Chronological Table. 153 



Table XCI. Chronological Table of European and British Connection 

 with India, compiled by Capt. H. B. Henderson. 



1204. — After the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders, in the 4th Crusade, 

 during their quarrel with the Greek empire, the Venetians, who had always partially 

 competed with the Greeks for a share of Oriental trade, now obtained a grant of a 

 portion of the Peloponnesus, with several of the best islands of the Archipelago. 

 They soon secured to themselves a monopoly, or, at least, of that portion of the 

 trade via theEuxine. But in 57 years, the Greeks rose in rebellion, and expelled the 

 Latin emperor ; and having been aided by the Genoese, they bestowed on them the 

 suburb, Pera, at Constantinople, as a reward. This transferred the overland trade 

 to the Genoese, and forced the Venetians to revisit Alexandria, and procure Indian 

 articles by the Red Sea. — Gleig. 



1453. — The Turks conquered Constantinople ; and by the expulsion of the Ge- 

 noese from Pera, the Venetians enjoyed the whole trade : while Constantinople was 

 no longer a mart for Eastern produce, nor open to the countries of the West. — Gleig. 



1497. — The Portuguese navigator, Vasco de Gama, doubled the Cape of Good Hope 

 on the 20th November, and on the 22nd May of the following year, arrived at Calicut 

 on the Malabar Coast, returning by the same Cape to Lisbon, in Sept. 1499- — Gleig. 



1 500. — In consequence of Vasco de Gama's success, a Portuguese expedition, under 

 Pedro Alvarez Cabral, arrived at Calicut, on the 1 3th September ; formed the first 

 European factory in India at that place, and returned to Lisbon on July 1st, 1501. — 

 Gleig. Picture of India. Bruce 's Annals of the E. J. C. 



1501. — In the homeward voyage, discovered the Island of St. Helena. — Bruce. 



1503. — Alphonso de Albuquerque erected the first European fortress in India, at 

 Cochin, and re-established the Factory at Calicut ; he settled a trade at Coulan, and 

 a factory at St. Thome. — Bruce. 



1506. — Alphonso de Albuquerque, the founder of the Portuguese Eastern Empire, 

 now commenced a career on a larger scale, with a squadron of 16 ships, having troops 

 on board. He defeated the Tamorin of Calicut — formed a settlement at Goa, which 

 he fortified, sailed to the Straits of Malacca, and took the place of that name in Fe- 

 bruary, 1510, reduced the Molucca and Banda islands, at that time the gardens of 

 the East for cloves, nutmegs, &c. and at last in 1514, finally reduced Ormus, the 

 chief seat of Persian commerce. In 12 years, he raised the Portuguese Empire in 

 India to the greatest height it has ever attained ; all the principal emporia from 

 the Cape to the China frontier, an extent of 12,000 miles of coast, being in his pos- 

 session. — Gleig. Bruce. 



1517.- The Portuguese got possession of Point de Galle and Columbo. — Bruce. 



1518. — Albuquerque recalled. The decline of the Portuguese Empire may be dat- 

 ed from this event. — Bruce. 



1527. — An English merchant, Robert Thorne, long resident in Spain, asserted the 

 practicability of a north-west passage to India. His attempt and six others, in the 

 succeeding reigns, failed. 



1530. — Sultan Baber, the eighth in descent from Tamerlane, died near Agra. He 

 had seized the empire, and re-established the dynasty of the Moguls. — Orme. 

 . — The Portuguese driven by the natives from Ternate. — Bruce. 



1531. — The Portuguese viceroy burned the principal towns from Diu to the Red 

 Sea. — Bruce. 



1536. — They built a strong citadel, at Diu, by permission of the king of Carabaya. 

 — Bruce. 



1538. — The Grand Seignior attacked the Portuguese at Diu from Suez, and failed ; 

 but at this time the increased military forces sent from Portugal to India evince the 

 decline of their real power in the East. The natives were recovering from their first 

 panic, and found their oppressors less formidable. — Bruce. 



1542. — The celebrated Father Francis Zavier, the Jesuit Missionary, arrived in 

 India. — Bruce. 



1558.— Mr. Anthony Wilkinson, agent of the Russia Company, crossed the Cas- 

 pian Sea into Persia, and opened a considerable trade for Eastern produce. In In- 

 dia, the Portuguese viceroy, Francisco Baretto, was succeeded for 4 years by Don 

 Constantine Braganza, one of the royal family. — Bruce. 



1560. — Don Louis D'Ataide recovered, in great measure, the Portuguese power. 



Bruce. 



1563. — Three British agents were employed at the Persian capital, and the traffic 

 was flourishing. Before this time the Venetians had essayed to undermine and op- 

 pose the Portuguese ascendancy, but in vain — while the humiliation, at this period, 



