UPSC Prelims Marathon 13 December – The Portuguese in India – 2025

With reference to the diplomacy and administrative structure of the Portuguese in India, consider the following statements:
1.The Portuguese administrative structure, Estado da Índia, was entirely funded by the profits from the Cartaz system, making it financially independent of the Portuguese crown.
2.The policy of inter-racial marriage encouraged by Alfonso de Albuquerque was primarily intended to create a loyal, mixed-race population capable of defending Portuguese territories.
3.The Portuguese consistently maintained a policy of friendship with the great Indian powers, such as the Mughals, ensuring their coastal presence was never seriously challenged.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the practices of the Portuguese that strained relations with the Mughal Empire, consider the following statements:
1.The Portuguese practice of kidnapping children, especially Hindu and Muslim women, from the areas around their trading settlements for sale as slaves was a major cause for Mughal intervention.
2.Mughal Emperors, particularly Akbar, strongly objected to the establishment of the Inquisition in Portuguese territories and used this religious repression as a pretext for the first military conflict against the Portuguese.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the impact of the Portuguese on naval warfare and military technology in India, consider the following statements:
1.The Portuguese introduced heavy, long-range naval artillery which gave them a decisive advantage against the traditional light vessels and short-range cannons of the Indian navies.
2.Indian rulers, especially the Zamorin of Calicut and the Sultan of Gujarat, were quick to adopt the Portuguese deep-sea naval doctrine and successfully countered their maritime superiority by the end of the 16th century.
3.The Portuguese were the first to formalize and systematically enforce the Cartaz system, a naval passport required for non-Portuguese vessels in the Western Indian Ocean.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the Portuguese influence on shipbuilding in India, consider the following statements:
1.The Portuguese introduced significant technical improvements to Indian shipbuilding, including the shift from traditional coir ropes to iron fasteners for assembling ship planks.
2.The port of Bassein, under Portuguese control, emerged as a major center for constructing their large Armadas (fleets), relying heavily on the skilled Indian shipwrights.
3.The Portuguese monopoly on timber and naval stores from their territories resulted in the immediate cessation of all large-scale indigenous shipbuilding along the Konkan and Malabar coasts.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With respect to the artistic and cultural influence of the Portuguese in India, consider the following statements:
1.The Portuguese introduced the distinct Baroque style of architecture, which is prominently seen in the churches and religious structures of Goa, such as the Basilica of Bom Jesus.
2.The influence of Portuguese decorative art can be seen in the adoption of azulejos (painted ceramic tiles) in various buildings along the Western Coast.
3.The architectural legacy of the Portuguese led to the development of the distinctive Indo-Saracenic style, which was characterized by their blending of Islamic and Indian elements in their factory construction.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?