The Portuguese Conquest: A Success or a Failure?

The desperation to dominate the ports of the Indian Ocean was building up. The next five years were influenced by Manuel’s hope of getting a hold on the Indian Ocean through a series of expeditions where ships were sent to India with the hope of a safe, pepper-filled return. Without fail or any signs of resignation, the Portuguese were adamant with their technique of coercion and display of power.

The Kingdom of Zamorin. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Over the years, the Portuguese were able to make allies in the Indian subcontinent—the Kolathunad king and the Cochi king. The Portuguese were able to gain some control over the spice trade and were given permission to set up their first trading post as well. But, all the Portuguese wanted was complete control and that was only possible once they took over Calicut.

While the Portuguese were building up connections with the other kingdoms in the South, the Zamorin foresaw the upcoming hostility from his nemesis. He strengthened his own naval resources with the coming of the Marakkar Muslims in Calicut, who came to the Indian subcontinent as a part of the rice import that took place with Tamils and the countries in the Far East. Initially, these families settled in Cochin but due to the continual wars and conflict with the Portuguese, more and more families started to move towards Calicut and settle there.

After consecutive failures to establish trade control over Calicut, Manuel decided to give up on these attempts and plan a way through which the Portuguese could gain permanent control. Da Gama was again chosen for this task—in 1502, he commanded over ten ships and was given the order to control the Indian trade through force, ensuring that the East African sultans and the Zamorin of Calicut are ready to bow down to the Portuguese this time.

Vasco da Gama understood the assignment and spilt blood all over the Indian Ocean with ruthlessness and brute force in his attempts to take over the Indian Ocean. He gave into piracy and looting, stealing from Arab ships, setting them on fire, terrorising the travellers and showing no mercy to anyone. He made sure to follow the same technique once he reached the port of Calicut.

When the Zamorin refused to listen to any policy proposed by da Gama, the latter captured the priest of Calicut and tortured him but cutting off his lips and ears, mocking the king and his religion by tying on dog ears instead. This was not enough, according to da Gama, for the Zamorin to give up control. He bombarded the ports, took the commoners as his captive, and brutally tortured them. However, the Zamorin was not scared of da Gama’s barbarity; he responded with equally heinous torture, leading to the beginning of the Battle of Calicut and forcing da Gama to flee the ports in hurry and anger, again failing in his mission to capture the ports of the Indian Ocean.

Manuel I had had enough and was getting impatient by the day. He decided to appoint Francisco de Almeida as the first viceroy of Portuguese India and tasked him to accomplish what da Gama couldn’t. While Almeida ensured the destruction of numerous Arab naval bases, he continued to fail to control the Calicut side of the Indian Ocean. While one could see the Portuguese as the emerging sea power in the Indian Ocean, a secure naval base was yet to be established. For this, Alfonso de Alburquerque was chosen as the second viceroy.

As a cunning tactic, Albuquerque attempted to attack the port of Calicut when the Zamorin was away. However, the troops of Calicut with the powerful Marrakars defeated the Portuguese troops. Finally accepting the reality and their fate, the Portuguese decided to avoid Calicut for the time being and settle their base in Goa. Who knew Goa was actually their calling, a place where they succeeded in building their Estado da Índia, creating a monopoly of trade and barring Arabs merchants and ships from trading with the Indian subcontinent? However, they forgot the might of the Marakkars.