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Grand Harbor of BengalPorto Grande de Bengala (Portuguese)
1528–1666
Top: Flag of Portugal (1521-1578) Bottom: Flag of Portugal (1640-1667) Coat of arms
Portuguese Chittagong (at top right corner) with other Portuguese settlements in India
Status	Trading post
Capital	Firingi Bunder
Common languages	Portuguese, Bengali
King of Portugal
• 1528-1557	John III (first)
• 1656-1666	Afonso VI (last)
Historical era	Imperialism
• Permission from the Bengal Sultanate	1528
• Mughal annexation	1666
Preceded by Succeeded by Bengal Sultanate Kingdom of Mrauk U Mughal Empire

Chittagong, the second largest city and main port of Bangladesh, was home to a thriving trading post of the Portuguese Empire in the East in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Portuguese first arrived in Chittagong around 1528, and left in 1666 after the Mughal conquest. It was the first European colonial enclave in the historic region of Bengal.

Etymology

Chittagong was the largest seaport in the Sultanate of Bengal, which was termed as the "Shahi Bangalah" (Imperial Bengal) in Persian and Bengali. The Portuguese referred to the port city as Porto Grande de Bengala, which meant "the Grand Harbor of Bengal". The term was often simplified as Porto Grande.

History

Arrival of the Portuguese

On 9 May 1518, a fleet of four ships commanded by João da Silveira from the Estado da India arrived in Chittagong from Goa. They were followed by several embassies from the Kingdom of Portugal to the Sultanate of Bengal, then reputed as the wealthiest region in the Indian subcontinent. He set up the first Portuguese factory in Bengal at Chittagong in 1517. Traders from Portuguese Malacca, Bombay and Ceylon also frequented the region.

Some sources indicate that Joao Coelho had arrived in Chittagong before João da Silveira. Many Malaccan Portuguese had come to the Bengal before Silveira in Moorish ships as traders. Moreover, some of the Portuguese settled in Pipli (present day Orissa) in 1514 and had visited Western Bengal.

Established trading base

In 1528, the Sultan of Bengal permitted the Portuguese to establish factories and customs houses in the Port of Chittagong. A fort and naval base was established in Firingi Bandar. The settlement grew into the most prominent Eurasian port on the Bay of Bengal during the Age of Discovery. The cartaz system was introduced and required all ships in the area to purchase naval trading licenses from the Portuguese. In 1590, the Portuguese conquered the nearby islands of Sandwip under the leadership of António de Sousa Godinho. In 1602, the Sandwip island of Chittagong was conquered by the Portuguese from Kedar Rai of Sripur.

Portuguese pirates, named Gonçalves and Carvalho, ruled the island of Sandwip for several years. Each year about 300 salt loaded ships sailed for Liverpool from Sandwip. Sandwip was very famous for its ship-building and salt industries at that time. In 1616, after the arrival of Delwar Khan, a high-ranking Mughal naval officer, the Portuguese pirates were driven away from Sandwip and Delwar Khan ruled the island independently for about 50 years.

The harbour of Chittagong became the most important port to the Portuguese because of its location, navigational facilities and safe anchorage. The port is very close to the mouth of the Meghna which was the principal route to the Royal capital of Gouda.

Evidently the Portuguese found Chittagong a congenial place to live. By the end of the sixteenth century, the Chittagong port had emerged as a thriving port, which attracted both unofficial Portuguese trade and settlement. According to a 1567 note of Caesar Federeci, every year thirty or thirty five ships, great and small, anchored in Chittagong port. In 1598 there lived about 2,500 Portuguese and Eurasians in Chittagong and Arakan.

The increased commercial presence included bureaucrats, merchants, missionaries, soldiers, adventurers, sailors and pirates. The enclave had a highly laissez-faire administration led by traders. Slave trade and piracy flourished. Major traded products included fine silk, cotton muslin textiles, bullion, spices, rice, timber, salt and gunpowder.

The Roman Catholic Church was established in Bengal during Portuguese rule in Chittagong. The port city was the seat of the first Vicar Apostolic of Bengal. The Portuguese also encouraged intermarriage with the local population.

In 1615, the Portuguese Navy defeated an Arakanese-Dutch VOC fleet near the port city.

Piracy

The Portuguese presence in Chittagong was ultimately ephemeral. The fall of the Bengal Sultanate and the rise of the Arakanese Kingdom of Mrauk U changed the geopolitical landscape. Chittagong became a major bone of contention between the Mughal Empire, the Kingdom of Mrauk U, the Burmese Empire and the Kingdom of Tripura. The King of Mrauk U massacred 600 members of the Portuguese community in Dianga in 1607. Subsequently, the Portuguese allied with Arakan. Portuguese-Arakanese piracy increased against Mughal Bengal in the 17th century. In response, the Portuguese ravaged the Arakan coast and carried off the booty to the king of Barisal.

Slavery

The Portuguese took over the eastern portion of the Arab slave trade networks and sold their slaves in Tamluk and Balasore, and in Deccan ports. Slaves were sold at Dianga and Pipli, and transported by ship. The Portuguese built a fort at Pipli in 1599 for prisoners brought by the Arakanese. In 1629 the Portuguese under the command of Diego Da Sa raided Dhaka and took many prisoners including a Syed woman, the wife of a Mughal military officer and carried her off in chains to Dianga. The prisoners were converted to Christianity.

End of settlement

In 1632, the Mughal army expelled the Portuguese from the Satgaon (Hooghly), owing to Portuguese association with the slave trade, kidnapping and refusal to support Shah Jahan. In 1666, the Mughal viceroy Shaista Khan retook control of Chittagong after defeating the Arakanese in a naval war. The Mughal conquest of Chittagong brought an end to the Portuguese dominance of more than 130 years in the port city. The conquest of the port of Chittagong was similarly aimed mainly at driving Arakanese slave raiders out of Bengal.

The Mughals attacked the Arakanese from the jungle with a 6500-man army supported by 288 ships of war bound for the seizure of Chittagong harbour. After three days of battle, the Arakanese surrendered. Chittagong promptly became the capital of the new Government.

This battle involved movement across both land and water. To combat the pirates' skill over water, the Mughals called for the support of Dutch ships from Batavia. Before the Dutch ships reached the coast of Chittagong, the battle had already ended. To carry soldiers, Shaista Khan constructed several large ships and a large number of galleys. After the Mughals took Chittagong, the Portuguese moved to the Ferengi Bazaar in Dhaka. Descendants of the Portuguese still reside in these places.

Other settlements

From Chittagong, the Portuguese proceeded to establish settlements in other Bengali ports and cities, notably Satgaon, Bandel and Dhaka. Satgaon became known as Porto Pequeno (Little Haven). Portogola in Old Dhaka hosted the city's Portuguese community.

Spreading of Christianity

Christianity spread across Bengal by the Portuguese traders along with the Christian missionaries. Although Christianity had already reached Ancient India with Thomas the Apostle in 52 CE, the Portuguese set up the first Christian churches in Chittagong. In 1498, Christian explorer Vasco de Gama travelled Bengal.

Legacy

The descendants of the Portuguese traders in Chittagong are known as Firingis. They live in the areas of Patharghata and Firingi Bazar in Old Chittagong. There are numerous Portuguese loanwords in the Bengali language, including many common household terms, particularly in Chittagonian language. The Portuguese brought many exotic fruits, flowers and plants, especially from their Latin American Brazilian colony. They introduced chillies, delonix regia, guavas, pineapples, papayas and Alfonso mangoes to Bengal.

A Portuguese missionary in British Kolkata published the first book on Bengali grammar. The oldest churches in Bangladesh and West Bengal trace their origins to Portuguese missionary missions which arrived in Chittagong in the 16th century. Most Bangladeshi Christians have Portuguese surnames.

After the independence of Bangladesh, Portugal recognised it on 20 December 1974 following the Carnation Revolution, when it established relations with many decolonised nations. The Portuguese have had a great influence on trade, culture, character and language of the people of Chittagong.

Portuguese attractions

Very few physical vestiges of the Portuguese presence are found at present in Chittagong and Bengal, generally. Darul Adalat, the first court building of Chittagong is located in the Government Hazi Mohammad Mohshin College campus, is a structure built by the Portuguese. The structure is locally known as Portuguese Fort. Initiative has been taken by the Department of Archaeology of Bangladesh to preserve the vestige.

There are few churches and ruins. Some geographical place names remain, like Dom Manik Islands, Point Palmyras on the Orissa coast, Firingi Bazar in Dhaka and Chittagong.

See also

• Dutch settlement in Rajshahi
• Armenian community of Dhaka
• History of Bombay under Portuguese rule (1534-1661)

References

1. Rahman 2010, p. 24.
2. Bhaduri 2013, p. 22.
3. ^ Trudy & Salkin 1994, p. 188.
4. Eaton 1996, p. 235.
5. Dasgupta 2005, p. 258.
6. Mendiratta & Rossa 2015.
7. ^ Ray 2012.
8. Dasgupta 2005, p. 259.
9. Wallcousins 1993, p. 169.
10. ^ Ramerini 2014.
11. Gin 2004, p. 870.
12. Pearson 2006, p. 78.
13. Bhaduri 2013, p. 23.
14. Mandal 2003, p. 44.
15. The Guardian Editorial 2013.
16. Lahore University 2007.
17. Roy 2007, p. 12.
18. ^ Hasan 2012, p. 125.
19. Catholic Diocese.
20. Agnihotri 2010, p. B-276.
21. ^ Rizvi, S.N.H. (1965). "East Pakistan District Gazetteers" (PDF). Government of East Pakistan Services and General Administration Department (1): 74–76. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
22. Konstam 2008, p. 250.
23. Dasgupta 2005, p. 267.
24. Rizvi, S.N.H. (1965). "East Pakistan District Gazetteers" (PDF). Government of East Pakistan Services and General Administration Department (1): 84. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
25. Roy 2007, p. 13.
26. ^ Chatterjee and Eaton 2006, p. 13.
27. Tavernier 2012, p. 129.
28. Johnston 2008, p. 442.
29. Dasgupta 2005, p. 264.
30. ^ Leung & Meggitt 2012, p. 223.
31. R. Islam.
32. Bangladesh Channel.
33. ^ A.K. Rahim.
34. Portuguese in Bangladesh.
35. Uddin, Minhaj (23 May 2014). "Centuries-old Darul Adalat's existence hangs in balance". The Daily Star. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
36. Hosking 2009, p. 290.

Bibliography

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• Bhaduri, Saugata (2013). "Indo-Canadian Diaspora: The Iberian Connection". In Navarro-Tejero, Antonia; Gupta, Taniya (eds.). India in Canada, Canada in India. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4438-4826-8.
• Dasgupta, Biplab (2005). European trade and colonial conquest (1. publ. ed.). London: Anthem Press. ISBN 1843310295.
• Eaton, Richard M. (1996). The Rise of Islam and the Bengal frontier, 1204 – 1760 (First paperback ed.). Berkeley : Univ California Pr. p. 235. ISBN 0520205073. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
• Gin, Ooi Keat, ed. (2004). Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor, Volume 1. Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC Clio. ISBN 1576077705. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
• Johnston, Douglas M. (2008). "Chapter 7". The historical foundations of world order : the tower and the arena. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. ISBN 978-9004161672. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
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• Mandal, Asim Kumar (2003). The Sundarbans of India : a development analysis. New Delhi: Indus Publ. Co. ISBN 8173871434. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
• Mendiratta, Sidh Losa; Rossa, Walter (2015). "Porto Grande de Bengala:Historical Background and Urbanism". Heritage of Portuguese Influence. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
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• Ray, Aniruddha (2012). "Portuguese, The". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
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• Trudy, Ring; Salkin, Robert M., eds. (1994). International Dictionary of Historic Places. Vol. 5. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. ISBN 1-884964-04-4. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
• "The Early Years of the Church in Chittagong Diocese". Catholic Diocese. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
• Rahim, AK (25 January 2014). "Você fala Bangla?". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
• Islam, Reema (18 December 2014). "The Christian community". The Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
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v t e Portuguese Empire
North Africa 15th century 1415–1640 Ceuta 1458–1550 Alcácer Ceguer (El Qsar es Seghir) 1471–1550 Arzila (Asilah) 1471–1662 Tangier 1485–1550 Mazagan (El Jadida) 1487–16th century Ouadane 1488–1541 Safim (Safi) 1489 Graciosa 16th century 1505–1541 Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Agadir) 1506–1525 Mogador (Essaouira) 1506–1525 Aguz (Souira Guedima) 1506–1769 Mazagan (El Jadida) 1513–1541 Azamor (Azemmour) 1515–1541 São João da Mamora (Mehdya) 1577–1589 Arzila (Asilah)
Sub-Saharan Africa 15th century 1455–1633 Arguim 1462–1975 Cape Verde 1470–1975 São Tomé 1471–1975 Príncipe 1474–1778 Annobón 1478–1778 Fernando Poo (Bioko) 1482–1637 Elmina (São Jorge da Mina) 1482–1642 Portuguese Gold Coast 1498–1540 Mascarene Islands 16th century 1500–1630 Malindi 1501–1975 Portuguese Mozambique 1502–1659 Saint Helena 1503–1698 Zanzibar 1505–1512 Quíloa (Kilwa) 1506–1511 Socotra 1508–1547 Madagascar 1557–1578 Accra 1575–1975 Portuguese Angola 1588–1974 Cacheu 1593–1698 Mombassa (Mombasa) 17th century 1645–1888 Ziguinchor 1680–1961 São João Baptista de Ajudá, Benin 1687–1974 Bissau 18th century 1728–1729 Mombassa (Mombasa) 1753–1975 Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe 19th century 1879–1974 Portuguese Guinea 1885–1974 Portuguese Congo Part of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1753. Or 1600. A factory (Anosy Region) and small temporary coastal bases. Part of Portuguese Guinea from 1879. Part of Portuguese Angola from the 1920s.
Middle East 16th century 1506–1615 Gamru (Bandar Abbas) 1507–1643 Sohar 1515–1622 Hormuz (Ormus) 1515–1648 Quriyat 1515–? Qalhat 1515–1650 Muscat 1515?–? Barka 1515–1633? Julfar (Ras al-Khaimah) 1521–1602 Bahrain (Muharraq • Manama) 1521–1529? Qatif 1521?–1551? Tarut Island 1550–1551 Qatif 1588–1648 Matrah 17th century 1620–? Khor Fakkan 1621?–? As Sib 1621–1622 Qeshm 1623–? Khasab 1623–? Libedia 1624–? Kalba 1624–? Madha 1624–1648 Dibba Al-Hisn 1624?–? Bandar-e Kong
South Asia 15th century 1498–1545 Laccadive Islands (Lakshadweep) 16th century Portuguese India  • 1500–1663 Cochim (Kochi)  • 1501–1663 Cannanore (Kannur)  • 1502–1658  1659–1661 Quilon (Coulão / Kollam)  • 1502–1661 Pallipuram (Cochin de Cima)  • 1507–1657 Negapatam (Nagapatnam)  • 1510–1961 Goa  • 1512–1525  1750 Calicut (Kozhikode)  • 1518–1619 Portuguese Paliacate outpost (Pulicat)  • 1521–1740 Chaul   (Portuguese India)  • 1523–1662 Mylapore  • 1528–1666 Chittagong (Porto Grande De Bengala)  • 1531–1571 Chaul  • 1531–1571 Chalé  • 1534–1601 Salsette Island  • 1534–1661 Bombay (Mumbai)  • 1535 Ponnani  • 1535–1739 Baçaím (Vasai-Virar)  • 1536–1662 Cranganore (Kodungallur)  • 1540–1612 Surat  • 1548–1658 Tuticorin (Thoothukudi)  • 1559–1961 Daman and Diu  • 1568–1659 Mangalore   (Portuguese India)  • 1579–1632 Hugli  • 1598–1610 Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam) 1518–1521 Maldives 1518–1658 Portuguese Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1558–1573 Maldives 17th century Portuguese India  • 1687–1749 Mylapore 18th century Portuguese India  • 1779–1954 Dadra and Nagar Haveli
East Asia and Oceania 16th century 1511–1641 Portuguese Malacca 1512–1621 Maluku  • 1522–1575  Ternate  • 1576–1605  Ambon  • 1578–1650  Tidore 1512–1665 Makassar 1515–1859 Larantuka 1557–1999 Macau 1580–1586 Nagasaki 17th century 1642–1975 Portuguese Timor (East Timor) 19th century Portuguese Macau  • 1864–1999 Coloane  • 1851–1999 Taipa  • 1890–1999 Ilha Verde 20th century Portuguese Macau  • 1938–1941 Lapa and Montanha (Hengqin) 1975 is the year of East Timor's Declaration of Independence and subsequent invasion by Indonesia. In 2002, East Timor's independence was fully recognized.
North America and North Atlantic 15th century 1420 Madeira 1432 Azores 16th century 1500–1579? Terra Nova (Newfoundland) 1500–1579? Labrador 1516–1579? Nova Scotia
South America and Caribbean 16th century 1500–1822 Brazil  • 1534–1549  Captaincy Colonies of Brazil  • 1549–1572  Brazil  • 1572–1578  Bahia  • 1572–1578  Rio de Janeiro  • 1578–1607  Brazil  • 1621–1815  Brazil 1536–1620 Barbados 17th century 1621–1751 Maranhão 1680–1777 Nova Colónia do Sacramento 18th century 1751–1772 Grão-Pará and Maranhão 1772–1775 Grão-Pará and Rio Negro 1772–1775 Maranhão and Piauí 19th century 1808–1822 Cisplatina (Uruguay) 1809–1817 Portuguese Guiana (Amapá) 1822 Upper Peru (Bolivia)
Armorial of Portuguese colonies Evolution of the Portuguese Empire Portuguese colonial architecture Portuguese colonization of the Americas Portuguese Empire in the Indonesian Archipelago Portuguese India Theory of the Portuguese discovery of Australia

• History of Chittagong
• Portuguese India
• Former Portuguese colonies
• Former colonies in Asia
• Bengal Sultanate
• History of Chittagong Division
• Colonial Bengal
• Portuguese colonisation in Asia
• 16th century in Portuguese India
• 17th century in Portuguese India
• 1528 establishments in Asia
• 1660s disestablishments in Asia
• 1520s establishments in Portuguese India
• 17th-century disestablishments in Portuguese India
• 1528 establishments in the Portuguese Empire
• 1660s disestablishments in the Portuguese Empire