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The India They Saw #3
The India They Saw
The arrival of Vasco da Gama on the western coast of India, near Calicut, on 27 May 1498, heralded the restoration of Europe’s links with the subcontinent after an interval of almost eight centuries. With his landing, India became accessible to Portuguese conquistadors, traders, travellers, scholars and clergymen. The sixteenth century could, in a sense, be termed the Portuguese century, for no European power could challenge its mastery of the sea route to India.
The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 by Holland and England, however, signaled the end of this monopoly and in 1595, the first Dutch fleet entered the Indian Ocean. In the seventeenth century, the Dutch, with their British camp followers, seriously undermined the Portuguese. The French also entered the Indian trade in the second half of this century.
While several Portuguese accounts of India in the sixteenth century are available, for the seventeenth century, we also have the writings of travellers, scholars and missionaries from the latter three countries. Additionally, Jesuits of various nationalities wrote regular letters to home, providing valuable information on facets of Indian life, albeit tempered by their religious bias.
This volume confines itself to European writings of sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It does not claim to be exhaustive but presents glimpses of the Indian reality as recorded by contemporary European visitors. Only English translations have been used. A sizeable number of accounts in European languages still await translation.
The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 by Holland and England, however, signaled the end of this monopoly and in 1595, the first Dutch fleet entered the Indian Ocean. In the seventeenth century, the Dutch, with their British camp followers, seriously undermined the Portuguese. The French also entered the Indian trade in the second half of this century.
While several Portuguese accounts of India in the sixteenth century are available, for the seventeenth century, we also have the writings of travellers, scholars and missionaries from the latter three countries. Additionally, Jesuits of various nationalities wrote regular letters to home, providing valuable information on facets of Indian life, albeit tempered by their religious bias.
This volume confines itself to European writings of sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It does not claim to be exhaustive but presents glimpses of the Indian reality as recorded by contemporary European visitors. Only English translations have been used. A sizeable number of accounts in European languages still await translation.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2016
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About the author
Meenakshi Jain
35 books206 followersMeenakshi Jain is an associate professor of History at Gargi College, University of Delhi. She was Fellow, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, Teen Murti. Her recent works include Parallel Pathways. Essays on Hindu-Muslim Relations (1707-1857). She is the co-author of The Rajah Moonje Pact. Documents on a Forgotten Chapter of Indian History.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 22, 2021
Must read
Must read book to see real face of mugals. When some one says India was contributing 35% world economy in mural era ask them which part. Definitely not mugal control areas.
Must read book to see real face of mugals. When some one says India was contributing 35% world economy in mural era ask them which part. Definitely not mugal control areas.
September 7, 2022
This series is a Must-Have for lovers of Indian and World History!
In Book 3 of the four-part series we read the accounts of Portuguese, Italian, French, English and Dutch travelers to India in the 16th and 17th centuries.
These travelers visited at a time when the Spice Trade was still at its peak and their description of business, traders, and society is fascinating. Francois Bernier says " It should not escape notice that gold and silver, after circulating in every other quarter of the globe, comes at length to be swallowed up, lost in some measure, in Hindustan.
Many of the Portuguese were Christian Missionaries, whose prime aim in traveling to India was conversion of the local populace, and their accounts of the Goan Inquisition and the destruction of temples makes for difficult reading.
There are very detailed passages on the lavish court of Vijayanagara, the modes of dress, the variety of goods available in the markets, and the pomp and spectacle of the Diwali and Dusshera celebrations.
Domingo Paes who spent time in Hampi, provides an insight into the looks and appearance of Shri Krishna Deva Raya.
Similarly, one-on-one meetings with the Mughal rulers have been documented meticulously by other travelers.
The architecture of temples, tanks, forts and palaces are described with admiration, as are the skills of Indian artisans in stone setting, carving, weaving, weaponry etc.
This series is a great window to Ancient, Medieval and Colonial India and ought to be a part of every History lover's collection.
In Book 3 of the four-part series we read the accounts of Portuguese, Italian, French, English and Dutch travelers to India in the 16th and 17th centuries.
These travelers visited at a time when the Spice Trade was still at its peak and their description of business, traders, and society is fascinating. Francois Bernier says " It should not escape notice that gold and silver, after circulating in every other quarter of the globe, comes at length to be swallowed up, lost in some measure, in Hindustan.
Many of the Portuguese were Christian Missionaries, whose prime aim in traveling to India was conversion of the local populace, and their accounts of the Goan Inquisition and the destruction of temples makes for difficult reading.
There are very detailed passages on the lavish court of Vijayanagara, the modes of dress, the variety of goods available in the markets, and the pomp and spectacle of the Diwali and Dusshera celebrations.
Domingo Paes who spent time in Hampi, provides an insight into the looks and appearance of Shri Krishna Deva Raya.
Similarly, one-on-one meetings with the Mughal rulers have been documented meticulously by other travelers.
The architecture of temples, tanks, forts and palaces are described with admiration, as are the skills of Indian artisans in stone setting, carving, weaving, weaponry etc.
This series is a great window to Ancient, Medieval and Colonial India and ought to be a part of every History lover's collection.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews