COĞRAFİ KEŞİFLER DÖNEMİ PORTEKİZ KAYNAKLARINDA “HİNTLİ” İMGESİ
REPRESENTATIONS OF “INDIAN” IDENTITY IN PORTUGUESE SOURCES OF THE AGE OF EXPLORATION

Summary/Abstract: This study examines how Indian identity was portrayed in the accounts of Portuguese explorers, historians and missionaries during the Age of Exploration particularly in their initial encounters with India. When Portuguese sailors succeeded in reaching India they not only charted new trade routes but also meticulously observed the cultural and social structures of the societies they encountered. Works by figures such as Vasco da Gama, Duarte Barbosa, Garcia de Orta, Fernão Lopes de Castanheda and João de Barros contain detailed descriptions of the caste system the physical appearance and clothing of the local people, religious rituals and various aspects of social life in India. Particular attention is given to topics such as the Nair warriors, Brahmin priests and funeral rituals. These depictions reflect a complex interplay of curiosity, admiration and a quest for cultural superiority on the part of the Portuguese. The religious dimension of the colonial mission is also evident in the sources. Especially in relation to the Brahmins, negative discourse is analyzed within the context of Christian missionary activities. Indian society was portrayed with a mixture of fascination and a Eurocentric sense of superiority often characterized as primitive or superstitious. Missionaries such as Francis Xavier strongly criticized the Brahmins, accusing them of deceiving the people and viewing them as obstacles to the spread of Christianity. These narratives reflect not only observation but also a distinctly colonial perspective. In this context the study aims to explore how the Portuguese made sense of Indian society during their initial interactions based on primary sources and contemporary descriptions.

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