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The various influences
of Western / European nations, and their colonies, has cast a voluminous
impact of India's history in various ways.
Barring
a brief history of Danish settlements in India , all other European
powers who arrived here, apparently had the motive of 'expanding their
trade'. In fact under this disguise, their sole aim was to rule India,
as it was so rich with the produce of cotton, cinnamon, black pepper,
jewels, ivory, indigo, and other resources. So also, the motivations
of their religious priesthood's, prompted them to extend preaching or
forceful conversion of natives to Christianity. The Portuguese were
more ardent in this respect. The Dutch and the French, could never get
enough foothold, albeit a long presence, for mass conversions. The British
of course had a grand plan - sovereign governance of India, and hence,
they were never directly responsible for the church conversions.
Portuguese,
rank first as invaders of coastal India, with the arrived of Vasco De
Gama in 1498 at Kalikat, on the west coast of India. Very soon, Portuguese'
centers of trade were established all over the west coast . By 1500,
the first fleet of Portuguese war ships arrived in India. Initially,
they made truce with the local king of Cochin. By 1509, Albuquerque,
was sent by the king of Portugal, as the chief governor. He upon his
arrival, in 1510, captured Goa and nearby territories from the sultan
of Bijapur.
It
was Albuquerque who initiated the hideous conversions and 'inquisitions'
very brutal in the manner, on local Hindus. To make the Portuguese base
permanent , he forced many Hindu girls to marry Portuguese. So also,
he obtained an unlimited sanction ,from the king of Portugal , for massive
mass conversions of Hindu's to Christiantly. The chief, responsible
for this virtual genocide of Hindu's , and who , unfortunately is called
a saint - is the so called 'Saint' Xavier. He arrived in India at about
1540.
Gradually,
the Portuguese captured , Diu , Daman, Sashti, Vasai, Chaul , Mumbai-
the important Indian ports of trade on the west coast , then St. Thomas
near Madras and Hoogaly on the east coast.In
1668, Mumbai was 'gifted on lease' by the king of Portugal to the Emperor
of Britain on a nominal rent of ten pounds an year.
Majority
of the rest of provinces, captured by the Portuguese were won back ,
by Maratha empire - through various leaderships from Chatrapati Shivaji
to the Peshwas.
What
probably remained, was Goa. A civilian agitation and stern police action
by India's 'iron man' Vallabhbhai Patel, liberated Goa from the Dutches
of Portugal in 1961. Now, it is a separate state , in India.Portuguese
history in India , shows several clashes with the Marathas and other
western powers like the French, British armies. As the religious motivation
was to be stronger , there was no 'company' formed for trade in Portugal.
It had a straight governance from Portugal. This , is a marked difference
between the other colonies in India .The Dutch colonies perpetuated
through formation of the 'Dutch East India company ' in 1602, soon after
the Portuguese. They had some important settlements in Surat , Trikomalee,
Ceylon , Balasore (Bengal) . Since they had little direct dashes with
the Portuguese and the sphere of influence was different until the arrival
of French the Dutch were in a substantially dominating position , till
early 17th century. However their intention probably was
to attain wealth and enhance trade. Beyond a point after late
16th & early 17th century , they never influenced
the Indian political scenario.
Simultaneously
, they probably would more favorably settle on the far islands of Java,
Sumatra , and Indonesia ,Malaya etc . So, their focus got diverted from
Bharat . Once The
Britishers tried to clash with them in the Amoyna island - but brutally
Dutch massacred them. Since then , no influence on the Indian history
can be traced on the Dutch colonialism
. Chronologically , the English colonialism , and rise of the British
power, starts with the first British trade settlement at Surat , in
1613 , with a kind of a sanction from
Badshah Jahangir . The principal company , ' East India company ' was
although formed
much earlier in the year1600.
Who
was to know , that this company , was soon to mutate itself , as an
ambitious , big extension of the British empire , in couple of centuries
, only to be ousted out later , by the united national Indian patriots
?
So
vast is this subject and yet so influential that it is discussed separately
in all the topic heads , appearing on this website from rise of the
British power , to the dawn of independence. .The French colonies in
India , appear late on the clock of history. The French east India company
, after many transient events was formed in 1660 . The ambitions
emperor
of France , Louis XIV and his cardinal Colbert , determined a firm policy
to extend
the French kingdom is east Asia - specifically India . They had an idea
,similar to the British, that after occupation of the Indian waters
and territories ,the overseas power has to be protected by the force
of locally trained and motivated natives , under the French flag . The
king Louis XIV himself raised money for the venture , and so did rest
of the France , to officially form the ' Compagniedes Indes orientales
' - the French east Indian company .
After
arrival of the first French fleet at Surat in September 1671 , the French
immediately
tried for trade sanctions for the Mughal emperors , and the Persian
Emperor ( abroad ) . Of course , much before that , emissaries and personal
letters were sent for such a treaty from Louis XIV way back in 1666
to both these emperors. Although within no time the French achieved
a good amount of trade in India , some serious defects restricted their
hegemony over the other powers. viz . They didn't have the capacity
to pursue their ultimate objective - political power , with enough of
doggedness and tenacity . Secondly , they were far inferior in business
ability compared to the Dutch & British, and the third defect being
almost chronic dissension among men , at the helm of affairs of the
company in India . Although with the passage of time, there
were clashes with Dutch occasionally with Marathas ,the British, the
king of Golkonda still the presence of French survived. They were
never in a position to be a supreme power in India , so also, the war
and French revolution, had decreased the interest and support from Paris
. Ultimately , it was the Marathas , who benefitted from the French
presence. Upon realising , that they will never conquer India , the
French decided a strategy to help all the anti British forces like Marathas
in the field of technology - say , making good cannons etc . The Marathas
in the later years, reaped the full advantage of the situation . The
French would provide all the knowledge and ammunition , weaponery ,
technology to Marathas. Realising it's importance , some French artillery
officers like De Boyne or Petaeu were in the Panipat war , and in the
regime of Mahadaji Shinde .
Ultimately
, the French power was reduced to a very limited number of small , localised
settlements like Chandranagar ,Bhaganagar ,Pondicherry etc., eventually
to be handed over extremely peacefully to the Indian government.
The French colonies however have laid their impressions in the late
16th till early 18th century which are discussed
separately.
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