The Portuguese Factory at Surat: Trade, Diplomacy, and Conflict in Mughal India

The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History · May 9, 2026 · 5m · transcript

In this episode of The History of Portugal, Lucas and Luna explore the fascinating but often overlooked story of the Portuguese feitoria (factory) at Surat, the bustling Mughal port that became a linchpin of the Estado da Índia's trade network. We follow the arrival of the Portuguese in Gujarat after the Battle of Diu (1509), the establishment of a trading post under Viceroy Dom João de Castro, and the complex relationship with the Mughal Empire as it expanded southward. Discover how the factory survived tensions with local rulers, the challenge of English and Dutch competition, and the…