Portuguese India

Estado da Índia
Portuguese State of India Portuguese colony ←
1510 – 1961 →

Flag Coat of arms

Portuguese India evolution Capital Nova Goa (Cochin to 1530) Language(s) Portuguese Political structure Colony Head of state - King
1511-21 Manuel I of Portugal - President
1958-61 Américo Tomás Viceroy - 1505-09 (first) Francisco de Almeida - 1827-35 (last) Manuel de Portugal e Castro Governor-general - 1509-15 (first) Afonso de Albuquerque - 1958-62 (last) Manuel António Vassalo e Silva Historical era Imperialism - Fall of Sultanate of Bijapur 15 August, 1510 - Fall of Portuguese India 14 January, 1961 Currency Indian rúpia (INPR)
Indian escudo (INPES)

Portuguese India (Portuguese: Índia Portuguesa or Estado da Índia) was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India. 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 (Port: Damão) and Diu, and the enclaves of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, which lie inland from Daman. The territories of Portuguese India were sometimes referred to collectively as Goa.

1 Early history
2 After India's independence
3 Postage stamps and postal history
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

Early history

The first Portuguese encounter with India was on May 20, 1498 when Vasco da Gama landed in Calicut (present-day Kozhikode). Over the objections of Arab merchants, Gama secured an ambiguous letter of concession for trading rights from the Zamorin, Calicut's local ruler, but had to sail off without warning after the Zamorin insisted on his leaving behind all his goods as collateral. Gama kept his goods, but left behind a few Portuguese with orders to start a trading post.

In 1510, Portuguese admiral Afonso de Albuquerque defeated the Bijapur sultans on behalf of a local sovereign, Timayya, leading to the establishment of a permanent settlement in Velha Goa (or Old Goa). The Southern Province, also known simply as Goa, was the headquarters of Portuguese India, and seat of the Portuguese viceroy who governed the Portuguese possessions in Asia.

The Portuguese acquired several territories from the Sultans of Gujarat: Daman (occupied 1531, formally ceded 1539); Salsette, Bombay, and Baçaim (occupied 1534); and Diu (ceded 1535).

Coat of Arms of Goa, Portuguese possession in India (1675)

These possessions became the Northern Province of Portuguese India, which extended almost 100 km along the coast from Daman to Chaul, and in places 30–50 km inland. The province was ruled from the fortress-town of Baçaim. Bombay (present day Mumbai) was given to Britain in 1661 as part of the Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza's dowry to Charles II of England. Most of the Northern Province was lost to the Marathas in 1739, and Portugal acquired Dadra and Nagar Haveli in 1779.

After India's independence

After India's independence from the British in 1947, Portugal refused to accede to India's request to relinquish control of its Indian possessions. The decision given by the International Court of Justice at The Hague, regarding access to Dadra and Nagar Haveli, after it was invaded by Indian citizens, was an impasse[1].

From 1954, peaceful Satyagrahis attempts from outside Goa at forcing the Portuguese to leave Goa were brutally suppressed.[2] Many revolts were quelled by the use of force and leaders eliminated or jailed. As a result, India closed its consulate (which had operated in Panjim since 1947) and imposed an economic embargo against the territories of Portuguese Goa. The Indian Government adopted a "wait and watch" attitude from 1955 to 1961 with numerous representations to the Portuguese Salazar regime and attempts to highlight the issue before the international community.[3] Eventually, in December 1961, India militarily invaded Goa, Daman and Diu, where they were faced with insufficient Portuguese resistance.[4][5] Portuguese armed forces had been instructed to either defeat the invaders or die, and though a cease-fire was decreed, an official truce was never signed. [6] Only meager resistance was offered due to the Portuguese army's poor firepower and size (only 3,300 men), against a fully-armed Indian force of over 30,000 with full Air and Naval support.[7] [8]. The territories were annexed to India on 19 December 1961.

Portuguese and other European settlements in India.

The Salazar regime in Portugal refused to recognize Indian sovereignty over Goa, Daman and Diu, which continued to be represented in Portugal's National Assembly until 1974. Following the Carnation Revolution that year, the new government in Lisbon restored diplomatic relations with India, and recognized Indian sovereignty over Goa, Daman and Diu. However, due to the military takeover, and since the wishes of the people of Portuguese India were never taken into consideration (as required by UN Resolution 1514 (XV) of 1960 on "the right to self-determination" [9] -- see also UN Resolutions 1541 and 1542 [10]), the people continue to have the right to Portuguese citizenship. However, since 2006, this has been restricted to those born during Portuguese rule. The UN resolutions were never applied to Goa - a result of the Soviet Union vetoing efforts by the United States in this regard.

Postage stamps and postal history

Main article: Postage stamps and postal history of Portuguese India

Early postal history of the colony is obscure, but regular mail is known to have been exchanged with Lisbon from 1825 on. Portugal had a postal convention with Great Britain, so much mail was probably routed through Bombay and carried on British packets. Portuguese postmarks are known from 1854.

The first postage stamps were issued 1 October 1871 for local use. The design simply consisted of a denomination in the center, with an oval band containing the inscriptions "SERVIÇO POSTAL" and "INDIA POST". In 1877, Portugal included India in its standard "crown" issue and from 1886 on, the pattern of regular stamp issues followed that of the other colonies closely, the main exception being a series of surcharges in 1912 produced by perforating existing stamps vertically through the middle and overprinting a new value on each side.

The last regular issue was on 25 June 1960, for the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator. Stamps of India were first used 29 December 1961, although the old stamps were accepted until 5 January 1962. Portugal continued to issue stamps for the lost colony but none were offered for sale in the colony's post offices, and are thus not considered valid stamps.

References

External links

The GoaMog Information Resource Portal
Goacom
Summary of the judgment of the International Court of Justice in the Right of Passage over Indian Territory (Portugal vs. India) case
Dutch Portuguese Colonial History Dutch Portuguese Colonial History: history of the Portuguese and the Dutch in Ceylon, India, Malacca, Bengal, Formosa, Africa, Brazil. Language Heritage, lists of remains, maps.

v • d • e Portuguese Empire North Africa

15th century
1415–1640 Ceuta
1458–1550 Alcácer Ceguer (El Qsar es Seghir)
1471–1550 Arzila (Asilah)
1471–1662 Tangier
1485–1550 Mazagan (El Jadida)
1487- middle 16th century Ouadane
1488–1541 Safim (Safi)

16th century
1505–1769 Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Agadir)
1506–1525 Mogador (Essaouira)
1506–1525 Aguz (Souira Guedima)
1506–1769 Mazagan (El Jadida)
1513–1541 Azamor (Azemmour)
1577–1589 Arzila (Asilah)

Sub-Saharan Africa

15th century
1455–1633 Arguin
1470–1975 São Tomé1
1474–1778 Annobón
1478–1778 Fernando Poo (Bioko)
1482–1637 Elmina (São Jorge da Mina)
1482–1642 Portuguese Gold Coast
1496–1550 Madagascar (part)
1498–1540 Mascarene Islands

16th century
1500–1630 Malindi
1500–1975 Príncipe1
1501–1975 Portuguese E. Africa (Mozambique)
1502–1659 St. Helena
1503–1698 Zanzibar
1505–1512 Quíloa (Kilwa)
1506–1511 Socotra
1557–1578 Accra
1575–1975 Portuguese W. Africa (Angola)
1588–1974 Cacheu2
1593–1698 Mombassa (Mombasa)

17th century
1642–1975 Cape Verde
1645–1888 Ziguinchor
1680–1961 São João Baptista de Ajudá
1687–1974 Bissau2

18th century
1728–1729 Mombassa (Mombasa)
1753–1975 São Tomé and Príncipe

19th century
1879–1974 Portuguese Guinea
1885–1975 Portuguese Congo (Cabinda)

1 Part of São Tomé and Príncipefrom 1753. 2 Part of Portuguese Guineafrom 1879.

Southwest Asia

16th century
1506–1615 Gamru (Bandar Abbas)
1507-1643 Sohar
1515–1622 Hormuz (Ormus)
1515-1648 Quriyat
1515-? Qalhat
1515–1650 Muscat
1515?-? Barka
1515-1633? Julfar (Ras al-Khaimah)
1521–1602 Bahrain (Al Muharraq and Manama)
1521-1529? Qatif
1521?-1551? Tarut Island
1550-1551 Qatif
1588-1648 Matrah

17th century
1620-? Khor Fakkan
1621?-? As Sib
1621-1622 Qeshm
1623-? Khasab
1623-? Libedia
1624-? Kalba
1624-? Madha
1624-1648 Diba al-Hisn
1624?-? Bandar-e Kong

Indian subcontinent

15th century
1498–1545 Laccadive Islands (Lakshadweep)

16th century
Portuguese India
   1500–1663 Cochim (Kochi)
   1502–1661 Quilon (Coulão/Kollam)
   1502–1663 Cannanore (Kannur)
   1507–1657 Negapatam (Nagapattinam)
   1510–1962 Goa
   1512–1525 Calicut (Kozhikode)
   1518–1619 Paliacate (Pulicat)
   1521–1740 Chaul
   1523–1662 São Tomé de Meliapore
   1528–1666 Chittagong
   1534–1601 Salsette Island
   1534–1661 Bombay (Mumbai)
   1535–1739 Baçaím (Vasai-Virar)
   1536–1662 Cranganore (Kodungallur)
   1540–1612 Surat
   1548–1658 Tuticorin (Thoothukudi)
   1559–1962 Daman and Diu
   1568–1659 Mangalore
   1579–1632 Hughli
   1598–1610 Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam)
1518–1521 Maldives
1518–1658 Portuguese Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
1558–1573 Maldives

17th century
Portuguese India
1687–1749 São Tomé de Meliapore

18th century
Portuguese India
1779–1954 Dadra and Nagar Haveli

East Asia and Oceania

16th century
1511–1641 Portuguese Malacca
1512–1621 Banda Islands
1512–1621 Moluccas (Maluku Islands)
   1522–1575 Ternate
   1576–1605 Ambon
   1578–1650 Tidore
1512–1665 Makassar
1553–1999 Macau
1533-1545 Ning-po
1571–1639 Decima (Dejima, Nagasaki)

17th century
1642–1975 Portuguese Timor (East Timor)1

19th century
Macau
   1864–1999 Coloane
   1851–1999 Taipa
   1890–1999 Ilha Verde

20th century
Macau
   1938–1941 Lapa and Montanha (Hengqin)

1 1975 is the date of East Timor's Declaration of Independence and subsequent invasion by Indonesia. In 2002, the independence of East Timor was recognized by Portugal and the rest of the world.

North America and the North Atlantic Ocean

15th century
1420 Madeira
1432 Azores

16th century
1500–1579? Terra Nova (Newfoundland)
1500-1579? Labrador
1516–1579? Nova Scotia

Central and South America

16th century
1500–1822 Brazil
1536–1620 Barbados

17th century
1680–1777 Nova Colônia do Sacramento

19th century
1808–1822 Cisplatina (Uruguay)