have time to examine into the difference of their ritual
from their own. They were overjoyed to find a cross in digging
foundations for a church in Goa. They believed that Christianity
would quickly spread over the East. And the religious persecutions
which mar the later history of the Portuguese in India were not
thought of in the days of the great governor.

The causes of Albuquerque's triumphant progress in Asia may be found
in a consideration of certain special and general reasons as well as
in his own character.

The chief general cause was the weakness and mutual enmity of the
rulers with whom he came in contact. He had not to strive with the
great Mughals; he did not come directly in contact with Ismail Shah,
who favoured instead of opposing him; nor did he have cause to attack
the powerful Emperor of China. The Hindu Zamorin of Calicut, the
Muhammadan Nawab of Diu, the half savage Sultan of Malacca, the Arab
King of Ormuz, were none of them great and powerful monarchs. All had
external as well as internal enemies, and Albuquerque was quick to
perceive and make use of this circumstance. The only great ruler he
came into opposition with was Yusaf Adil Shah of Bijapur, who,
fortunately for the Portuguese, died in 1510. The division of India
into {166} hostile kingdoms was especially favourable to the progress
of the Portuguese. Albuquerque was able to play off Hindu Rajas
against Muhammadan kings: nor were monarchs even of the same faith
necessarily united in bonds of friendship. Thus the Raja of Cochin
was the declared enemy of the Zamorin of Calicut, and the Muhammadan
kings of the Deccan were too busy in fighting over the disruption of
the great Bahmani kingdom to make a general effort against the
new-comers. The existence of local jealousies and rivalries enabled
Albuquerque, like later European rulers of India, to make good the
position of his countrymen.

The special causes of the success of the Portuguese are to be found
in the superiority of their ships, their artillery, and their
soldiers. The Portuguese ships at the beginning of the sixteenth
century, though much smaller than the great galleons which they
afterwards built for the Indian trade, were much more efficient than
the Arab vessels. They had to be both well built and well fitted to
accomplish the long and perilous voyage round the Cape of Good Hope,
whereas the Arab ships were only intended to sail across the Indian
Ocean with the favourable m