A brief history of the Hughli district / by D.G. Crawford.

  • Crawford, D. G. (Dirom Grey), 1857-1942.
Date:
1902
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: A brief history of the Hughli district / by D.G. Crawford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the end of the year. On 4th May 1493 Pope Alexander YI issued a bull granting to Spain all countries discovered more than 100 leagues west of the Cape Yerde Islands; in 1494 the line between the Spanish and Portuguese claims was altered to one di’awn 370 leagues west of those islands. The Spaniards exploring to the west, and the Portuguese going east, before very long, in 1527, came into collision, the actual meeting taking place in the Moluccas. Each claimed that their side was within its rights, and certainly the case appears to be one of those in which a good deal could be said in favour of each side. Goa was captured by the Portuguese in 1510. The first Portuguese explorer to visit Bengal was Joao da Silveira, in the year 1518. Portuguese traders began to frequent Bengal about 1530. In 1534 the Yiceroy of Goa sent a fleet of nine ships to aid the reigning Nawab of Bengal against an invader, Sher Khan. In 1538 a number of Portuguese entered the service of the King of Gaur as military adventui’ers. Babu S. C. Dey, the author of a series of articles on “Hughli, Past and Present,” in the Calcutta Review for 1892-93, states that a Portuguese Captain, named Sampayo, built the old Fort of Hughli in 1537 or 1538. It was not, however, till the reign of Akbar (1556-1605) that the Portuguese regularly settled at Hughli, which they are supposed to have done with that Emperor’s permission, about 1575. Previous to that date their ships had only come for trade, loaded their cargoes, and left again. Akbar is said to have expressed a desire to see some of these new strangers from the West, in compliance with which a Portuguese Captain, named Tavarez, went up to Agra, was favourably received by Akbar, and granted permission to choose any spot he liked near Hughli, to erect a town, with full liberty to build a cliureh, and to preach to Gospel. It seems most probable that the old Portuguese fort of Hughli was built in accordance with this permission. In return the Portuguese promised to clear the coast of pflates, but never did so. Portuguese pirates at this time infested the rivers of the Sundarbans, plundered the river-side villages, captured trading boats whenever they could, and generally made themselves di’eaded by peaceful traders and inhabitants. From them the branch of the Hughli now known as Channel Creek got the name of Pogue’s Piver. The Portuguese were seen settled at Hughli, by Fitch, in 1586. In 1603, Toynbee writes, Hughli is described as Golin, a Portuguese colony, where an officer of that nation had captured a fort belonging to the Musalmans, killing aU the garrison, of 400 men, with one exception. Hughli is often described as an island in the river, owing to the deep and broad moat which smuounded tlie Portuguese fort, one side of which, or very possibly two sides, had its walls washed by the river. In the year 1721 Prince Khuram, afterwards the Emperor Shah Jahan, was in rebellion against his father Jahangh’, and applied for help to Michael