Modern Indian History - Introduction & Arrival of Europeans
1. Course Overview:
* This course covers Modern Indian History.
* Previous lectures discussed reference books and the syllabus.
* Target: Complete the syllabus by October 16th (before the Group 1 Exam).
* Scope: Useful for exams ranging from State Police Constable (PC) to UPSC.
* Scoring Potential: History subjects (like Indian History, Telangana History, Constitution, Sociology) have high scoring potential (speaker estimates 85-90% possible), unlike Current Affairs (estimated around 70%).
2. Why Modern History starts with Europeans:
* The starting point is the "Arrival of Europeans" (ఐరోపా వారి రాక).
* While trade existed before (e.g., Romans traded with South India since BC), the intention of these Europeans was different.
* Their goal was Rajya Akramana (రాజ్య ఆక్రమణ - Conquest of Kingdoms), not just trade. This marks a new phase, hence "Modern" India.
3. Context: Need for a New Sea Route:
* Europeans highly desired Indian goods, especially:
* Spices (మిరియాలు): Needed for preserving meat (మాంసం నిల్వ) and providing warmth in cold European climates.
* Muslin Cloth (మస్లిన్): Fine cotton fabric, highly valued. Dacca Muslin (డాకా మస్లిన్) from the Meghna river (మేఘన నది) area was famous.
* Existing Routes Blocked:
* Land Route: Through Central Asia (మధ్య ఆసియా), Iran (ఇరాన్), Afghanistan (ఆఫ్ఘన్) to India.
* Sea Route: Via the Mediterranean, Red Sea (ఎర్ర సముద్రం), and Arabian Sea (అరేబియా సముద్రం).
* 1453: Capture of Constantinople (కాన్‌స్టంటినోపుల్) by Ottoman Turks (ఒట్టోమాన్) led by Mohammed II (మహమ్మద్ టు) from the Byzantine Empire (బైజాంటియన్) ruled by Constantine XI (కాన్‌స్టంటైన్ నోపుల్ లెవెన్).
* This event, along with the earlier Crusades (క్రూసేడ్ - మత యుద్ధాలు between Christians & Muslims), effectively blocked the traditional trade routes for Europeans.
* This blockage created a Necessity (అవసరం) for Europeans to find an alternative sea route to India.
4. Exploration & Discovery of New Routes:
* Key Sponsors: Portugal and Spain were leaders.
* Portugal: Prince Henry the Navigator (హెన్రీ) established navigation schools (నావిగేషన్ స్కూల్), earning the title "The Navigator".
* Spain: Queen Isabella sponsored voyages.
* Key Explorers:
* Bartholomew Diaz (బర్తలోమ్యు డయాజ్) (Portugal): Reached the southern tip of Africa but turned back due to severe storms. Named it Cape of Storms (తుఫానుల అగాధం).
* King John II (జాన్ టు) (Portugal): Renamed the Cape of Storms to Cape of Good Hope (కేప్ ఆఫ్ గుడ్ హోప్ / శుభ సూచికం అగ్రం) signifying hope for a route to India.
* Christopher Columbus (కొలంబస్) (Italian, sponsored by Spain): Sailed west hoping to reach India, but landed in the Americas (1492). Mistakenly called the natives Red Indians.
* Amerigo Vespucci (అమెరిగో వెస్పూచి): Later explored and realized it was a new continent, leading to it being named America after him.
* Vasco da Gama (వాస్కోడిగామా) (Portugal):
* Sponsored by King Manuel I (John II's successor).
* Followed Diaz's route, rounded the Cape of Good Hope.
* Reached Madagascar (మడగస్కర్).
* Met Abdul Majid (అబ్దుల్ మజీద్), a Gujarati trader/pilot, who guided him.
* Landed at Calicut (కాలికట్ / కోజికోడ్) in Kerala on May 17th/18th, 1498.
* Met the local Hindu ruler, Manavikrama Varma (మను విక్రమ వర్మ), whose title was Zamorin (జామోరిన్ - a Portuguese term, meaning Lord of the Sea/సముద్రిక). Received a welcome due to the Indian tradition of Atithi Devo Bhava.
* Stayed for 3 months, returned to Portugal with spices, making a 60 times profit over the voyage cost.
5. Arrival of Portuguese & Establishment:
* Vasco da Gama's First Voyage (1498): Successful trade, huge profits. Did not establish a permanent base.
* Pedro Alvarez Cabral (కాబ్రల్) (1500): Second voyage leader. Established the first Portuguese factory at Calicut. Had conflicts with local Arabs.
* Vasco da Gama's Second Voyage (1501/02): Returned, established a factory at Cochin (కొచ్చి). Clashed with the Zamorin.
* Portuguese Governors:
* Francisco de Almeida (ఫ్రాన్సిస్ డి అల్మిడా): First Governor. Implemented Blue Water Policy (సముద్ర ప్రాంతంపై ఆధిపత్యం) focusing on naval supremacy, not land conquest. Introduced the Cartaz System (కథాజ్/కార్టేజ్) - permits required for any ship (even Mughal ships under Akbar) to trade in the Arabian Sea. Fought the Battle of Chaul/Diu against Egypt & allies.
* Alfonso de Albuquerque (ఆల్బుక్రర్క్): Considered the real founder of Portuguese power in India. Policy shifted to include land conquest (భూమి ఆక్రమణ). Captured Goa (1510) from Bijapur Sultan Yusuf Adil Shah with help from Sri Krishnadevaraya (SKD) of Vijayanagara. Encouraged marriages between Portuguese men and Indian women (మహిళల ఆక్రమణ) to create a loyal local population (Luso-Indians - లూసీ ఇండియన్స్). Promoted Christianity and banned Sati in Goa.
* Nino da Cunha (నినో డి కున్హ): Shifted the capital from Cochin to Goa (1530). Captured Bassein and Diu from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat through deceit (drowned him).
* Martin Afonso de Sousa (డిసౌజా): Notable for bringing the Jesuit Saint Francis Xavier (ఫ్రాన్సిస్కో జేవియర్) to India, focusing on religious propagation.
6. Decline of Portuguese Power:
* Battle of Swally (స్వాల్లీ/స్వాళీ) (1612): Portuguese navy defeated by the English navy led by Captain Best. Impressed Mughal Emperor Jahangir, leading to permission for an English factory at Surat. This was the first major setback for Portuguese naval dominance.
* Increased focus on Brazil.
* Religious intolerance alienated locals.
* Widespread corruption among officials.
* Remained in India until 1961, confined mainly to Goa, Daman & Diu. India liberated these areas through Operation Vijay under General J. N. Chaudhuri's leadership.
* Significance: First Europeans to arrive, last to leave.
7. Portuguese Contributions to India:
* Introduced Printing Press (అచ్చు యంత్రం) in Goa (1556), which helped spread knowledge.
* Introduced new crops: Tobacco (పొగాకు), Tomato, Potato, Red Chilli (ఎండు మిరప), Cashew, Pineapple, Guava etc.
* Spread Christianity.
* Introduced specific architectural styles (Gothic).
8. Arrival of the Dutch (డచ్):
* Dutch East India Company formed in 1602.
* Primarily focused on the East Indies (Indonesia) for the spice trade.
* First factory in India: Masulipatnam (మచిలీపట్నం) (1605).
* Main base initially: Pulicat (పులికాట్) near Nellore.
* Later shifted main base to: Nagapattinam (నాగపట్నం) in Tamil Nadu.
* Developed Bheemili (భీమిలి) near Visakhapatnam, establishing India's first Municipal Corporation.
* Decline: Defeated by the English at the Battle of Bedara / Chinsurah (బెదర / చిన్సురా) (1759) in Bengal. Their focus remained largely on Indonesia.
9. Other Europeans (Brief Mention):
* English (ఆంగ్లేయులు): Arrived later, established major centers like Madras (M), Bombay (B), Calcutta (K). Defeated Portuguese at Swally (1612). (Details in later lectures).
* Danes: Limited presence.
* French: Arrived later, became major rivals to the English.
(Note: The speaker uses a conversational style with some repetition and interjections, including a brief appearance by a child. The notes focus on extracting the historical information.)
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