Portuguese conquest of Daman: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox military conflict
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Portuguese conquest of Daman
| conflict          = Portuguese conquest of Daman
| partof            = [[Gujarati-Portuguese conflicts]]
| partof            = [[Gujarati–Portuguese conflicts]]
| image            = Don Constantin de Bragance and the City of Daman, a copperplate engraving, Paris 1733.jpg
| image            = Don Constantin de Bragance and the City of Daman, a copperplate engraving, Paris 1733.jpg
| image_size        = 300
| image_size        = 300
| caption          = Copperplate engraving depicting Dom Constantino de Bragança and Daman.
| caption          = Copperplate engraving depicting Dom Constantino de Bragança and Daman.
| date              = 2 Ferbruary 1559<ref name=danvers/><ref>Charles J. Borges, Helmut Feldmann: ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=fWlMV5lVSpYC&dq=conquest%20of%20daman%201559&pg=PA222 Goa and Portugal: Their Cultural Links]'' p. 222.</ref>
| date              = 2 February 1559<ref name=danvers/><ref>Charles J. Borges, Helmut Feldmann: ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=fWlMV5lVSpYC&dq=conquest%20of%20daman%201559&pg=PA222 Goa and Portugal: Their Cultural Links]'' p. 222.</ref>
| place            = [[Daman and Diu|Daman]], India.
| place            = [[Daman and Diu|Daman]], India.
| result            = Portuguese victory<ref name=danvers/>
| result            = Portuguese victory<ref name=danvers/>
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*Dom Pedro de Almeida
*Dom Pedro de Almeida
| commander2        = [[Siddi]] Bofeta
| commander2        = [[Siddi]] Bofeta
| strength1        = 100 ships<ref name=danvers/><br>3000 men.<ref>Saturnino Monteiro: ''Batalhas e Combates da Marinha Portuguesa'', volume III, Livraria Sá da Costa Editora, 1992, p. 197.</ref>
| strength1        = 3,000 men<br>100 ships.<ref name=danvers/><ref>Saturnino Monteiro: ''Batalhas e Combates da Marinha Portuguesa'', volume III, Livraria Sá da Costa Editora, 1992, p. 197.</ref>
| strength2        = 4000 men<ref name=danvers/>
| strength2        = 4,000 men<ref name=danvers/>
| casualties1      = Few.
| casualties1      = Few.
| casualties2      = 500 men<ref name=danvers/>
| casualties2      = 500 men<ref name=danvers/>
}}
}}
{{Portuguese colonial campaigns}}
{{Portuguese colonial campaigns}}
{{Portuguese battles in the Indian Ocean}}


The '''Portuguese conquest of Daman''' was a military campaign undertaken by the [[Portuguese Empire]] against the city of Daman, in [[India]], until then owned by the [[Gujarat Sultanate|Sultanate of Gujarat]]. The Portuguese captured the city.
The '''Portuguese conquest of Daman''' was a military campaign undertaken by the [[Portuguese Empire]] against the city of Daman, in [[India]], until then owned by the [[Gujarat Sultanate|Sultanate of Gujarat]]. The Portuguese captured the city.
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==See also==
==See also==
*[[Portuguese India]]
*[[Portuguese India]]
*[[Siege of Daman (1581)]]
*[[Fort of Daman]]
*[[Fort of Daman]]
*[[Fort São Jerónimo]]
*[[Fort São Jerónimo]]
*[[Mughal–Portuguese War (1692–1693)]]
*[[Mughal–Portuguese conflicts]]
**[[Siege of Daman (1581)]]
**[[Mughal–Portuguese War (1692–1693)]]
*[[Daman and Diu Portuguese Creole]]
*[[Daman and Diu Portuguese Creole]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Daman, Conquest}}
{{reflist}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Daman, Conquest}}
[[Category:1559 in military history]]
[[Category:1559 in military history]]
[[Category:Battles involving Portugal]]
[[Category:Amphibious operations]]
[[Category:Amphibious operations]]
[[Category:Portuguese India]]
[[Category:Portuguese India]]
[[Category:History of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Gujarat Sultanate]]
[[Category:History of Daman and Diu]]
[[Category:History of Daman and Diu]]
[[Category:Battles involving Portuguese India]]
[[Category:Battles involving Portuguese India]]

Latest revision as of 22:13, 28 February 2026


Portuguese conquest of Daman
Part of Gujarati–Portuguese conflicts

Copperplate engraving depicting Dom Constantino de Bragança and Daman.
Date2 February 1559[1][2]
Location
Daman, India.
Result Portuguese victory[1]
Belligerents
Template:Country data Kingdom of PortugalTemplate:Preview warning Portuguese Empire Sultanate of Gujarat
Commanders and leaders

Template:Country data Kingdom of PortugalTemplate:Preview warning Dom Constantino de Bragança

  • António Moniz Barreto
  • Dom Pedro de Almeida
Siddi Bofeta
Strength
3,000 men
100 ships.[1][3]
4,000 men[1]
Casualties and losses
Few. 500 men[1]

Template:Portuguese colonial campaigns

The Portuguese conquest of Daman was a military campaign undertaken by the Portuguese Empire against the city of Daman, in India, until then owned by the Sultanate of Gujarat. The Portuguese captured the city.

Context[edit | edit source]

Upon assuming office as viceroy of India, Dom Constantino de Bragança sought to reinforce the security of Portuguese Bassein by establishing a new stronghold at nearby Daman, which the Portuguese governor of India Francisco Barreto had previously obtained from the Sultan of Gujarat Ahmad Shah III as a concession but was unable to take possession of it due to the resistance of the lord of the territory, whom the Portuguese identified as Cide Bofata, who rebelled against the decision of the sultan and gathered 4000 men to defend it.[1] The viceroy therefore sailed with a force of 100 ships to take Daman by force.[1]

The campaign[edit | edit source]

Upon landing at Daman, the Siddi Bofeta had the resident Christians beheaded for suspecting collusion with the Portuguese, and then promptly abandoned the city to retreat inland, allowing the Portuguese to capture the settlement unopposed.[1][4] The first Portuguese to enter the city and fly a regimental flag was Manuel Rolim, upon which the Portuguese armada fired a gun salute.[4] The Gujarati camped at Pernel, where they prepared a force of 2000 horsemen to resist the Portuguese.[1] António Moniz Barreto marched out during the night with 500 men, and successfully conducted a night-time attack against the camp, driving the enemy from it with a loss of 500 men.[1] 36 large cannon were captured, along with money and other spoils.[1]

By liberality and other means, Dom Constantino compelled the native inhabitants who had fled to return to their homes.[1] The viceroy also confirmed the rights over the customs of Daman to the neighbouring King of Sarceta, a nearby mountain ruler.[1]

Dom Constantino then endeavoured to capture Valsad (Bulsar in Portuguese), towards which objective he dispatched Dom Pedro de Almeida with 150 horsemen and 150 infantrymen.[1] The local inhabitants fled at the approach of the Portuguese, and a garrison of 120 men was left in the place.[1]

Aftermath[edit | edit source]

The Gujarati fort was captured by the Portuguese and christened as Nossa Senhora da Purificação after the day it was captured.[4]

Having secured the region, Dom Constantino established a garrison of 1200 men at Daman, upon which he returned to Goa, capital of Portuguese possessions in Asia.[1] After the acquisition of Bassein in 1534 and Diu in 1535, Portuguese grip on navigation in the Gulf of Khambat became even tighter, making it increasingly difficult for Indian ships to travel without acquiring a cartaz, and the invicibility of Portuguese fleets terrified the Gujaratis into accepting the system.[5] Control of the Gulf was therefore complete.[6]

Daman would remain in the possession of Portugal for 402 years, until 1961.

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 Frederick Charles Danvers: The Portuguese in India: Being a History of the Rise and Decline of their Eastern Empire, volume I, W. H. Allen & Co. Limited, 1894, pp. 512-513.
  2. Charles J. Borges, Helmut Feldmann: Goa and Portugal: Their Cultural Links p. 222.
  3. Saturnino Monteiro: Batalhas e Combates da Marinha Portuguesa, volume III, Livraria Sá da Costa Editora, 1992, p. 197.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Carlos Xavier: "A cidade e o porto de Damão nos Séculos XVIII e XIX" in Revista de Cultura do Instituto Cultural de Macau.
  5. K. M. Mathew: History of Portuguese Navigation in India, Mittal Publications, 1988, p. 137.
  6. Clive Ponting: World History: A New Perspective, Random House, 2008, p. 522.