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

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the shadowy role of the Portuguese in 16th and 17th century Bengal. They arrive as traders, but soon become pirates, mercenaries, and kingmakers. Lucas recounts how the Portuguese — known locally as 'Firingis' — allied with the Arakanese to raid the Sundarbans and the coast of Bengal, capturing thousands as slaves. He tells the story of the Battle of Hooghly in 1632, when Mughal forces under Qasim Khan drove them out. But the Portuguese left a lasting mark: they introduced firearms, new crops like tobacco and chili, and left behind a community that lives on in present-day Bangladesh. Lucas also touches on the controversial figure of Dom Sebastião, a Portuguese adventurer who tried to carve his own kingdom. The episode weaves together the decline of the Bengal Sultanate and the rise of Mughal power, showing how European intervention began long before the British. #PortugueseBengal #Firingi #BattleOfHooghly #BengalSultanate #MughalEmpire #Arakan #SlaveTrade #Sundarbans #DomSebastiao #QasimKhan #Chandecan #TobaccoHistory #BengalPirates #EarlyEuropeanColonialism #16thCentury #17thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #BengalHistory #PalaEmpire Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo