1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 597 Indian Affairs ([-])
August 8, India, Goa, Governor's Palace.

The Governor of Portugal in Goa, Felipe deo Mascare, looked at the exquisite cloisonné products on the table with a look of obsession on his face.Elegant and majestic shapes, rich patterns, and elegant and solemn colors give people an artistic feeling of being round and solid, delicate and neat, resplendent and blooming like brocade.

"This exquisite work of art is not from the Ming Dynasty, but produced for Hanzhou. Its shape and texture are no less than the products of the Ming Dynasty. It is really amazing!" Governor Mascare said in admiration.

"Governor, look here, the Hanzhou people even gave you a set of glass wine sets with you, the quality is not inferior to the products produced in Venice." Carlos Amera pointed his right hand to the other side of the table, respectfully said.

Governor Mascare turned his head to look at the other side of the table, and grabbed a wine glass casually. It was crystal clear without any impurities, and it was indeed comparable to glass products produced in Venice.It seems that this Hanzhou has many skilled craftsmen who can produce such exquisite goods.If it is sold in large quantities to India, it can indeed earn a lot of money.

However, what is rare and valuable is that the Hanzhou people are very wise to sell most of their goods through us Portuguese, and not all the gold and silver earned are brought back to Hanzhou, but they are purchased through the Portuguese. Indian product.Once in and out, the Portuguese really made a lot of profits.

In such a comparison, the Han Chinese are much cuter than the Dutch and the English. They are simply the messengers sent by God to send countless money to the Portuguese, so that the Portuguese Indian colony that is in trouble can get rid of it. A certain financial crisis was solved, and a large number of weapons and ammunition were supplemented by this, and the security defense of the colonial strongholds of Portuguese India was strengthened.

"Carlos, a few days ago, the Hanzhou people rescued our two merchant ships in the waters near Mangalore. I heard that they suffered a lot of losses and there were casualties?" Governor Mascare asked with a smile.

"Yes, Governor." Carlos Amera nodded and said: "The shameful British pirates tried to hijack our merchant ship. Fortunately, the brave Hanzhou people stepped forward in time to rescue our merchant ship and drive away the British. Of course , In the process, the Hanzhou people suffered a little loss."

"How are their sea combat skills?"

"They..." Carlos Amera hesitated for a moment, and then said: "The sailors and gunners on their ship may be a little immature, and they don't seem to have experienced much actual combat. However, they are very brave."

"Haven't experienced much actual combat?" Governor Mascare was taken aback for a moment, "Didn't they have a war with the Dutch before?"

"That was a military operation carried out by their navy. The armed merchant ships that came to India for trade this time were civilian ships from Hanzhou." Carlos Amera said: "Hanzhou has a powerful navy, and it is also equipped with More than a dozen professional warships."

"Do they have a professional navy? There are more than a dozen professional warships?" Governor Mascare asked with interest: "Can their navy be sent to India to escort merchant ships?"

"Governor, I don't think they will send warships to India to escort merchant ships for the time being. They have more important things to do. Every year, they organize a large number of ships to go to Ming to transfer the immigrants they urgently need."

"If the merchant ship of the Hanzhou people was sunk by the Dutch or the British in India, how would they react?" Governor Mascare asked thoughtfully: "Will they retaliate against this?" ?”

"...I don't think they will sit back and watch their merchant ships be sunk by foreign forces." Carlos Amera glanced at Governor Mascare worriedly, "They may...retaliate against this."
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Goa is located on the west coast of India, bordering the Mahmednagar Sultanate in the north, Bijapur Sultanate in the east and south, and the Arabian Sea in the west.

In 1498, Vasco da Gama landed in Calicut (now Kozhikode, a port city in southwestern India) on the west coast of India, and then moved to Goa. In 1510, Albuquerque, the commander of the Portuguese fleet, defeated King Bijapur Sultan who had sovereignty over Timaya, the local chieftain, in the Battle of Goa, and occupied the old city of Goa. The Second Battle of Goa withstood the counterattack of Bijapur Sultan.

In 1570-1571, the 3 coalition forces of the two sultanates of Bijapur and Ahmadnagar (Nizam Shahi Dynasty) launched another attack on Goa, the capital of Portuguese India, after nearly 8 months. After the siege of the month, the two sultanates retreated in defeat.As a result, the Portuguese established a firm foothold in Goa, and based on it, they successively occupied more than ten colonial strongholds on the east and west coasts of India.

Jiang Fubao and several business managers, under the protection of more than a dozen Portuguese-Indian soldiers, visited the most important Portuguese colonial city in India.The Portuguese colonial government in Goa encouraged the Portuguese there to marry local women and settle in Goa to become farmers, traders or craftsmen, so the city has a considerable population of Portuguese-Indian mixed race.

These Portuguese-Indian mixed-race people were the basis of the Portuguese's most important rule, and their political status was second only to the pure Portuguese. They generally served as soldiers, grass-roots officials, petty officials, and dock managers in the colonial government.They believe in God, speak Portuguese, and behave like ordinary Portuguese.

However, Jiang Fubao and others had oriental faces, and there were more than a dozen local soldiers around them for protection, which made local businessmen and people in Goa look sideways.

"Ordinary people in India are relatively poor, and their spending power may not be enough. But there are many kingdoms in the country, and the princes among them are very extravagant, and they are very generous." Carlos Amera introduced the situation in India to Jiang Fubao while walking : "Therefore, there is still a lot of market demand for many of the high-end products you brought, such as exquisite cloisonne, various crystal clear glass products, beautifully shaped leather goods, and refreshing honey wine... They are all extremely Good merchandise."

"How is the cotton cloth market here? Is the demand as low as in Calicut?" Jiang Fubao asked.

"Dear Jiang, you have to know that apart from the Ming Dynasty, India is the most important cotton cloth production area in the world." Carlos Amera said with a smile: "Moreover, India is rich in cotton, and there are many places in the country. The cotton cloth workshop produces hundreds of millions of pieces of cotton cloth every year. In addition, the climate in India is warm and ordinary people are relatively poor, so the local consumption of cotton cloth is not much. Therefore, the cotton cloth produced in India is exported in a large amount, which can not only supply neighboring countries and regions, and are also exported in large quantities to Europe, Ottoman and Persian regions.”

Why do these Hanzhou people always want to come to India to do cotton cloth business.Although the quality and variety of their products are obviously much better than the cotton cloth produced locally in India, but the long distance, coupled with the consumption power of ordinary Indians here, the cotton cloth produced in Hanzhou may not be easily imported into India. Indian market.

"Even if the spending power of ordinary people in India is low, there are tens of millions of people here, which is a huge market." Jiang Fubao said with some regret: "If India is in a chaotic world like the Ming Dynasty at this time, maybe it can destroy Cotton cloth production in their territory. Then, our cotton cloth may have a chance.”

"Dear Jiang, you are looking forward to civil strife in India for the sake of your cotton cloth market demand. This is not a kind idea." Carlos Amera said with a smile: "Wars mean that the region loses its due. Order, killing, hunger, plague, and natural disasters will all breed and appear in this chaotic war, and life will become extremely fragile under such circumstances. Oh, God, we should hope that all wars will stop."

"I heard that when you Portuguese came to India, you had countless wars with the locals, right?" Jiang Fubao asked contemptuously.

"No, we are domesticating the local barbarism and ignorance." Carlos Amera paused, and then argued: "We brought them the Gospel of God, and brought them civilization. We are Help them recast a stable order."

"Hey!" Jiang Fubao sneered, "People may not care about the gospel and civilization you brought! I think that everyone who braved hardships and dangers to India must not come to be a good person. We are here to find wealth. Isn't it? "

Carlos Amera thought about it after hearing this, and then smiled awkwardly.That's right, we are here to make a fortune, not to bring the so-called gospel and civilization to the local people.

"Dear Jiang, India is a place of great wealth. Our Governor-General is very sincere in transferring the Cochin in the south to you, just to repay your Hanzhou for your generous help to our Portuguese. I hope you can There is a window to gain wealth in India." Carlos Amera said solemnly: "In order to guard our common interests, shouldn't you Hanzhou invest more power in India?"

"Our Governor hopes that your Hanzhou Navy can send several professional warships to India to form a joint fleet with us Portuguese to jointly maintain the trade order in India. In this regard, the Governor very much hopes to have a real discussion with your Hanzhou Do you have time to attend a dinner at the Governor's Palace tonight? We can talk face to face and exchange views sincerely with each other."

Jiang Fubao smiled wryly when he heard the words. In order to deal with the threat from the Dutch and the British, these Portuguese always spared no effort to introduce us Qi people into India, and at the same time share part of the threat for them.

However, with the current strength of our Qi State, do we have the spare power to take care of this distant India?
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(End of this chapter)