200 Years Of British Rule Couldn’t Break This State’s Independence—The Fascinating Story Behind It

The Portuguese had landed in India before the British.

Long before the British, the Portuguese had already made their entry into India. Vasco da Gama reached India in 1498 by sea, kicking off trade between the two regions. The British landed in Surat only about a hundred years later, in 1608. By that time, the Portuguese had already established a strong hold over Goa and its nearby areas.