Mughal Emperors and the defeat of the Portuguese
In the 17th century, Portuguese predominance in North-Eastern India had seen most of their trade deals flourish in the region, and they were getting comfortable by the day. The Portuguese had set foot in many parts of the Middle East and South East Asia and had hugely profited from trades in these parts for almost half a century. Their aggressiveness in trade and strong Christian beliefs characterized their code of conduct, and consequently, terms and conditions of their trade deals.
While various theories explain their exit from India, it is apparent that they suffered a terrible defeat in Port Hoogly, and this defined their influence and interactions with the natives. In later years, the Portuguese lost control of most of the trade, and The Bengal now controlled this. There are many reasons historians associate the discomfort of the native Indians towards the Portuguese. These include corruption from the officials, competition from other European countries, and undesirable religious practices by the Christians to the Muslims.
When the group of European merchants settled in Satgaon, they needed a place to trade, and the Bengalis granted them that. As time passed by, they took advantage of the indifference of the Bengalis, and they built a fortified port which they furnished with an arsenal. They established a commercial port that was very influential, to the extent the market at Satgaon started to plummet. For the peasants of Satgoan, they converted to Christianity through greed and others by administering force. These actions were a clear depiction of the control they assumed to have gained in this area, and they didn’t realize they had triggered the Bengalis.
In light of the above, the Bengalis sort to retaliate and restore sanity back before hurting them any further. The Muslims felt downtrodden and stripped off their identity, and they had to strategize. The Emperor, before his ascension to power, had vowed to eradicate all the heinous acts by the Portuguese. Upon his enthronement, he launched a battle in 1632 and conquered the Hoogly port, restoring the sanity and orderliness they once craved.
According to King Jahangir, the Portuguese were not in contempt or violation of any cultural or community law. Since he was a Christian, he believed that they were performing a noble duty by converting some of the inhabitants to Christianity. His opinion, though, seemed to be biased on a particular religion, and he overlooked so many fouls as a consequence. His son Sultan Khurram, however, resonated more with Mohammed than Christ, and he saw himself as an agent of change from his father’s discriminative rule.
When he orders an attack on Hoogly to the Viceroy of Bengal, he considers it an act necessary for the Muslims and approved by Muhammed and God. When they launch this attack, they Portuguese learn about it, but they are defeated regardless. The port is set on fire, and a lot of Portuguese property destroyed. When the Portuguese retreat and surrender, the Bengalis assume all other activities going on, and most natives feel justice and propriety has resumed.
These two perspectives indicate ascribe to the same school of thought that the Portuguese suffered defeat due to bad leadership and corrupt management. Differences between Christian and Muslim inhabitants brought the revolt, and the division begins from the administration of the Bengalis. It is also clear that the loss of this battle reflects so drastically in the Portuguese overall trade score sheet, with a downward fall in their dominance in the market in Asia, more particularly in North East India.