A History of Agriculture in India v2.c72.s9: Decline of the Portuguese

v2.c72.s9.1

The destruction of Vijayanagar in A.D. 1565 dealt a serious blow to the prosperity of Goa. Moreover, the route to India no longer could be kept secret. There were more energetic competitors, the Dutch and the British, soon on the scene, and they broke the monopoly of the Portuguese in South-East Asian commerce. The Union of Crowns of Spain and Portugal under Philip II in A.D. 1580 further closed the chapter of Portuguese expansion. The Dutch ousted the Portuguese from the East Indies and thus acquired control over the trade in spices. The English concentrated on Indian trade in cotton textiles. Poor natural resources and a small population also proved limiting factors for the Portuguese.