Francisco de Almeida

Francisco de Almeida was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer who served as the first viceroy of Portuguese India from 1505 to 1509. He was a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and distinguished himself in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492. He was appointed as the viceroy of the newly conquered territories of India by King Manuel I of Portugal, with the mission of securing the spice trade and building forts along the coast. He sailed from Lisbon with a fleet of 22 ships and reached the Cape of Good Hope, where he erected a stone cross. He then proceeded to attack and capture several African and Indian ports, such as Kilwa, Sofala, Mombasa, Quiloa, Cannanore and Cochin. He established his headquarters in Cochin and made alliances with local rulers. He also sent expeditions to explore further east, such as Malacca, Sumatra and Ceylon. He faced the opposition of the Arabs and their Egyptian allies, who tried to challenge the Portuguese monopoly in the Indian Ocean. He defeated them decisively at the naval Battle of Diu in 1509, which secured the Portuguese supremacy in the region. He also fought against the Zamorin of Calicut, who had attacked the Portuguese factory in Cochin. He was succeeded by Afonso de Albuquerque, who arrived in Cochin with a new commission from the king. Almeida initially refused to acknowledge his authority and imprisoned him, but later released him and prepared to return to Portugal. On his way back, he stopped at Table Bay to replenish water and supplies, where he was killed by a group of Khoikhoi warriors who attacked his landing party. He was buried on the shore of the bay, along with 64 of his men. He was known as the Great Dom Francisco for his courage and achievements. He left a memoir of his travels, which was published posthumously.