Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1510
Portuguese forces capture Goa under the command of Alfonso de Albuquerque, whose initial attempt
was thwarted by then-ruler Sultan Adil Shah of Bijapur. He succeeds following Shah's death.
1526
Babur becomes the first Mughal emperor after conquering Delhi. He stuns Rajasthan by routing its
confederate force, gaining an edge with the introduction of matchlock muskets in his army.
1542-45
St Francis Xavier's first mission to India. He preaches Catholicism in Goa, Tamil Nadu and Sri
Lanka, returning in 1548-49 and 1552 in between travels in the Far East.
1560-1812
Portuguese Inquisition in Goa. Trials focus on converted Hindus and Muslims thought to have 're-
lapsed'. Thousands were tried and several dozen were executed before it was abolished in 1812.
1600
Britain's Queen Elizabeth I grants the first trading charter to the East India Company, with the maid-
en voyage taking place in 1601 under the command of Sir James Lancaster.
1673
The Compagnie française des Indes orientales (French East India Company) establishes an outpost
at Pondicherry (now Puducherry), which the French, Dutch and British fight over.
1674
Shivaji establishes the Maratha kingdom, spanning western India and parts of the Deccan and North
India. He assumes the imperial title of Chhatrapati, which means 'Great Protector'.
1707
Death of Aurangzeb, the last of the Mughal greats. His demise triggers the gradual collapse of the
Mughal empire, as anarchy and rebellion erupts across the country.
1757
The East India Company registers its first military victory on Indian soil. Siraj-ud-Daulah, nawab of
Bengal, is defeated by Robert Clive in the Battle of Plassey.
