguese became sour when Humayun
withdrew from Gujarat in 1536.

• Da Cunha also attempted to increase Portuguese influence in Bengal by

settling many Portuguese nationals there with Hooghly as their headquarters.
 Martin Afonso de Souza (1542-45)
• Another feature of the Portuguese presence in India was their will to
evangelize & promote Catholicism.

• In this, the Jesuits played a fundamental role, & to this day the Jesuit
missionary Saint Francis Xavier is revered among the Catholics of India.

• Francis Xavier arrived in India with him. Went to China but before leaving
expressed his desire to be buried at Goa. Died & buried in China.

• His disciples embalmed his body & reburied it in Goa- Bom Jesus Basilica at
Goa
 Portuguese in India
• Portuguese were the first to issue cartazes.

• Their fortified outposts served as customs stations where Asian

merchants had to acquire ‘Cartazes’ i.e., letters of protection which
saved them from being attacked & ransacked by the Portuguese on the
high seas. Thus, indulged in armed control of the sea trade.

• Use of Feitorias to consolidate trade.

 Administration
Vice-Rei e Capitão Geral
Governador e Capitão Geral

Secretario Conselho do Conselho de

Geral Estado (The Tres Estados
(Secretary Council of (the Council of
General) State) three States)

•The Captain of the city of Goa

•Head of Fortress (Alcaide-Mor)
•Factor (Feitor)
• Notary
•Captain of Sea
•Fidalgos or Noblemen
 Impact
• Many products of the Latin American world— potato, corn, pineapple entered Indian rural
economy.

• Thus, the Indian peasant was not allergic to accepting new products if it meant a profit for him.

• Brought to India: Tomato, sweet Potato, lady’s finger ,Tobacco, Chilly, papaya, sapota, leecchi,
orange, almond, ground nuts, black pepper, Cashew etc.

• Under the Portuguese supervision, ship-building, using western techniques, was started at
Cochin.

• Christianity: Bible printed in Kannada & Malayalam- Printing Press

• Importance of Navy in sea Trade

 Decline
• The Dutch

• Problems in Administration

• The Rise of English- In 1608, Captain William Hawkins with his ship Hector
reached Surat.

• He brought with him a letter from James I, King of England, to the Mughal
court of Jahangir requesting permission to do business in India. Father Pinheiro
and the Portuguese authorities did their best to prevent Hawkins from reaching
the Mughal court, but did not succeed. Jahangir accepted the gifts Hawkins
brought for him and gave Hawkins a very favourable reception in 1609.
 The Timeline

1509- A combined
1498- Vasco-da-Gama
1503-First Portuguese fleet of Egyptian, Arab
makes landfall at 1505- Second
fort is established at and Zamorin fleet is
Calicut where he is Portuguese fort at
Cochin (now known as destroyed by the
received by the Cannanore is built
Kochi) Portuguese at the
Zamorins
Battle of Diu.

1510- Goa is captured

1530-Goa is declared
from the Bijapur 1535-Diu is completely
as the capital of
Sultanate by Alfonso subjugated
Portuguese India
Albuquerque
1539-Portuguese Diu is under siege by
a combined fleet of Ottomans,
Mamluks of Egypt, the Gujarat
Sultanate and the Zaomorin of Calicut.
It ends
1661: Portugal was at war with Spain
& needed support from England.
1559-Daman is captured by the
Portuguese
This led to the marriage of Princess
Catherine of Portugal to Charles II of
England, who imposed a dowry that
included the insular & less inhabited
areas of southern Bombay while the
Portuguese managed to retain all the
mainland territory north of Bandra up
to Thana & Bassein.
Summary
Summary
Summary