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Our Pasts I, II & III (Classes 6–8)
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Portuguese Estado da Índia
Colonial power
Level 2
★ Major power
1505 – 1961
Portuguese maritime state; Goa, Daman and Diu remained until 1961.
- Capital
- Goa (from 1530)
- Region
- Coastal
- Duration
- 456 years
- Main period
- European Maritime Powers
Approximate extent.
Rulers
- Afonso de Albuquerque Governor1509 – 1515Captured Goa in 1510.
Selected rulers; gaps in the list are not gaps in the dynasty.
Constituent & related polities
Portuguese Cochin
1503 – 1663
Portuguese Bassein & Bombay
1534 – 1739
Portuguese Diu
1535 – 1961
Portuguese Malé
1558 – 1573
Portuguese Daman
1559 – 1961
Portuguese Hooghly
1579 – 1632
Portuguese Ceylon
1597 – 1658
Key events
| Year | Event | Place |
|---|---|---|
| 1509 | Battle of Diu Portuguese naval victory over a Gujarati-Mamluk fleet. Portuguese naval supremacy in the Arabian Sea was established. |
Diu |
| 1510 | Portuguese capture Goa Afonso de Albuquerque takes Goa from Bijapur. Goa became the capital of the Portuguese Estado da Índia until 1961. |
Goa |
| 1558 | Portuguese occupy Malé | Malé |
| 1661 | Bombay passes to England Part of Catherine of Braganza's dowry. |
Mumbai |
Sites & monuments
Basilica of Bom Jesus, Goa
Religious monument · 1605
Personalities
Vasco da Gama
c. 1460 – c. 1524
Portuguese navigator who reached Calicut in 1498
Francis Xavier
1506 – 1552
Jesuit missionary whose remains lie in Goa
📚 Recommended reading on the Portuguese Estado da Índia
Textbook
Themes in Indian History, Parts I–III (Class 12)
Source-based chapters on Harappa, Vijayanagara, the Mughal court and 1857 — essential for UPSC.
Reference
The Marathas 1600–1818
How the Maratha state rose from Shivaji's swarajya to a subcontinental power.
Reference
A History of Assam
The classic history of Assam and the Ahom kingdom.
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Contemporaries
Powers that coexisted with the Portuguese Estado da Índia for a significant part of its history.
Sultanate of the Maldives ★
Islands · c. 1153 – 1968
Malla Dynasty of Nepal ★
Himalaya · 1201 – 1769
Ahom Kingdom ★
Northeast · 1228 – 1826
Mewar (Sisodia) ★
West · 1326 – 1949
Vijayanagara Empire ★
South · 1336 – 1646
Kingdom of Mysore ★
South · 1399 – 1950
Kingdom of Kandy ★
Sri Lanka · c. 1469 – 1815
Mughal Empire ★
North · 1526 – 1857
British East India Company ★
Pan-Indian · 1600 – 1858
Maratha Empire ★
Deccan · 1674 – 1818
Nawabs of Bengal ★
East · 1717 – 1765
Hyderabad State (Nizams) ★
Deccan · 1724 – 1948
Sikh Empire ★
North · 1799 – 1849
Kingdom of Nepal ★
Himalaya · 1816 – 2008
British Raj (Crown Rule) ★
Pan-Indian · 1858 – 1947
Kingdom of Bhutan ★
Himalaya · 1907 – present
Zamorins of Calicut
South · c. 1124 – 1766
Kachwahas of Amber (Jaipur)
West · c. 1128 – 1949
Jaffna Kingdom
Sri Lanka · c. 1215 – 1619
Marwar (Rathore)
West · c. 1226 – 1949
Kashmir Sultanate
North · 1339 – 1586
Bengal Sultanate
East · 1352 – 1576
Malwa Sultanate
Central · 1392 – 1562
Gujarat Sultanate
West · 1407 – 1573
Kingdom of Kotte
Sri Lanka · 1412 – 1597
Gajapati Kingdom
East · 1434 – 1541
Ahmadnagar Sultanate (Nizam Shahi)
Deccan · 1490 – 1636
Bijapur Sultanate (Adil Shahi)
Deccan · 1490 – 1686
Berar Sultanate (Imad Shahi)
Deccan · 1490 – 1574
Bidar Sultanate (Barid Shahi)
Deccan · 1492 – 1619
Koch Kingdom (Kamata / Cooch Behar)
Northeast · 1515 – 1949
Golconda Sultanate (Qutb Shahi)
Deccan · 1518 – 1687
Madurai Nayaks
South · 1529 – 1736
Gorkha Kingdom
Himalaya · 1559 – 1768
Dutch East India Company (VOC) in India
Coastal · 1605 – 1825
Dutch Coromandel (Pulicat)
Coastal · 1610 – 1825
Bhutan under the Zhabdrung (Druk Desi)
Himalaya · 1616 – 1907
Danish India
Coastal · 1620 – 1869
Danish Tranquebar
Coastal · 1620 – 1845
Fort St George, Madras
Coastal · 1639 – 1858