Bhatkal

Bhatkal is a port on the Kanara coast, between the Arabian Sea and the wooded Western Ghats. It prospered as an outlet for the inland kingdom of Vijayanagara, with merchants from different communities taking part in the seaborne trade. The traveller Duarte Barbosa described exports of iron, spices and medicinal goods, while horses and pearls arrived from overseas. Horses were especially valuable to the armies of the Deccan, where supplies from Arabia and Persia were much sought after.

The arrival of the Portuguese changed the conditions of this commerce. Afonso de Albuquerque sought permission from the Vijayanagara ruler to build a fort at Bhatkal but did not obtain it. After capturing Goa in 1510, Portuguese captains compelled merchant ships to call there, diverting trade from Bhatkal. The port nevertheless remained a notable centre on the coast. In 1573 Ali Adil Shah of Bijapur took it during the struggles that followed the weakening of Vijayanagara. Its history reflects the rivalry of inland rulers and maritime powers for the commerce of the western coast.