Modern Indian History Notes 09

Advent of Europeans

• Pre-1453 Trade Dynamics: The trade between Europe and the East, particularly India and the Spice Islands (Indonesia), was a long-established and highly lucrative enterprise.

  • The Routes: It primarily operated through two main axes: the northern land route, part of the larger Silk Road network, and the southern maritime route, which traversed the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean.
  • Intermediaries and Monopolies: This trade was dominated by a chain of intermediaries. Arab merchants controlled the maritime leg from India to the Levant (eastern Mediterranean ports). From there, Italian city-states, most notably the Republics of Venice and Genoa, monopolized the distribution of Eastern goods (spices, silk, cotton textiles, precious stones) throughout Europe. As the historian Fernand Braudel argued in The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II (1949), these Italian cities grew immensely wealthy by controlling the chokepoints of this trade.
  • The Ottoman Disruption: The capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II in 1453 was a pivotal event. While it did not completely sever the trade routes, the Ottomans imposed heavy taxes and created political instability. This made the traditional routes less reliable and significantly more expensive for European merchants, thereby providing a powerful impetus for Atlantic European nations like Portugal and Spain to seek an alternative, all-sea route to the East.

• The Age of Discovery: The quest for a new sea route was fueled by a confluence of factors characteristic of the Renaissance.

  • Technological Advancements: Developments in shipbuilding, such as the creation of the caravel—a light, fast, and highly maneuverable ship capable of long oceanic voyages—were crucial. Innovations in navigation, including the magnetic compass, the astrolabe, and improved cartography (map-making), reduced the risks of open-sea exploration.
  • State Sponsorship and ‘God, Gold, and Glory’: The monarchies of Portugal and Spain, having consolidated their power, were keen to break the Venetian-Arab monopoly. Figures like Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394-1460) sponsored expeditions down the African coast. The motives were a complex mix of economic desire for “gold” (spices and wealth), religious zeal for “God” (spreading Christianity and outflanking the Islamic world), and the pursuit of national “glory.”
  • Key Voyages:
    • Bartholomeu Dias (1488): A Portuguese navigator who became the first European to round the southern tip of Africa, which he named the “Cape of Storms” (later renamed “Cape of Good Hope” by the Portuguese king).
    • Christopher Columbus (1492): An Italian mariner sponsored by Spain, who sailed west hoping to reach the East Indies but instead landed in the Americas, initiating the era of European colonization of the “New World.”
    • Vasco da Gama (1498): Following Dias’s route, Vasco da Gama successfully navigated around the Cape of Good Hope, crossed the Indian Ocean (with the help of a Gujarati pilot, Ibn Majid), and arrived at Calicut on the Malabar Coast of India. He was received by the local ruler, the Zamorin. This voyage, as documented in the journal of Álvaro Velho, a member of the crew, definitively established a direct maritime link between Europe and India.
    • Amerigo Vespucci (c. 1500-1502): An Italian explorer who, during his voyages for Spain and Portugal, concluded that the lands discovered by Columbus were a “New World,” a continent separate from Asia. The Americas were subsequently named after him.

Portuguese in India

• State-led Enterprise: The Portuguese venture in the East was not a private enterprise like the later English or Dutch companies. It was a state-controlled project known as the Estado da Índia (State of India). The Portuguese Crown financed and controlled the expeditions, aiming to establish a commercial and military hegemony.

• Establishment and Expansion:

  • The Portuguese initially focused on the Malabar Coast, rich in spices like pepper. They established fortified trading posts, known as feitorias (factories).
  • The first Portuguese governor, Francisco de Almeida (1505-1509), articulated the “Blue Water Policy” (Cartaz system). He argued that Portuguese power should be based on naval supremacy in the Indian Ocean rather than on building a large territorial empire on land. The goal was to control maritime trade routes.
  • His successor, Afonso de Albuquerque (1509-1515), is considered the true founder of the Portuguese empire in the East. He pursued a more aggressive policy of strategic conquest.
    • Capture of Goa (1510): Albuquerque captured the port of Goa from the Sultan of Bijapur, Yusuf Adil Shah. Goa’s strategic location and excellent natural harbor made it the ideal capital for the Estado da Índia.
    • He also captured Malacca (1511) and Hormuz (1515), gaining control over the key chokepoints of the Indian Ocean trade network.
    • He encouraged his men to marry local women, hoping to create a permanent Luso-Indian population loyal to the Crown.

• Methods of Control and Policies:

  • Naval Dominance and Armed Trade: The Portuguese used their superior naval technology and cannons to dominate the Indian Ocean. As historian K.M. Panikkar noted in Asia and Western Dominance (1953), this period marked the beginning of the “Vasco da Gama epoch,” characterized by European maritime power shaping Asian history.
  • Cartaz System: They enforced a system where any non-Portuguese ship had to buy a cartaz (a permit or license) to trade in the Indian Ocean. Ships without a cartaz were considered pirates and were liable to be sunk or seized. This was a form of organized protection racket on the high seas.
  • Piracy and Raids: Portuguese ships often engaged in outright piracy, plundering Arab and Indian merchant vessels. They even threatened Mughal ships, including those carrying pilgrims to Mecca, to extract concessions. For instance, they forced Emperor Akbar to issue a farman granting them trade privileges.
  • Religious Intolerance: A distinguishing feature of Portuguese rule was their proselytizing zeal. They were often intolerant of local religions, destroying temples and mosques. The Goa Inquisition, established in 1560, was notorious for its persecution of Hindus, Muslims, and non-believing “New Christians.” This policy, as argued by many historians, alienated local populations and rulers, contributing to their eventual decline.

• Decline of Portuguese Power:

  • By the late 16th century, Portuguese dominance began to wane due to several factors:
    • Rise of New Powers: The emergence of the Dutch and the English as formidable naval powers directly challenged Portuguese control.
    • Corruption and Greed: The administration of the Estado da Índia became notoriously corrupt.
    • Religious Policies: Their forced conversions and intolerance created widespread resentment.
    • Overextension: Their empire was vast and thinly spread, making it difficult to defend.
    • Discovery of Brazil: The discovery and colonization of Brazil diverted Portuguese attention and resources away from India.
    • Union with Spain (1580-1640): Portugal’s union with Spain dragged it into Spain’s conflicts with England and the Netherlands. The defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English in 1588 was a severe blow to the Iberian naval supremacy and opened the sea lanes for their rivals.

British Vs Portuguese

• Early English Attempts and Portuguese Obstruction: The English East India Company (EIC), founded in 1600, sought to establish trade with the Mughal Empire.

  • In 1608, Captain William Hawkins arrived at the court of Mughal Emperor Jahangir with a letter from King James I, seeking permission to open a factory at Surat. Jahangir, known for his curiosity about foreigners, initially received Hawkins warmly, granting him a mansab (a military rank) of 400. However, intense lobbying and threats from the Portuguese officials at court, who saw the English as rivals, led Jahangir to rescind the permission.

• The Battle of Swally (1612): The EIC realized that diplomatic persuasion was insufficient without a demonstration of military strength.

  • In 1612, a small English fleet under Captain Thomas Best decisively defeated a much larger Portuguese naval squadron off the coast of Surat, at Swally Hole (Suvali). This victory shattered the myth of Portuguese invincibility at sea.
  • Impressed by English naval prowess, Jahangir granted a farman in 1613, permitting the EIC to establish a permanent factory at Surat. This marked the first significant English foothold on the Indian mainland.

• Sir Thomas Roe’s Embassy (1615-1619): To secure more comprehensive and permanent trading rights, the English Crown dispatched Sir Thomas Roe as an official ambassador to Jahangir’s court.

  • Roe, unlike Hawkins, adopted a stance of dignified diplomacy rather than seeking personal favors. He spent nearly four years at the Mughal court.
  • While he did not secure a formal treaty (as the concept was alien to the Mughals), his efforts resulted in an imperial farman granting the English the right to trade and establish factories in various parts of the Mughal Empire. This provided a secure legal and political foundation for the Company’s operations.

• Consolidation of British Position:

  • A further naval victory over the Portuguese in 1620 solidified the English position.
  • In a significant geopolitical development, King Charles II of England married Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese princess, in 1661. As part of her dowry, Portugal gifted the island of Bombay to the English Crown. The Crown, finding it difficult to administer, leased it to the EIC in 1668 for a nominal annual rent of £10. Bombay soon surpassed Surat as the EIC’s main settlement on the west coast.
  • By the mid-17th century, Portuguese influence was confined to Goa, Daman, and Diu.

British Vs Dutch

• Dutch Ascendancy in the East Indies: The Dutch Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC), or United East India Company, founded in 1602, was the EIC’s primary rival in the 17th century.

  • The Dutch were more focused on the highly profitable spice trade of the Indonesian archipelago (the Spice Islands or East Indies). They systematically ousted the Portuguese from key locations like Malacca (1641) and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) (1658).
  • The rivalry with the English was intense. The infamous Amboyna Massacre (1623), where Dutch authorities executed ten Englishmen on charges of conspiracy, created lasting bitterness.

• Compromise and Shifting Focus: After decades of conflict, a de facto compromise emerged.

  • The English, finding it difficult to dislodge the better-funded and more ruthless Dutch from the Spice Islands, gradually shifted their focus to India, which was a major producer of cotton textiles.
  • The Dutch, in turn, consolidated their monopoly over the spice trade in Indonesia. They maintained a presence in India, with factories at Pulicat, Cochin, and Chinsurah, but India was never their primary focus.

• Decline of Dutch in India:

  • The Dutch power in India suffered a major blow in the Battle of Colachel (1741), where the forces of the Travancore kingdom, under Raja Marthanda Varma, decisively defeated the Dutch, ending their ambitions in the Malabar region.
  • Following a series of Anglo-Dutch wars in Europe, the British systematically captured Dutch possessions in India. By the Battle of Bedara (1759), where the British defeated the Dutch forces in Bengal, Dutch influence was effectively neutralized. They were formally expelled from India by the British in 1795.

English East India Company (EIC)

• Formation and Royal Charter:

  • The “Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East-Indies,” commonly known as the English East India Company, was established by a group of London merchants.
  • On 31st December 1600, it received a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I. This charter was the foundational legal document of the company.

• Key Provisions of the Charter (The “Tools”):

  • Monopoly: It granted the EIC an exclusive monopoly on all English trade with lands east of the Cape of Good Hope and west of the Straits of Magellan for an initial period of 15 years. This was a classic mercantilist policy to protect national commercial interests from internal competition.
  • Bullion Export: It permitted the EIC to export a limited amount of gold and silver bullion. This was a significant exception to the prevailing mercantilist belief that a nation’s wealth depended on accumulating precious metals. It was a pragmatic recognition that Eastern goods had to be paid for in gold and silver, as there was little European demand for English goods at the time.
  • Sovereign Powers: Crucially, the charter granted the Company quasi-sovereign rights, including the right to “wage war, make peace, and acquire territories,” and to administer justice within its settlements. As historian Philip Stern argues in The Company-State (2011), this fusion of commercial and sovereign functions was inherent in the EIC’s structure from its inception, blurring the lines between a trading corporation and a state.

• Evolution into a Territorial Power and Presidencies:

  • Initially a commercial venture, the EIC gradually transformed into a territorial and political power. The administrative hubs for its expanding operations were its “Presidencies.”
  • Presidency: A Presidency was a major administrative division of the Company’s territories, governed by a President (later Governor) and a Council.
  • Madras Presidency: Formed around Fort St. George. The English first established a factory at Masulipatnam in 1611. In 1639, they acquired the village of Madraspatnam from a local Nayak ruler and built Fort St. George. It was elevated to a Presidency in 1652.
  • Bombay Presidency: Formed around the island of Bombay, which was acquired in 1661 and transferred to the EIC in 1668. It became the headquarters of the Company on the west coast in 1687, replacing Surat.
  • Calcutta Presidency: Formed around Fort William. In 1690, Job Charnock established a factory at Sutanuti. In 1698, the EIC acquired the zamindari (landholding rights) of three villages—Sutanuti, Kalikata, and Govindpur—which grew into the city of Calcutta. Fort William was built, and Calcutta became a Presidency in 1699.
  • The Governors of these Presidencies were initially regional business managers. As the EIC acquired vast territories through conquest and diplomacy after the mid-18th century, these Governors became powerful administrators ruling over large provinces of what would become British India.

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Prelims Pointers

• Fall of Constantinople: 1453, by the Ottoman Empire.
• Vasco da Gama’s Arrival: Reached Calicut in 1498. The ruling king was the Zamorin.
• First Portuguese Governor in India: Francisco de Almeida (1505-1509).
• Blue Water Policy: Associated with Francisco de Almeida. Focused on naval supremacy.
• Founder of Portuguese Power in India: Afonso de Albuquerque.
• Capture of Goa: By Albuquerque in 1510 from the Sultan of Bijapur.
• Cartaz System: A naval trade license issued by the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean.
• English East India Company (EIC) Formation: 31st December 1600, by a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I.
• Captain William Hawkins: Visited the court of Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1608.
• Battle of Swally (or Swally Hole): 1612; English (under Captain Thomas Best) defeated the Portuguese.
• First English Factory: Established at Surat in 1613 after the Battle of Swally.
• Sir Thomas Roe: English ambassador to Jahangir’s court (1615-1619).
• Bombay acquired by British: In 1661 as dowry from Portugal. It was leased to the EIC in 1668.
• Amboyna Massacre: 1623; Dutch executed English traders in Indonesia.
• Battle of Colachel: 1741; Travancore army under Marthanda Varma defeated the Dutch.
• Battle of Bedara: 1759; British defeated the Dutch in Bengal, effectively ending their power in India.
• Founding of Madras: In 1639, Francis Day acquired land and built Fort St. George.
• Founding of Calcutta: Job Charnock established a factory at Sutanuti in 1690. The EIC acquired zamindari of three villages (Sutanuti, Kalikata, Govindpur) in 1698.

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Mains Insights

1. Factors Contributing to European Success in India:

• Naval Superiority: Europeans, particularly the Portuguese and later the British, possessed far superior naval technology, ship design, and gunnery compared to any Asian power. This allowed them to control the sea lanes, blockade ports, and project power along the coasts with impunity.
• Military Discipline and Technology: European armies had better discipline, advanced firearms (muskets), and superior field artillery. This often gave small European forces a decisive advantage over much larger Indian armies.
• Economic Strength and Organization: The European trading companies, especially the EIC and VOC, were highly organized joint-stock companies. They could mobilize vast financial resources, sustain long-term commercial and military campaigns, and were driven by a relentless pursuit of profit, which translated into efficiency and strategic planning.
• Political Disunity in India: The decline of the Mughal Empire in the 18th century created a power vacuum. The successor states (like Bengal, Awadh, Hyderabad) and regional powers (like Marathas, Mysore) were constantly at war with each other. Europeans expertly exploited these internal rivalries through a policy of ‘divide and rule,’ siding with one Indian prince against another to gain commercial and territorial concessions.
• Lack of Indian Naval Focus: Indian rulers, including the mighty Mughals, were fundamentally land-based continental powers. They never developed a strong navy to challenge European dominance at sea, viewing the oceans as a mere frontier rather than a strategic space to be controlled.

2. Historiographical Debate: Was the British Empire in India an ‘Accidental’ or ‘Planned’ Conquest?

• The ‘Accidental Empire’ View (or ‘Absent-Minded Imperialism’): This perspective, famously articulated by historian J.R. Seeley in The Expansion of England (1883), argues that the British did not come to India with a grand design for conquest. The EIC’s primary motive was trade. Empire-building was an unplanned, almost reluctant, process that resulted from the need to protect their commercial interests amidst the political chaos of 18th-century India. They were drawn into local politics step-by-step, and one conquest led to another to secure their frontiers.
• The ‘Planned Conquest’ View: This school of thought rejects the ‘absent-minded’ thesis. It argues that from the very beginning, the EIC’s charter contained the seeds of sovereignty (right to wage war, acquire territory). The Company’s actions, such as building forts, maintaining armies, and engaging in aggressive diplomacy, demonstrate a clear and conscious drive for power and profit, which inevitably led to political domination. Scholars like Edward Said in Orientalism (1978) would argue that the imperial project was underpinned by a pre-existing ideology of European superiority that justified conquest.
• A Middle Path: Most contemporary historians take a nuanced view. They suggest that while there was no initial master plan for conquering all of India, the EIC was an aggressive, expansionist, and militaristic organization driven by mercantilist logic. It systematically and opportunistically exploited Indian political fragmentation to build a ‘company-state,’ where political power and commercial profit became inextricably linked. The conquest was neither entirely accidental nor meticulously planned, but an outcome of a series of calculated decisions made in pursuit of commercial advantage in a politically volatile environment.

3. Comparative Analysis: Why the British Succeeded over other European Powers (Portuguese, Dutch, French)?

Feature	British East India Company (EIC)	Other European Powers (Portuguese, Dutch, French)
Nature of Company	A private corporation with significant state backing. This structure encouraged efficiency, innovation, and decisiveness.	Portuguese & French models were heavily state-controlled, making them bureaucratic and slow. The Dutch (VOC) was wealthy but focused on Indonesia.
Naval Strength	The Royal Navy’s supremacy, established globally after defeating rivals like Spain and France, provided a decisive military backstop for the EIC.	Portuguese naval power declined by the 17th century. The French navy, though strong, was often stretched thin by global commitments.
Economic Focus	Shifted focus to India (textiles, etc.) after being pushed out of the Spice Islands. This allowed them to master the Indian political and economic landscape.	The Dutch remained focused on the spice trade in Indonesia. The Portuguese resources were diverted to Brazil.
Role in Indian Politics	Mastered the art of Indian diplomacy and warfare (‘divide and rule’). Used their military power to become kingmakers and eventually kings.	The French, under Dupleix, pioneered the strategy of intervention in local politics, but the British learned and perfected it with greater resources.
Home Government Support	Received consistent and decisive support from the British Parliament, which saw the Indian trade as vital to the national economy.	The French company suffered from inconsistent support from the financially unstable French monarchy and the upheavals of the French Revolution.

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