Title A Brief History of Modern India (1).pdf ✅

A. Context—Why “Modern” Begins with the Europeans • History is continuous; periodization (ancient, medieval, modern) is somewhat artificial. The advent of Europeans (esp. Portuguese) in the 15th century is widely considered the threshold of “modern” Indian history—even before the Mughals. • B. Causes: Why Did Europeans Seek a Sea Route to India? Collapse of direct contact: ○ After Roman Empire’s fall (7th c.), Arabs controlled Egypt, Persia, and land/sea routes. Arab Muslims became intermediaries for Indian luxury goods (spices, silks, calicos, stones) desired in Europe. ○ 1453: Fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans further restricted direct trade—Red Sea trade became a monopoly, earning huge revenues for Islamic rulers. ○ • European Motivation: Want to bypass Arab/Muslim intermediaries and monopolies for cheaper, direct access to Indian goods. ○ Spirit of the Renaissance (15th c.): ▪ Eagerness for adventure and exploration. ▪ Advances in shipbuilding, navigation. ○ Economic progress in Europe: Growth in agriculture, scientific crop rotation, increased meat consumption, spiking demand for spices (for flavor and preservation). ▪ ○ Venice & Genoa (earlier dominant in Oriental trade) were too small to challenge the Ottomans or undertake major exploration. ○ • C. Portugal Leads the Way • Portugal assumes leadership in naval exploration and in resisting Islamic power. Prince Henry the Navigator (Portugal): Made it his obsession to find a direct sea route to India and circumvent Muslim dominance. ○ Received papal support (Pope Nicholas V, 1454) to “navigate the seas as far as India” to fight Islam and spread Christianity. ○ ○ Died before the dream was realized. • Treaty of Tordesillas (1494): Divided the “New Christian World” between Portugal (east) and Spain (west) by an imaginary line in the Atlantic. ○ ○ Set up conditions for Portuguese expeditions to India. • D. The Voyage and Arrival • 1487: Bartholomew Dias (Portuguese) rounds Cape of Good Hope (Africa), opening the way. 1497–98: Vasco da Gama leads three ships, guided by Gujarati pilot Abdul Majid, lands at Calicut in May 1498 after 11 months. ○ ○ First direct sea link between Europe and India. ○ Received warmly by the Zamorin of Calicut, who welcomed trade for prosperity. ○ Arab traders, long dominant in Malabar, saw Portuguese as competitors. • E. Portuguese Approach: Monopolize and Militarize Motivation: ○ Monopoly on Eastern (spice) trade—wanted to exclude competitors, especially Arabs. Vasco da Gama’s first trip highly profitable (pepper sold in Europe at 10x cost via Muslim • CHAPTER 3 PART 1: ADVENT OF THE EUROPEANS IN INDIA 03 August 2025 22:45 A Brief History of Modern India Page 1