Afonso de Albuquerque

A sailor, soldier, statesman, administrator, and diplomat of noble birth, Afonso de Albuquerque served as the second governor of Portuguese India (1508–1515), and his political and military actions were decisive in establishing the Portuguese empire in the Indian Ocean.

Afonso de Albuquerque was born in Estremadura around 1452 or 1453.

He gained his first military experience in North Africa, but it was in the East that he distinguished himself as both navigator and commander. From 1509 onwards, he held the office of Viceroy of India. His conquests of Ormuz, Goa, and Malacca, achieved between 1510 and 1515, became milestones of history. He established Goa as the capital of the Portuguese empire in the East. With control of these strategic points, Afonso de Albuquerque secured for the Portuguese crown dominance over trade and navigation across a vast region.

He died on 16 December 1515. Buried in the Church of Graça in Lisbon, the precise location of his original tomb was lost following the 1755 earthquake.