India in Portuguese Literature

Ethel M. Pope in her book explores the influence of Indian culture on Portuguese literature. Portugal, being the first European nation to engage with the Orient, during middle ages played important role in introducing the east to the west. The work examines how Portuguese literature reflects India’s people, customs, ethnology and religions.

After the short introduction to the history of Portugal. The book draws our attention to the works of approximately 100 poets, historians, travelers, prose writers, and priests. Pope broadly categorizes these works into four periods which makes four chapters of the book. The Classical Epoch, 1498-1580, the Gongoric School, 1580-1706, the French or Arcadian School, 1706-1826, and the Romantic School and contemporary writers. Through this analysis, the book sheds light on the cultural exchanges between the east and the west indicating the impact of Indian culture on Portuguese literature.

Published originally in 1937, the work is a valuable resource for historians, Indologists and scholars interested in the cross-cultural interactions between Europe and the India.