On This Day

Governor Afonso d'Albuquerque establishes the first overseas Portuguese mint, to issue gold coins in the Indian trading

Governor Afonso d'Albuquerque establishes the first overseas Portuguese mint, to issue gold coins in the Indian trading city of Goa [1]

Afonso de Albuquerque, 1st Duke of Goa (1453 – 16 December 1515), was a Portuguese general, admiral, statesman, and conquistador. He served as viceroy of Portuguese India from 1509 to 1515, during which he expanded Portuguese influence across the Indian Ocean and built a reputation as a fierce and skilled military commander.

Albuquerque advanced the three-fold Portuguese grand scheme of combating Islam, spreading Christianity, and securing the trade of spices by establishing a Portuguese Asian empire. Among his achievements, Albuquerque managed to conquer Goa and was the first European of the Renaissance to raid the Persian Gulf, and he led the first voyage by a European fleet into the Red Sea.

Historical Significance

Afonso de Albuquerque, 1st Duke of Goa (1453 – 16 December 1515), was a Portuguese general, admiral, statesman, and conquistador.

Events Before

  1. Battle of Diu: Portuguese Armada defeats a Mamluk Egyptian fleet in a naval battle at the port of Diu, India, establish

    Battle of Diu: Portuguese Armada defeats a Mamluk Egyptian fleet in a naval battle at the port of Diu, India, establishing Portuguese trading control in the Indian Ocean

  2. King Henry VIII (17) of England marries first wife Catherine of Aragon (23), widow of his brother Arthur

    Catherine of Aragon (Spanish: Catalina de Aragón, also spelled Katherine; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509...

  3. Henry VIII is crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey, London

    King Henry VIII of England had six wives between 1509 and his death in 1547. In legal terms (de jure), Henry had only three wives and no divorces during his life, instead three of his marriages were...

  4. Emperor Krishnadeva Raya is crowned, beginning the rejuvenation of the Vijayanagara Empire in southern India

    Emperor Krishnadeva Raya is crowned, beginning the rejuvenation of the Vijayanagara Empire in southern India

  5. France declares war on Venice

    The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and maritime republic with its capital in Venice.

Events After

  1. Italian city Mirandola surrenders to the French

    The siege of Mirandola took place from 2 January to 19 January 1511 as a part of Pope Julius II's campaign to keep France from dominating northern Italy during the War of the League of Cambrai.

  2. Portuguese troops occupy parts of Malacca

    Portuguese troops occupy parts of Malacca

  3. Eedgenootschap signs anti-French Saint League

    Eedgenootschap signs anti-French Saint League

  4. England, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire sign anti-French covenant The Treaty of Westminster

    England, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire sign anti-French covenant The Treaty of Westminster

  5. Battle of Ravenna: French forces under Gaston de Foix defeat the Holy League in a major battle of the Italian Wars

    The Battle of Ravenna, fought on 11 April 1512, was a major battle of the War of the League of Cambrai.

More from the 1510s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on March 12, 1510?
Afonso de Albuquerque, 1st Duke of Goa (1453 – 16 December 1515), was a Portuguese general, admiral, statesman, and conquistador. He served as viceroy of Portuguese India from 1509 to 1515, during which he expanded Portuguese influence across the Indian Ocean and built a reputation as a fierce and skilled military commander. Albuquerque advanced the three-fold Portuguese grand scheme of combating Islam, spreading Christianity, and securing the trade of spices by establishing a Portuguese Asian empire.
Why is Governor Afonso d'Albuquerque establishes the first overseas Portuguese mint,... significant?
Afonso de Albuquerque, 1st Duke of Goa (1453 – 16 December 1515), was a Portuguese general, admiral, statesman, and conquistador.

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