Question 56 from UPSC CSE 2024 - Medieval India

Question

Who of the following rulers of medieval India gave permission to the Portuguese to build a fort at Bhatkal?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: A. Krishnadevaraya

Strategy: Focus on the era of Portuguese expansion along India's west coast. Bhatkal was a prominent port in the Vijayanagara Empire during the early 16th century. By correlating the timeline of Portuguese fort-building (Albuquerque's governorship, c. 1510) with the reigns listed, it becomes clear that Krishnadevaraya fits this period. Other rulers reigned either before the Portuguese arrival or outside the relevant region/context. Thus, option A is correct.

Key Info: Krishnadevaraya (reigned 1509–1530) was the most powerful ruler of the Tuluva dynasty and is remembered for bringing the Vijayanagara Empire to its zenith. His reign coincided with the arrival of the Portuguese in India, particularly under the viceroy Afonso de Albuquerque. The Portuguese sought alliances with regional South Indian powers to secure commercial privileges and strategic bases along the coast.

Bhatkal, a port on the western coast (present-day Karnataka), was under Vijayanagara control during Krishnadevaraya's rule. The Portuguese, in their quest for secure trading posts for the lucrative horse trade and other goods, requested and received permission from Krishnadevaraya to construct a fort at Bhatkal around 1510. This was part of broader diplomatic and commercial engagement; the Vijayanagara rulers benefited from Portuguese imports such as horses, vital for their cavalry.

The other rulers listed:
- Narasimha Saluva: Belonged to the Saluva dynasty of Vijayanagara, reigned 1485–1491, prior to the arrival of the Portuguese in major strength.
- Muhammad Shah III: Sultan of the Bahmani Sultanate (r. 1463–1482), long before Portuguese coastal expansion.
- Yusuf Adil Shah: Founder of the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur (reigned c. 1490–1510); while he interacted with the Portuguese, Bhatkal was under Vijayanagara control during Albuquerque's campaign.

Portuguese fortifications and privileges along India's west coast were central to their Indian Ocean commercial strategy in the 16th century. Their alliances with local powers significantly influenced political dynamics in peninsular India during this era.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: Narasimha Saluva

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: Muhammad Shah III

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: Yusuf Adil Shah