The Portuguese in Bengal: Pirates, Merchants, and the Fall of Gaur

In the early 1500s, Portuguese traders and pirates arrived in the Bay of Bengal, transforming Bengal's maritime world. This episode follows their rise from shadowy smugglers to the court of the Sultan of Gaur, their violent clashes with the Mughals, and the brutal sack of the city by Sher Shah Suri. We meet figures like João Coelho, the Portuguese mercenary who helped Sher Shah's army cross the Ganges, and hear how the Portuguese made themselves indispensable — and then dangerously powerful — in the region. Their fort at Hooghly became a hub of trade and piracy, until Emperor Akbar's naval campaign brought them down. It's a story of ambition, betrayal, and the shifting tides of empire, told through the lens of a forgotten European presence in Bengal. #PortugueseBengal #SherShahSuri #MughalEmpire #Gaur #Hooghly #BayOfBengal #JoaoCoelho #BengalSultanate #Piracy #Trade #SiegeOfHooghly #Akbar #BengalHistory #SouthAsia #ColonialEncounters #NavalHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo