Kochi came under Portuguese rule in the early 16th century and remained under their dominance till the mid 17th century. The first phases of European settlement in India happened in Kochi. The Portuguese sailor Admiral Pedro Alvares Cabral first set his foot on Kochi in 1500. Unni Godavarma was the king of Kochi during those times and he welcomed the foreigners with a warm heart.
Kochi under Portuguese rule made considerable developments. This is one of the most important phases in the history of Kochi. With Admiral Cabral, a treaty was signed and the foreigners were allowed to build a factory in Cochin. In return of the favor that was granted to the Portuguese, they promised to bring Calicut under the reign of the then king Unni Godavarma. However the entire venture did not turn into reality and Cabral left the place in fear of the Zamorins.
After Cabral, another Portuguese captain, who set his feet on Kochi, was Joao Da Nova. He had to face some hostile actions from the Zamorins of Calicut too. This angered the Portuguese king to a great extent and he planned of sending Vasco da Gama to Kochi. Da Gama was successful in bombarding Calicut and also caused massive damage to the Arab trading posts. The Zamorins became indignant and raged a fierce war against the King of Kochi.
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However, the war was called off due to several reasons and the Zamorin retreated back. This made the King of Kochi a winner in the war. However a large part of the kingdom faced severe damage and needed massive reconstruction and renovation. One of the important events during that time was the construction of the Fort Manuel. It was built to safeguard the factory that the Portuguese had built and was supported extensively by the Raja of Cochin. Meanwhile, the Portuguese tried their best to develop a cordial relation with the Zamorins so that they could make up a treaty and enter into an alliance.
The Portuguese also managed to keep the Raja of Kochi under their control. The armory of the foreigners in Kochi increased considerably and that increased the influence of the Portuguese on Kochi. Though Kochi was ruled by the Raja, it was just for namesake; the actual rulers were the Portuguese invaders. This period continued till 1510.
With the arrival of Saint Francis Xavier, things began to change in Kochi. He was the man behind the founding of the Christian missionaries in the city. Slowly, from this time the Portuguese started losing control over Kochi. There are several factors that contributed to the downfall of the Portuguese in Kochi, which include religious persecution, intermarriages and forcible religious conversions.
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