Historian William Greenlee has argued that the Portuguese realized that "they were few in numbers and that those who would come to India in the future fleets would always be at numerical disadvantage; so that this treachery must be punished in a manner so decisive that the Portuguese would be feared and respected in the future.
Sejarawan William Greenlee mengatakan kalau bangsa Portugis menyadari bahwa "mereka sedikit jumlahnya dan bahwa mereka yang datang ke India dengan armada-armadanya di kemudian hari akan selalu berada dalam posisi kalah secara jumlah; sehingga pengkhianatan ini perlu dihukum dengan cara yang sedemikian tegas agar bangsa Portugis ditakuti dan dihormati di kemudian hari.