how did the Portuguese empire decline in india
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The appearance of the Dutch in Indian waters was followed by the gradual ruin of Goa and the decline of Portuguese influence in India. In 1603 and 1639 Goa was blockaded by Dutch fleets, though never captured, and in 1635 it was ravaged by an epidemic. Trade in Portuguese India was gradually monopolized by the Jesuits, and chroniclers throughout the late 17th century described the ever-increasing poverty and decay in areas under Portuguese control. In 1683 only the timely appearance of a Mughal army saved Goa from capture by Maratha raiders. In 1739 the entire territory of Goa was attacked by the Marathas, and only the unexpected arrival of a new viceroy with a fleet headed off military disaster. This peril was imminent until 1759, when a peace with the Marathas was concluded. In the same year the proposal to remove the seat of government to Panjim (Panaji) was carried out; such a move had been discussed as early as 1684. Between 1695 and 1775 the population of Goa, a city that had rivaled Lisbon, dwindled from 20,000 to 1,600. By 1835 the old city of Goa was inhabited by only a handful of priests, monks, and nuns.