Question

Mention any two causes for the decline of the Portuguese power in India?

Answer 1

Causes for the decline of Portuguese:

• The Portuguese officers did not follow the policy of moderation and did not conduct their affairs in a diplomatic manner.
• Their officers were corrupt and arrogent. They looked to their personal interests rather than the interests of their country.
• Portuguese religious intolerance provoked hostility of the Indian public, which became too strong for them to overcome.
• Encouragement was given to the Portuguese men to marry Indian ladies and settle down in India. The offsprings of the mixed marriages were inferior and could not take up the responsibilities.
• **** powers like the Dutch, the French and the British on the Indian scene, also gave a serious setback to the Portuguese authority.
• The expansion of the Mughal Empire in the Deccan and other regions also gave a serious setback to the Portuguese ambitions.