[Conclusion] Indelible Marks of Portugal

A close examination of the map, Demonstração da Fortaleza de Mombaim, shows many layers of colonialism. This map and others in its collection paint an image of Portuguese rule in Mumbai through depicting the heavy emphasis on military defense, the blatant cultural insensitivity, and the objectification of the city and its people. The simple visual form of Mumbai from the Portuguese perspective reveals the colonial mindset and hints at the impact of colonialism on the Indian locals.

James Corner presents the idea of maps as a game-board (in the context of the graphic map), and by examining this map, it becomes clear that the process of mapmaking was part of an extensive "game plan" for the Portuguese. This map was not only the way in which they painted colonialist messages and gamed the politics of control over a foreign territory but also eternal proof of the indelible marks that Portugal left on Mumbai. The Portuguese used maps like this one to show the rest of the world as well as those in Mumbai who was in control.

Ultimately, I close my analysis with the following quote, which provokes thought around just how powerful maps can be, as shown with this exhibit:

The map always precedes the territory, in that space only becomes territory through acts of bounding and making visible, which are primary functions of mapping (Corner 222)