Portuguese Trade and Their Political Interventions on the Malabar Coast in the Sixteenth Century
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International Journal of Advanced Research and Development International Journal of Advanced Research and Development ISSN: 2455-4030 Impact Factor: RJIF 5.24 www.advancedjournal.com Volume 3; Issue 2; March 2018; Page No. 278-285 Portuguese trade and their political interventions on the Malabar coast in the sixteenth century Abdurahiman Thottekkat Department of History, Savitribai Phule Pune University Pune, Maharashtra, India Abstract This essay endeavour to encapsulate the historic journey of the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama and the Portuguese commercial and imperial ambitions carried out on the Malabar Coast. The Portuguese being the pioneering European trading company to set foot in India also had noticeable interventions made in the spheres of politics besides trade. Having realized the vitality of the political patronage for acquiring merchandize, they have managed to win the support of the native principalities, though not all, often putting one against the other. However it is to be noted that it was the Portuguese much before anybody else who did bring politics, rather say, violence into the Indian Ocean trade. This essay deals with the trading fortunes and the political interventions of the Portuguese on the Malabar Coast. Keywords: zamorin, marakkar, mappila, pardesi, quilon Introduction of a Konkani pilot [2] furnished by the Sultan to guide him to Ever since Portuguese discovery of the cape route the whole Malabar. The land first sighted in Malabar was Cannanore but century until this arrangement was successfully challenged by the Portuguese instead sailed down the coast and anchored off the Dutch in the seventeenth century, the only merchant group Kappad, a few miles north of Calicut [3]. engaged in direct trade between Europe and Asia along the all water route was the Portuguese. The importance of the new Vasco da Gama at Calicut discovery is that it broke the monopoly which the Venetians On Vasco da Gama’s arrived at Kappad he was received by and Egyptians had enjoyed in the trade with India. The the Zamorin and his subjects with traditional hospitality. Portuguese navigator Vaso da Gama’s arrival on the Malabar Although the king conversed with them after the customary Coast was the end of India’s political isolation from Europe greetings, the meeting between the two parties failed to though the interaction beyond the territorial limit was produce any concrete result. There are four concerns why confined to those lived on the northwest frontier. The Gama failed as a diplomat which indeed shattered the situation discovery of an all sea route to India represented a miserably; primarily Gama did not bring with him any rich revolutionary change in the direction, organization and presents of the kind local customs demanded; secondly he ultimately in the control of the ancient trans-oceanic trade asked the king to deliver one bahar of cinnamon, another of between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. The spices cloves and other spices in exchange of the goods brought from previously came from Cochin and Calicut to Alexandria and Portugal which remained unsold (there was no demand for Beirut were redistributed in Europe through Venetians were those commodities at Calicut); thirdly Gama further persuaded henceforth destined to be monopolized by the Portuguese king the king to keep a factor behind him in charge of the unsold and his capital subsequently became the centre of European merchandize for which the king insisted on payment of trade. The era of peaceful trading in which, occasional custom duty in accordance with the law of the land. Fourthly instances of violence notwithstanding, had been the norm in he urged on expelling the Moors from the Calicut trade which the Asian waters for centuries now altered by the Portuguese [1]. they had controlled for so long years. The journey of Vasco da Gama and his landing on the Shortly after leaving Calicut, Gama appeared before Malabar Coast at Kappad near Calicut on 18th May 1498 after Cannanore. Kolathiri, the ruler of Cannanore, who was at overcoming many hardships and dangers marked a different loggerheads with the Zamorin concluded a treaty of epoch in the history of Malabaras mentioned above. The fleet friendship. The king provided Gama with all commodities he of Gama commenced the journey with four ships; Sao Gabriel required and set sail for Europe on 20 November 1498 and and Sao Rafael, a caravel and a store ship touched the African reached Lisbon almost by the end of 1499. The cargo which coasts of Angola, Mozambique, Mombasa and Malindi. On he took with him was worth sixty times the coast of the reaching Mozambique Gama’s fleet could take advantage of expedition [4]. Following the return of Gama the king of the navigational knowledge of Asian seamen accumulated Portugal adopted the title- Lord of the conquest, Navigation over centuries to proceed to India. The ruler of one of his and Commerce in Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia and India [5]. stopover on the way, the Sultan of Malindi genuinely welcomed Portuguese seeing them as allies against a hostile Portuguese expeditions after 1498 Mombasa. Subsequently he was provided with the assistance Soon after the first Portuguese expedition under Gama, there 278 International Journal of Advanced Research and Development were few more expeditions. Encouraged at the outcome of the Calicut from whom his kingdom had received much profit. first expedition the Portuguese king selected Pedro Alvarez Compromise was probably never possible given these Cabral as the commander of the next expedition and the fleet conflicting aims and interests [9]. Secondly the Portuguese consisting of 33 ships and 1500 men set sail from Lisbon on attempt for monopoly insisted on the delivery of the whole 9th March 1500, on 13th September he dropped anchor off pepper produced in Malabar which indeed was beyond the Calicut with only six ships after a perilous voyage. On the domain of the kings or chieftains. Thirdly the pass system way it was driven by a storm to South America thereby Cabral introduced by the Portuguese called cartaz which in fact become the discoverer of Brazil. Cabral’s agent Aires Correa intended to put control on the sea trade, was against the norm arrived at a settlement with Zamorin under which the of the Indian Ocean trade though there was a system of Portuguese got the right to erect a factory at Calicut. But the custom duties in most of the ports. Ever since 1504 the keen competition between the Portuguese and the local Arabs Portuguese had been insisting upon the Moorish ships for in the Indian waters created a crisis in the relations between obtaining passes from their commandants at Cochin and the Portuguese and Calicut. Under Joao da Nova a fleet in Cannanore. 1501 sailed, having heard of the events at Mozambique about The Portuguese employed many violent means to monopolize Cabral’s experience at Calicut, instead of heading to Malabar the spice trade of Malabar. When Gama during his first visit he returned to Portugal [6]. had been expecting an instant compliance with his demand of The experience of Cabral convinced Dom Manuel of the the spices, he was deeply mortified with Zamorins reply. And necessity of sending a large fleet to India if the title which he when the king detained the factor and his clerk as securities had assumed should remain more than an empty phrase. Due for payment, he flew into a paroxysm of rage, and at once to the profit expected from the spice trade, the hope of seized six Nairs and sixteen fishermen who had come on propagating the Catholic faith and to maintain the Indian board to see his ships [10]. While Cabral was at Calicut, he and connection, a large squadron consisting of 20 ships was his men seized ten Moorish vessels and transferred its contents dispatched to India on 3rd of March 1502 under Vasco da to the factory. Six hundred moors were slain in the melee, and Gama which was his second journey to India. It was also out three elephants were killed and salted for a return voyage. He of the desperation of the poor performance of Cabral’s visit, also seized a Moorish ship loading in the harbour. Then they Dom Manuel equipped this expedition. And the third voyage bombarded the city and inflicted much destruction. Setting fire of Gama took place in 1524 accompanied by thirteen others on the ships captured, they sent them against the shore. Gama having 3000 troops on board. Having gone to Cochin he found during his second visit in 1502 off Cannanore came upon a that Portuguese possessions there threatened by the Zamorin. ship returning from Mecca having 300 pilgrims of on board However his stay was short-lived. On the night of 25th removed all the merchandise to his own, set fire to it despite December 1524 he expired after being only three months in their earnest request to save them in return of all what they India [7]. have [11]. Gama also sent in a boat the heads, arms, legs separated from the men perished as gift to the Zamorin [12]. Introduction of violence on the Malabar Coast When Almeida’s fleet was at Cochin, the captain of the The conflicting rajas of Malabar and the rise of Zamorins of caravels precipitated the violence by taking possession of Calicut by attempting to expand towards down south, often Muhamedan ships loading pepper and left the place in hurry attacking Cochin to establish his claim of the powerful king of [13]. Thus we see plunder, seizure of ships, massacre and Malabar proved a better space for Portuguese to utilize. The bombardment have become the tools of the Portuguese Portuguese brought with them the idea of violence in Indian monopoly attempt.