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St. Paul's Church was originally built in 1521. In Décadas da Ásia, the seminal work of the Portuguese chronicler, João de Barros, the original structure was a simple chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The chapel was built by a Portuguese fidalgo or nobleman, Duarte Coelho, as an act of gratitude following his escape from a storm in the South China Sea.<br/><br/>The chapel was deeded to the Society of Jesus in 1548 by the Bishop of Goa, João Afonso de Albuquerque, with the title deeds received by St. Francis Xavier. The chapel was then further enlarged in 1556 with the addition of a second floor, and a belfry tower was added in 1590. The chapel was then renamed the Igreja de Madre de Deus (Church of the Mother of God).<br/><br/>A burial vault was opened in 1592 and many people of distinction were buried there, including Pedro Martins, the second Bishop of Funay, Japan.<br/><br/>With the conquest of Malacca by the Dutch in 1641, the church was reconsecrated for Dutch Reformed use as St. Paul's Church also known as the Bovernkerk or High Church.
A Famosa (Malay: Kota A Famosa; 'The Famous' in Portuguese) is a Portuguese fortress. It is among the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Asia. The Porta de Santiago, a small gate house, is the only remaining part of the fortress still standing.<br/><br/>In April 1511, Portuguese conquistador Afonso de Albuquerque set sail from Goa to Malacca with a force of some 1,200 men on a fleet of 17 or 18 ships. They conquered the city on August 24, 1511, and Sultan Mahmud Shah, the last Sultan of Malacca, had to take refuge in the hinterland. Malacca became a strategic base for Portuguese expansion in the East Indies where they could exploit the spice trade.<br/><br/>In 1641, the Dutch defeated the Portuguese with the help of the Sultan of Johore. The Dutch ruled Malacca from 1641 to 1798, but they were not interested in developing it as a trading centre, placing greater importance in Batavia (Jakarta) on Java as their administrative centre.<br/><br/>Malacca was ceded to the British in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 in exchange for Bencoolen on Sumatra. From 1826 to 1946, Malacca was governed by Britain, first by the British East India Company and then as a Crown Colony.
A Famosa (Malay: Kota A Famosa; 'The Famous' in Portuguese) is a Portuguese fortress. It is among the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Asia. The Porta de Santiago, a small gate house, is the only remaining part of the fortress still standing.<br/><br/>In April 1511, Portuguese conquistador Afonso de Albuquerque set sail from Goa to Malacca with a force of some 1,200 men on a fleet of 17 or 18 ships. They conquered the city on August 24, 1511, and Sultan Mahmud Shah, the last Sultan of Malacca, had to take refuge in the hinterland. Malacca became a strategic base for Portuguese expansion in the East Indies where they could exploit the spice trade.<br/><br/>In 1641, the Dutch defeated the Portuguese with the help of the Sultan of Johore. The Dutch ruled Malacca from 1641 to 1798, but they were not interested in developing it as a trading centre, placing greater importance in Batavia (Jakarta) on Java as their administrative centre.<br/><br/>Malacca was ceded to the British in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 in exchange for Bencoolen on Sumatra. From 1826 to 1946, Malacca was governed by Britain, first by the British East India Company and then as a Crown Colony.
St. Paul's Church was originally built in 1521. In Décadas da Ásia, the seminal work of the Portuguese chronicler, João de Barros, the original structure was a simple chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The chapel was built by a Portuguese fidalgo or nobleman, Duarte Coelho, as an act of gratitude following his escape from a storm in the South China Sea.<br/><br/>The chapel was deeded to the Society of Jesus in 1548 by the Bishop of Goa, João Afonso de Albuquerque, with the title deeds received by St. Francis Xavier. The chapel was then further enlarged in 1556 with the addition of a second floor, and a belfry tower was added in 1590. The chapel was then renamed the Igreja de Madre de Deus (Church of the Mother of God).<br/><br/>A burial vault was opened in 1592 and many people of distinction were buried there, including Pedro Martins, the second Bishop of Funay, Japan.<br/><br/>With the conquest of Malacca by the Dutch in 1641, the church was reconsecrated for Dutch Reformed use as St. Paul's Church also known as the Bovernkerk or High Church.
St. Paul's Church was originally built in 1521. In Décadas da Ásia, the seminal work of the Portuguese chronicler, João de Barros, the original structure was a simple chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The chapel was built by a Portuguese fidalgo or nobleman, Duarte Coelho, as an act of gratitude following his escape from a storm in the South China Sea.<br/><br/>The chapel was deeded to the Society of Jesus in 1548 by the Bishop of Goa, João Afonso de Albuquerque, with the title deeds received by St. Francis Xavier. The chapel was then further enlarged in 1556 with the addition of a second floor, and a belfry tower was added in 1590. The chapel was then renamed the Igreja de Madre de Deus (Church of the Mother of God).<br/><br/>A burial vault was opened in 1592 and many people of distinction were buried there, including Pedro Martins, the second Bishop of Funay, Japan.<br/><br/>With the conquest of Malacca by the Dutch in 1641, the church was reconsecrated for Dutch Reformed use as St. Paul's Church also known as the Bovernkerk or High Church.
St. Paul's Church was originally built in 1521. In Décadas da Ásia, the seminal work of the Portuguese chronicler, João de Barros, the original structure was a simple chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The chapel was built by a Portuguese fidalgo or nobleman, Duarte Coelho, as an act of gratitude following his escape from a storm in the South China Sea.<br/><br/>The chapel was deeded to the Society of Jesus in 1548 by the Bishop of Goa, João Afonso de Albuquerque, with the title deeds received by St. Francis Xavier. The chapel was then further enlarged in 1556 with the addition of a second floor, and a belfry tower was added in 1590. The chapel was then renamed the Igreja de Madre de Deus (Church of the Mother of God).<br/><br/>A burial vault was opened in 1592 and many people of distinction were buried there, including Pedro Martins, the second Bishop of Funay, Japan.<br/><br/>With the conquest of Malacca by the Dutch in 1641, the church was reconsecrated for Dutch Reformed use as St. Paul's Church also known as the Bovernkerk or High Church.
St. Paul's Church was originally built in 1521. In Décadas da Ásia, the seminal work of the Portuguese chronicler, João de Barros, the original structure was a simple chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The chapel was built by a Portuguese fidalgo or nobleman, Duarte Coelho, as an act of gratitude following his escape from a storm in the South China Sea.<br/><br/>The chapel was deeded to the Society of Jesus in 1548 by the Bishop of Goa, João Afonso de Albuquerque, with the title deeds received by St. Francis Xavier. The chapel was then further enlarged in 1556 with the addition of a second floor, and a belfry tower was added in 1590. The chapel was then renamed the Igreja de Madre de Deus (Church of the Mother of God).<br/><br/>A burial vault was opened in 1592 and many people of distinction were buried there, including Pedro Martins, the second Bishop of Funay, Japan.<br/><br/>With the conquest of Malacca by the Dutch in 1641, the church was reconsecrated for Dutch Reformed use as St. Paul's Church also known as the Bovernkerk or High Church.
St. Paul's Church was originally built in 1521. In Décadas da Ásia, the seminal work of the Portuguese chronicler, João de Barros, the original structure was a simple chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The chapel was built by a Portuguese fidalgo or nobleman, Duarte Coelho, as an act of gratitude following his escape from a storm in the South China Sea.<br/><br/>The chapel was deeded to the Society of Jesus in 1548 by the Bishop of Goa, João Afonso de Albuquerque, with the title deeds received by St. Francis Xavier. The chapel was then further enlarged in 1556 with the addition of a second floor, and a belfry tower was added in 1590. The chapel was then renamed the Igreja de Madre de Deus (Church of the Mother of God).<br/><br/>A burial vault was opened in 1592 and many people of distinction were buried there, including Pedro Martins, the second Bishop of Funay, Japan.<br/><br/>With the conquest of Malacca by the Dutch in 1641, the church was reconsecrated for Dutch Reformed use as St. Paul's Church also known as the Bovernkerk or High Church.
St. Paul's Church was originally built in 1521. In Décadas da Ásia, the seminal work of the Portuguese chronicler, João de Barros, the original structure was a simple chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The chapel was built by a Portuguese fidalgo or nobleman, Duarte Coelho, as an act of gratitude following his escape from a storm in the South China Sea.<br/><br/>The chapel was deeded to the Society of Jesus in 1548 by the Bishop of Goa, João Afonso de Albuquerque, with the title deeds received by St. Francis Xavier. The chapel was then further enlarged in 1556 with the addition of a second floor, and a belfry tower was added in 1590. The chapel was then renamed the Igreja de Madre de Deus (Church of the Mother of God).<br/><br/>A burial vault was opened in 1592 and many people of distinction were buried there, including Pedro Martins, the second Bishop of Funay, Japan.<br/><br/>With the conquest of Malacca by the Dutch in 1641, the church was reconsecrated for Dutch Reformed use as St. Paul's Church also known as the Bovernkerk or High Church.
St. Paul's Church was originally built in 1521. In Décadas da Ásia, the seminal work of the Portuguese chronicler, João de Barros, the original structure was a simple chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The chapel was built by a Portuguese fidalgo or nobleman, Duarte Coelho, as an act of gratitude following his escape from a storm in the South China Sea.<br/><br/>The chapel was deeded to the Society of Jesus in 1548 by the Bishop of Goa, João Afonso de Albuquerque, with the title deeds received by St. Francis Xavier. The chapel was then further enlarged in 1556 with the addition of a second floor, and a belfry tower was added in 1590. The chapel was then renamed the Igreja de Madre de Deus (Church of the Mother of God).<br/><br/>A burial vault was opened in 1592 and many people of distinction were buried there, including Pedro Martins, the second Bishop of Funay, Japan.<br/><br/>With the conquest of Malacca by the Dutch in 1641, the church was reconsecrated for Dutch Reformed use as St. Paul's Church also known as the Bovernkerk or High Church.
Francisco de Almeida, also known as ‘Great Dom Francisco’ (c. 1450— 1510), was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492. In 1503, he was appointed as the first governor and viceroy of the Portuguese State of India. Almeida is credited with establishing Portuguese hegemony in the Indian Ocean, with his victory at the naval Battle of Diu in 1509. Before Almeida could return to Portugal, he lost his life in 1510.
Amboina, or Ambon, would remain the main base of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) from 1605 until its headquarters moved to Batavia, now Jakarta, in 1619.<br/><br/> The Dutch East India Company, or VOC, was a chartered company granted a monopoly by the Dutch government to carry out colonial activities in Asia. It was the first multinational corporation in the world and the first company to issue stock. It was also arguably the world's first megacorporation, possessing quasi-governmental powers, including the ability to wage war, imprison and execute convicts, negotiate treaties, coin money and establish colonies.<br/><br/> The VOC was set up in 1602 to gain a foothold in the East Indies (Indonesia) for the Dutch in the lucrative spice trade, which until that point was dominated by the Portuguese.<br/><br/> Between 1602 and 1796, the VOC sent almost a million Europeans to work in the Asia trade on 4,785 ships, and netted more than 2.5 million tons of Asian trade goods.
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (1460 or 1469 – 1524) was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the European Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India. For a short time in 1524 he was Governor of Portuguese India under the title of Viceroy.
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (1460 or 1469 – 1524) was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the European Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India. For a short time in 1524 he was Governor of Portuguese India under the title of Viceroy. Painting by Ernesto Casanova, Illustration for Os Lusíadas by Luís de Camões, edition of 1880.
Brazil was a colony of Portugal from the landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500 until 1815, when it was elevated to the status of United Kingdom with Portugal and the Algarve. The colonial bond was in fact broken in 1808, when the capital of the Portuguese Kingdom was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, after Napoleon invaded Portugal. Independence from Portugal was achieved in 1822. Initially independent as the Empire of Brazil, the country has been a republic since 1889, although the bicameral legislature, now called Congress, dates back to 1824, when the first constitution was ratified.
In April 1511, Portuguese conquistador Afonso de Albuquerque set sail from Goa to Malacca with a force of some 1,200 men on a fleet of 17 or 18 ships. They conquered the city on August 24, 1511, and Sultan Mahmud Shah, the last Sultan of Malacca, had to take refuge in the hinterland. Malacca became a strategic base for Portuguese expansion in the East Indies where they could exploit the spice trade.<br/><br/>In 1641, the Dutch defeated the Portuguese with the help of the Sultan of Johore. The Dutch ruled Malacca from 1641 to 1798, but they were not interested in developing it as a trading centre, placing greater importance in Batavia (Jakarta) on Java as their administrative centre.<br/><br/>Malacca was ceded to the British in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 in exchange for Bencoolen on Sumatra. From 1826 to 1946, Malacca was governed by Britain, first by the British East India Company and then as a Crown Colony.
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (1460 or 1469 – 1524) was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the European Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India. For a short time in 1524 he was Governor of Portuguese India under the title of Viceroy.
Brazil was a colony of Portugal from the landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500 until 1815, when it was elevated to the status of United Kingdom with Portugal and the Algarve. The colonial bond was in fact broken in 1808, when the capital of the Portuguese Kingdom was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, after Napoleon invaded Portugal. Independence from Portugal was achieved in 1822. Initially independent as the Empire of Brazil, the country has been a republic since 1889, although the bicameral legislature, now called Congress, dates back to 1824, when the first constitution was ratified.
Brazil was a colony of Portugal from the landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500 until 1815, when it was elevated to the status of United Kingdom with Portugal and the Algarve. The colonial bond was in fact broken in 1808, when the capital of the Portuguese Kingdom was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, after Napoleon invaded Portugal. Independence from Portugal was achieved in 1822. Initially independent as the Empire of Brazil, the country has been a republic since 1889, although the bicameral legislature, now called Congress, dates back to 1824, when the first constitution was ratified.
In April 1511, Portuguese conquistador Afonso de Albuquerque set sail from Goa to Malacca with a force of some 1,200 men on a fleet of 17 or 18 ships. They conquered the city on August 24, 1511, and Sultan Mahmud Shah, the last Sultan of Malacca, had to take refuge in the hinterland. Malacca became a strategic base for Portuguese expansion in the East Indies where they could exploit the spice trade.<br/><br/> In 1641, the Dutch defeated the Portuguese with the help of the Sultan of Johore. The Dutch ruled Malacca from 1641 to 1798, but they were not interested in developing it as a trading centre, placing greater importance in Batavia (Jakarta) on Java as their administrative centre. Malacca was ceded to the British in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 in exchange for Bencoolen on Sumatra. From 1826 to 1946, Malacca was governed by Britain, first by the British East India Company and then as a Crown Colony.
Supervised by Spanish-born Pope Alexander VI, the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 divided the world in half—into Spanish and Portuguese territories.<br/><br/> Following Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama's success in discovering a sea route around Africa to India in 1498, King Manuel I commissioned Pedro Alvares Cabral to lead a second voyage of 13 ships and 1,500 men to India. Although he intended to stay close to the west coast of Africa, Cabral sailed far off course and accidentally chanced upon the coast of South America.<br/><br/> According to the Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494, any land falling within 370 leagues [2.060 km] west of the Cape Verde Islands was to belong to Portugal, whereas any land discovered west of this meridian would be Spanish territory, as decreed by Spanish-born Pope Alexander VI. The coastline of Brazil therefore fell within the Portuguese sphere of influence and was colonized by Manuel I.<br/><br/> However, following Portugal’s discovery of the Spice Islands of the Moluccas in 1512, Spain contested the line of demarcation. The issue was never fully settled, but the Treaty of Zaragoza in 1529 attempted to resolve the matter by setting the ‘antemeridian’ as 17 degrees to the east of the Moluccas, thus preventing the Spanish from claiming the Spice Islands.
After A Dutch spy, Jan Huyghen van Linschoten, copied Portuguese nautical maps while working as secretary for the Portuguese Archbishop of Goa in the 1580s, his published maps and books enabled the maritime passage to the elusive East Indies to be opened to the English and the Dutch. This allowed the British East India Company and the Dutch East India Company to break the 16th century monopoly enjoyed by the Portuguese on trade with the East Indies (Indonesia) and the Spice Islands (Moluccas), though not without a great deal of bloodshed. The Portuguese East India Company lost its stranglehold on East Indies’ trade and commerce, and was liquidated in 1633.
Ternate is the major island of the Maluku Islands (Moluccas), which were known to Europeans as the Spice Islands. Together with neighbor Tidor, Ternate was the single largest producer of cloves in the world. Previously administered by warring Muslims sultans, the Spice Islands were first landed by shipwrecked Portuguese sailors in 1512. The fort was built in 1522, and Portugal fought constant battles with Ottoman-backed sultans, the Spanish, the British, and the Dutch to maintain control of the lucrative clove trade. In the 18th century, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) took governership of the islands. The demand for exotic spices finally waned in the 19th century, and Ternate was abandoned by the colonial Europeans.
On this map, the boxes ‘A’ indicate the king’s palaces; B is where de Houtman met the king; C is what de Houtman calls the ‘Cape of Pigs’; D is where the Dutch fleet anchored; E where they went ashore.<br/><br/> Cornelis de Houtman (1565—99), brother of Frederick de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who discovered a new sea route from Europe to Indonesia which helped start the Dutch spice trade. At the time, the Portuguese Empire held a monopoly on the spice trade, and the voyage was a symbolic victory for the Dutch.<br/><br/> However, the voyage itself was a disaster, beset with mutiny, killings and scurvy. De Houtman managed to insult and alienate almost everyone he met on the way. He was refused spices after insulting the Sultan of Banten on Java, then he allowed his men to rape and plunder on Madura. He managed to buy only a few pots of peppercorns on Bali; then in 1599, in Aceh in Sumatra, he insulted the sultan, setting off a sea battle in which he himself was killed.
Cornelis de Houtman (1565—99), brother of Frederick de Houtman, was a Dutch explorer who discovered a new sea route from Europe to Indonesia which helped start the Dutch spice trade. At the time, the Portuguese Empire held a monopoly on the spice trade, and the voyage was a symbolic victory for the Dutch.<br/><br/> However, the voyage itself was a disaster, beset with mutiny, killings and scurvy. De Houtman managed to insult and alienate almost everyone he met on the way. He was refused spices after insulting the Sultan of Banten on Java, then he allowed his men to rape and plunder on Madura. He managed to buy only a few pots of peppercorns on Bali; then in 1599, in Aceh in Sumatra, he insulted the sultan, setting off a sea battle in which he himself was killed.
Jan Huyghen van Linschoten (1563—1611) was a Dutch Protestant merchant, traveller and historian who is credited with copying top-secret Portuguese nautical maps while working as secretary for the Portuguese Archbishop of Goa in the 1580s. He published several books in Holland which enabled the maritime passage to the elusive East Indies to be opened to the English and the Dutch. This enabled the British East India Company and the Dutch East India Company to break the 16th century monopoly enjoyed by the Portuguese on trade with the East Indies and the Spice Islands.
Macau was both the first and last European colony in China. In 1535, Portuguese traders obtained rights to anchor ships in Macau's harbours and to trade, though not the right to stay onshore. Around 1552–53, they obtained permission to erect temporary storage sheds on the island and built small houses. In 1557, the Portuguese established a permanent settlement in Macau, paying an annual rent of 500 taels of silver. Macau soon became the major trafficking point for Chinese slaves, and many Chinese boys were captured in China, and sold in Lisbon or Brazil. Portugal administered the region until its handover to China on 20 December 1999. It is now best known for casinos and gambling.
Under King Manuel I, the Portuguese set up a government in India in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to Calicut in southwest India by Vasco da Gama. The Portuguese originally based their administration in Kochi, or Cochin, in Kerala, but in 1510 moved to Goa. Until 1752, the ‘State of India’ included all Portuguese possessions in the Indian Ocean, from southern Africa to Southeast Asia, governed by either a Viceroy or a Governor. In 1752 Mozambique got its own government, and in 1844 the Portuguese Government of India stopped administering the territories of Macau, Solor and Timor, restricting themselves to the Malabar coast.<br/><br/> At the time of British India's independence in 1947, Portuguese India included a number of enclaves on India's western coast, including Goa proper, as well as the coastal enclaves of Daman and Diu. Portugal lost the last two enclaves in 1954, and the remainder in 1961, when they were occupied by India (although Portugal only recognized the annexation in 1975, after the Carnation Revolution and the fall of the Estado Novo regime).
Under King Manuel I, the Portuguese set up a government in India in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to Calicut in southwest India by Vasco da Gama. The Portuguese originally based their administration in Kochi, or Cochin, in Kerala, but in 1510 moved to Goa. Until 1752, the ‘State of India’ included all Portuguese possessions in the Indian Ocean, from southern Africa to Southeast Asia, governed by either a Viceroy or a Governor. In 1752 Mozambique got its own government, and in 1844 the Portuguese Government of India stopped administering the territories of Macau, Solor and Timor, restricting themselves to the Malabar coast.<br/><br/> At the time of British India's independence in 1947, Portuguese India included a number of enclaves on India's western coast, including Goa proper, as well as the coastal enclaves of Daman and Diu. Portugal lost the last two enclaves in 1954, and the remainder in 1961, when they were occupied by India (although Portugal only recognized the annexation in 1975, after the Carnation Revolution and the fall of the Estado Novo regime).
Under King Manuel I, the Portuguese set up a government in India in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to Calicut in southwest India by Vasco da Gama. The Portuguese originally based their administration in Kochi, or Cochin, in Kerala, but in 1510 moved to Goa. Until 1752, the ‘State of India’ included all Portuguese possessions in the Indian Ocean, from southern Africa to Southeast Asia, governed by either a Viceroy or a Governor. In 1752 Mozambique got its own government, and in 1844 the Portuguese Government of India stopped administering the territories of Macau, Solor and Timor, restricting themselves to the Malabar coast.<br/><br/> At the time of British India's independence in 1947, Portuguese India included a number of enclaves on India's western coast, including Goa proper, as well as the coastal enclaves of Daman and Diu. Portugal lost the last two enclaves in 1954, and the remainder in 1961, when they were occupied by India (although Portugal only recognized the annexation in 1975, after the Carnation Revolution and the fall of the Estado Novo regime).
Supervised by Spanish-born Pope Alexander VI, the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 divided the world in half—into Spanish and Portuguese territories. However, following Portugal’s discovery of the Spice Islands of the Moluccas in 1512, Spain contested the line of demarcation. The issue was never fully settled, but the Treaty of Zaragoza in 1529 attempted to resolve the matter by setting the ‘antemeridian’ as 17 degrees to the east of the Moluccas, thus preventing the Spanish from claiming the Spice Islands. This 1522 map favors the Spanish claim, with the antemeridian cutting through Siam, Malacca and Sumatra, hundreds of miles west of the Moluccas.
Afonso de Albuquerque (1453—1515) was a Portuguese admiral whose military and administrative accomplishments as second governor of Portuguese India established the Portuguese colonial empire in the Indian Ocean. He is generally considered a military genius.<br/><br/> Albuquerque attempted to close all Indian Ocean naval routes to the Atlantic, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and to the Pacific, and was responsible for building numerous fortresses to defend key strategic positions and establishing a net of diplomatic relations. Shortly before his death he was awarded viceroy and 'Duke of Goa' by king Manuel I of Portugal, becoming the first Portuguese duke not from the royal family, and the first Portuguese title landed overseas. He was known as ‘The Terrible’, ‘The Great’, ‘The Caesar of the East’, ‘Lion of the Seas’ and ‘The Portuguese Mars’. However, Albuquerque was not so lucky in Aden. In February 1513, he sailed to the Red Sea with a force of about 1,000 Portuguese and 400 Malabaris. Knowing that the mamluks were preparing a second fleet at Suez, he wanted to advance before reinforcements arrived to Aden. He laid siege to the fortified city, but after a half day of fierce battle was forced to retreat. In August 1513, he tried again, but failed, and returned to India.<br/><br/> There is no doubting Albuquerque’s ruthless ambition. He suggested diverting the course of the Nile River to render Egypt barren. And he even planned to steal the body of the Prophet Muhammad, and hold it for ransom until all Muslims had left the Holy Land.
Diego Lopes de Sequeira was a Portuguese ‘conquistador’ sent to analyze the trade potential in Madagascar and Malacca. He arrived in Malacca in Malaysia in September, 1509, but left the next year when he discovered that Sultan Mahmud Shah, the local leader, was devising his assassination. This gave Afonso de Albuquerque the opportunity to embark upon his expeditions of conquests. Sequeira was subsequently made governor of Portuguese India (1518–22), and in 1520 led a military campaign into the Red Sea which hastened the first legitimate Portuguese embassy to Ethiopia.
Under King Manuel I, the Portuguese set up a government in India in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to Calicut in southwest India by Vasco da Gama. The Portuguese originally based their administration in Kochi, or Cochin, in Kerala, but in 1510 moved to Goa. Until 1752, the ‘State of India’ included all Portuguese possessions in the Indian Ocean, from southern Africa to Southeast Asia, governed by either a Viceroy or a Governor. In 1752 Mozambique got its own government, and in 1844 the Portuguese Government of India stopped administering the territories of Macau, Solor and Timor, restricting themselves to the Malabar coast.<br/><br/> At the time of British India's independence in 1947, Portuguese India included a number of enclaves on India's western coast, including Goa proper, as well as the coastal enclaves of Daman and Diu. Portugal lost the last two enclaves in 1954, and the remainder in 1961, when they were occupied by India (although Portugal only recognized the annexation in 1975, after the Carnation Revolution and the fall of the Estado Novo regime).
India/Portugal: 'Death of Sultan Bahadur in front of Diu during negotiations with the Portuguese, 1537'. Painting from the 'Akbarnama', late 16th century.<br/><br/> Qutb-ud-Din Bahadur Shah (c. 1506-1537), born Bahadur Khan, was a Sultan of the Muzaffarid Dynasty who ruled over the Gujarat Sultanate in India. Fighting off his brothers to succeed his father, he expanded his kingdoms through military expeditions, but came under attack from the growing Mughal Empire. Gujarat fell in 1532, but Bahadur regained his kingdom in 1536 with Portuguese aid. He was subsequently killed by the Portuguese a year later when trying to renege on his alliance, murdered on a Portuguese ship during negotiations.
Francisco de Almeida, also known as ‘Great Dom Francisco’ (c. 1450— 1510), was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492. In 1503, he was appointed as the first governor and viceroy of the Portuguese State of India. Almeida is credited with establishing Portuguese hegemony in the Indian Ocean, with his victory at the naval Battle of Diu in 1509. Before Almeida could return to Portugal, he lost his life in 1510.
Under King Manuel I, the Portuguese set up a government in India in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to Calicut in southwest India by Vasco da Gama. The Portuguese originally based their administration in Kochi, or Cochin, in Kerala, but in 1510 moved to Goa. Until 1752, the ‘State of India’ included all Portuguese possessions in the Indian Ocean, from southern Africa to Southeast Asia, governed by either a Viceroy or a Governor. In 1752 Mozambique got its own government, and in 1844 the Portuguese Government of India stopped administering the territories of Macau, Solor and Timor, restricting themselves to the Malabar coast.<br/><br/> At the time of British India's independence in 1947, Portuguese India included a number of enclaves on India's western coast, including Goa proper, as well as the coastal enclaves of Daman and Diu. Portugal lost the last two enclaves in 1954, and the remainder in 1961, when they were occupied by India (although Portugal only recognized the annexation in 1975, after the Carnation Revolution and the fall of the Estado Novo regime).
The Sao Gabriel, commanded by Vasco da Gama; a carrack of 178 tons, length 27 m, width 8.5 m, draft 2.3 m, sails of 372 m². Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (1460 or 1469 – 1524) was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the European Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India. For a short time in 1524 he was Governor of Portuguese India under the title of Viceroy.
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (1460 or 1469 – 1524) was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the European Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India. For a short time in 1524 he was Governor of Portuguese India under the title of Viceroy.