Portuguese Colonies of Asia and Africa

Portuguese colonies included the east and west coasts of India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), East African and Arabian settlements, Indonesia, the Spice Islands (Maluku Islands), Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

Most of these colonies were simply factories or trading posts, consisting of a warehouse and fortifications surrounded by a few hundred inhabitants.

Portuguese living in Hormuz had to purchase everything they needed, including wood and water, from Persia (now Iran) which was about 12 miles away. They traded with Persia for silks, tapestry, spices, drugs and horses.

East African colonies, such as Mozambique, consisted of fewer than a hundred soldiers. Colonists engaged in trade in ivory, gold and slaves. These settlements also served as penal colonies.

Wives did not accompany their husbands to these colonies. The Portuguese authorities tried to send prostitutes there, but the prostitutes often died. Instead, the men often had relations with the local Swahili women.

In general, the Portuguese had little impact on the local cultures.

The local people retained their traditions, including the traditions of Islam.

Settlers had to get used to living in Middle Eastern towns, which were very different from European ones.

Middle Eastern towns were usually crowded, with mazes of narrow streets that did not have room for wheeled vehicles. Houses were only one-storey high and made of wood or mud.

The center of each town was a mosque. Radiating outward from the mosque, the town was primarily a large marketplace.

Holy objects and perfumes were sold closest to the mosque. Further outward, precious items like gold, silverware, ceramics and silks were sold. Food stalls could be found at the fringe.

The markets were the center of social life. There were entertainers, including acrobats, jugglers and storytellers.

Religion

The Portuguese could understand Islam, which, like Christianity, was a monotheistic religion. However, they had difficulty comprehending Hinduism and Buddhism, with its many gods and strange rituals.

This sometimes proved disastrous.

For example, when Vasco de Gama's crew was taken to a Hindu temple in Calicut (Kozhikode), they began worshipping in front of statues of Hindu goddesses, believing them to be representations of the Virgin Mary. This offended the Hindus and helped destroy the possibility of negotiations.

Attempts to force Indians to convert to Christianity caused many of the Indians to run away.

Until 1540, the Portuguese were generally tolerant of different religions, and lived and worked alongside people of different faiths.

However, this attitude changed from 1540 onward.

Moslem mosques, Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples were destroyed.

The Inquisition came to Goa, India in 1560. Many people were burned at the stake.

The Portuguese passed laws claiming possession of all Indian orphans in their territories, meaning that they were taken away from their relatives.

Almost no Muslim converted.

However, many Hindus and Buddhists did convert to Christianity.

By the end of the 16th century, there were 50,000 Christians in the area around Goa, 30,000 in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and 15,000 in Indonesia.

The Christian doctrine of salvation being available to everyone was particularly attractive to those who were suffering under the Hindu caste system.