An English born Briton describing the Portuguese in the lands that are now Bangladesh as pirates may well sound like a strong representation of “the pot calling the kettle black.” But, after all, since history is written by the victors, and there is little alternative way to describe the activities of Portuguese sailors once the English had established supremacy in the lands, it is a description that would probably withstand any reasonable challenge.
The Portuguese of course were the first nation to venture back to south and east Asia by sea since, perhaps, the collapse of the Roman empire. Those Roman merchants, like those of the Greeks, Phoenicians and Egyptian, we have good reason to believe, were regular visitors to these lands, perhaps from the early centuries of the last millennium Before the Common Era.
Their famous Admiral, Vasco da Gama, rounded the Cape to sail eastwards in 1497/8, laying the foundations for the first European eastern colonial empire.
It was not, however, until 1518 that the Portuguese established themselves in the ancient port of Chittagong. Nearly twenty years later, having evidently earned the trust of the local rulers, they were also permitted to establish themselves near Sonargaon. The late 16th century visitor Ralph Fitch, the English merchant, wrote in his journal of their thriving trading and ship-building centre at Sreepur.
However, it seems that the main focus of Portuguese interest may well have been the transhipping of spices, although there is little doubt that fabrics will have played a part in such trade.
Portugal itself, however, was a somewhat troubled nation. Its early history of voyages of exploration and discovery under, especially, its early 15th century prince, Henry the Navigator, had proved it the most adventurous of Europeans. But, from its developments in the subcontinent it is not hard to tell that it lacked resources; a small, and not especially warlike nation. Although set to become notorious when da Gama himself blackened their reputation in his acts, such as in 1502, capturing a ship with 450 passengers, sailing from Calicut to Arabia for Haj, looting it, then burning all aboard alive.
Its close neighbour Spain began to attempt to emulate such international achievements sponsoring famously Columbus’ 1492 adventure to the West Indies, when he is credited with “discovering America.”
In 1494, the Pope sought to mediate in the growing rivalry between Spain and Portugal, and encouraged the Treaty of Tordesillas, dividing the world, east and west, between the two nations.
However, in 1580, the King of Spain, Phillip, fell heir to the Portuguese throne, a joint monarchy which lasted until 1660, by which time Portuguese achievements in Africa and Asia had been much neglected in favour of the Spanish in the Americas.
By the early 17th century it is clear that Phillip, at least, has become aware of North East India as the source of one of the most vital elements of contemporary warfare. Whilst both England and Netherlands began to turn interested eyes towards the subcontinent, probably not only with spices and fabrics in mind, in the first decade of that century, Phillip requested a supply of saltpetre, the main ingredient of gunpowder, from his representative in Portuguese Goa.
At about the same time, the Zaminder of Jessore, submitting at last to the invading Mughals, amongst other items of his resistance, surrendered 45 tons of gunpowder. All Phillip’s agent could supply him was 10 barrels of saltpetre!
It took the British time to develop their own interests in the area; clearly, the Portuguese remained under the control of an apparently unaware and uninterested Spain, and as the Dutch interest in the east developed, it was more focused on the Spice Islands further east.
It may be a speculation, but, under the circumstances, perhaps not an unreasonable one, that of all those with a growing interest in these lands, England, or as it had been since 1603, England and Scotland, may well have been the only one who appreciated the potential of the saltpetre.
Certainly, their dash, with 12 ships, armed with 200 cannon, and carrying 200 more with which to placate and arm the local people, to seize Chittagong in 1683, under the influence of Sir Josiah Child, the new Governor of East India Company, who was himself an experienced supplier to the British Navy, which supplies surely included gunpowder, would suggest just that. It failed, and could well have precipitated the exclusion of Britain from the sub continent, but representatives of Crown and the Honourable East India Company were ready to humble themselves, and pay handsomely for their failure to keep their stake in the subcontinent in play.
The weakness of the Portuguese in their commitment to their bases in north east subcontinent left the field open, especially to two increasingly warlike mutually hostile nations, France and Britain. Both, it seems reasonable to suppose, had an interest in the saltpetre deposits.
Following the British victory at Plassey, facilitated by at least one Armenian whose fortune was based on the saltpetre export, and confirmed at Buxar, the East India Company was quick to include, especially Bihar, which, with Bengal, held those huge saltpetre deposits in their demand for the collection of Diwani rights in those provinces, together with Orissa, and push Portuguese activities, despite over 400 years of friendly relations, towards the margins.
Deprived of their main bases of operations in Chittagong, and even Sreepur, the Portuguese, many of whom had settled in the lands, taking local wives, found the largely ignored territories south of Chittagong, including Sandwip island, about all that was left to them.
In fact, as early as the late sixteenth century it is clear that there were Portuguese working as mercenaries, soldiers and sailors, in local conflicts. The Zaminder of Jessore certainly included many in his resistance army and navy. The Portuguese had certainly shared in building up the fleet of warships he surrendered, and manning them.
It is very easy to make the mistake of assuming it was the European Portuguese who led the use of gunpowder in the subcontinent, since there is a modern prejudice that attributes all major technological innovation to Europe. But, in fact gunpowder had been used in warfare in India since at least the 11th century.
For the first thirty years of its “occupation” of Chittagong, and the lands south to the Naf river, British knowledge and interests seem to have terminated at Ramu, which appears on European maps, together with Chakoria, of the late 16th, early 17th century. And, certainly, the 1776 Map of EIC territories shows nothing south of Bakkhali River.
We do know, however, that these lands, and islands, from Sandwip south, were infamous as a haunt of displaced Portuguese, as well as Arakanese, for whom piracy became a natural way of life.
It would, indeed, appear that Portuguese renegades were active in acts of piracy from as early as the 16th century. The evidence of the close association between Portuguese and Arakanese refugees from the turbulent Kingdom, and especially following the mid 17th century annexation of Arakan by the Burmese, is compelling. Even today, the local population of the area south of Chittagong, through Cox’s Bazar district, commonly manifests a visual characteristic of green, grey and blue eyes, completely foreign to the dark eyes normally found in South Asian peoples, and referred to by locals as “Portuguese Eyes.”
Rumours of pirate treasure, and hiding places, are abound in the area, and indeed piracy persists on the coastal waters. Perhaps not all such criminal behaviour, in which lives are still lost, can be attributed to the Portuguese any more than the people smuggling that persists. However, it is certainly arguable that in early days they influenced developments, and perhaps even lent a degree of respectability to it!
The shadow cast by Vasco da Gama, and the Portuguese, over these lands that are now Bangladesh is, it seems, a long one. Including, perhaps, the tradition of piracy?
