The 1878 Portuguese-British treaty: history of a technodiplomatic accord in three acts

Abstract

In 1872 a dispute between Portugal and Britain in India regarding a customs nuisance paved the way for a negotiation that culminated in the signature of a treaty between those two nations for the regulation of their relations in that part of the world. In the discussion (broadened to other issues besides customs), a railway from Goa to the heart of British India became involved, but it rapidly became obvious that that commitment was as heartily sought by Portugal, as it was rejected by Britain. In this paper we aim to analyse this diplomatic process under the scope of technodiplomacy. We aim to show that the technical sublime inherent to railways deeply influenced the negotiation and the ulterior application of the treaty in Portuguese India. We hope to contribute to the debate about the fundamental cultural importance of technology in the Portuguese society of the late 19th-century.