• Advent of Europeans to India can be traced back to the arrival of Vasco da Gama of Portugal who discovered a new sea route from Europe to India in 1498.
• After this discovery, many trading companies from all across Europe such as French East India Company, British East India company etc. came to India and established their centers. 
• Trade increased after Vasco da Gama discovered a new sea route via the Cape of Good Hope in 1498, and many trading companies came to India to establish trading centres.
• Gradually all European superpowers of the contemporary period the Dutch, English, French, Danish etc established their trade relations with the Indian Subcontinent. 

Portuguese in India

• The coming of Europeans to India was a significant event in Indian history, leading to revolutionary changes in India’s future destiny, with the Portuguese being the first Europeans to arrive.
• Indian commodities were in high demand in European markets during the Middle Ages, reaching Europe by land or partly by sea. However, difficulties arose with the rise of the Turks, which closed the land route and created the need for a new sea route to India.
• The Portuguese were the pioneers in finding this new route. Prince Henry of Portugal (1393-1460), also known as the “Navigator”, made significant contributions by establishing a school for seamen and supporting those engaged in navigation.
• As a result of Portuguese efforts, the entire African coastline became known to them, and they crossed the Equator in 1471, reaching the Congo River in 1481.
• In 1487, Bartholomew Diaz, sponsored by King John II, was carried by storms past the Cape of Good Hope.
• In 1497, Vasco da Gama, under the patronage of King Emmanuel, began his expedition, following the route established by Diaz, crossing the Cape of Good Hope and reaching Mozambique.
• With the help of an Indian pilot, Vasco da Gama sailed to India and reached Calicut in April 1498. He was cordially received by King Zamorin and granted certain privileges.
• The arrival of Vasco da Gama in India was not welcomed by the Arabs, who spread rumors against the Portuguese. Due to these challenges, Vasco da Gama left India after staying for about three months.
• According to Dodwell, the Portuguese were fortunate in several ways:
  • They arrived at a time when small princes in India were divided by mutual jealousy, making it easier to form alliances.
  • The region around Cochin and Calicut was dependent on Muslim vessels for rice supplies, making them vulnerable to a blockade by sea.
  • They arrived at the close of the 15th century when no powerful state in India could prevent their establishment.
  • The Portuguese vessels were sturdier than Indian ships, which was crucial for their success at sea.
• Naval power was essential for the Portuguese, as they could not rely on land warfare. Their supremacy at sea was crucial for establishing control.
• The Portuguese ships were built to resist Atlantic storms, while Indian vessels were frail and primarily designed for sailing with favorable winds, making them vulnerable to the Portuguese.
• Portuguese ships could withstand weather that would force enemies to seek shelter, and they were equipped with cannon, which Indian vessels could not withstand.
• In 1501, Vasco da Gama returned to India for a second visit, establishing a factory at Cannanore before returning to Portugal in 1503.
• Despite opposition from the Arabs, the Portuguese successfully established trading centers at Calicut, Cochin, and Cannanore, treating the Arabs with cruelty and oppression.
• After Vasco da Gama left India, the Portuguese faced attacks by King Zamorin in Cochin, but they were defeated, establishing Portuguese supremacy in the region.

Discovery of a Sea Route to India

• Historians have noted that discovering an ocean route to India had become an obsession for Prince Henry of Portugal, known as the ‘Navigator,’ as well as a method to sidestep the Muslim dominance of the eastern Mediterranean and all the roads connecting India and Europe.
• The kings of Portugal and Spain split the non-Christian world between them in 1497, under the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), by an imaginary line in the Atlantic, about 1,300 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands.
• Portugal could claim and occupy anything to the east of the line, while Spain could claim everything to the west, according to the pact.
• As a result, the scene was set for Portuguese intrusions into the Indian Ocean seas.
• Bartholomew Dias, a Portuguese navigator, crossed the Cape of Good Hope in Africa in 1487 and travelled along the eastern coast, believing that the long-sought maritime path to India had been discovered.
• However, an expedition of Portuguese ships set off for India barely 10 years later (in 1497) and reached India in little less than 11 months, in May 1498.