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'''Portuguese India''' ({{lang-pt|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 [[enclave]]s on India's western coast, including [[Goa]] proper, as well as the [[coast]]al enclaves of [[Daman]] (Port: ''Damão'') and [[Daman and Diu|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.
'''Portuguese India''' ({{lang-pt|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 [[enclave]]s on India's western coast, including [[Goa]] proper, as well as the [[coast]]al enclaves of [[Daman]] (Port: ''Damão'') and [[Daman and Diu|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.


==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 Sultanate|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.

[[Image:Goa (1675).PNG|right|100px|thumb|Coat of Arms of Goa, Portuguese possession in India (1675)]]

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]]). 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 [[United Kingdom|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 [[Maratha]]s in [[1739]], and Portugal acquired [[Dadra and Nagar Haveli]] in [[1779]].
[[Image:European settlements in India 1501-1739.png|thumb|left|250px|Portuguese and other European settlements in India.]]


==After India's independence==
==After India's independence==

Revision as of 06:21, 30 April 2008

Portuguese State of India
Estado da Índia
1510–1961
Portuguese India evolution
Portuguese India evolution
StatusPortuguese colony
CapitalNova Goa (Cochin to 1530)
Common languagesPortuguese
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 eraImperialism
• Fall of Sultanate of Bijapur
15 August 1510
• Fall of Portuguese India
14 January 1961
CurrencyIndian rúpia (INPR)
Indian escudo (INPES)
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Sultanate of Bijapur
India

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.


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.

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

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

See also