A History of Agriculture in India v2.c72.s7.7

v2.c72.s7.7

Albuquerque, A.D. 1506-1515. Albuquerque, the Portuguese Viceroy, conquered Malacca, the market-town for spices, in A.D. 1511. This firmly established the Portuguese mastery of the Indian ocean and also opened the way for expansion into the Pacific. Albuquerque developed Goa into a thriving metropolis. Camoens, the Portuguese poet, described Goa as the Babylon of the East as it had earned enough notoriety for its luxury and degeneracy. In A.D. 1515 Albuquerque occupied the island of Ormuz, in the Persian Gulf, and built a fortress there. Malabar, Malacca, and entrances to the sea in East Africa were already under their control. Thus the mastery of the Indian Ocean by the Portuguese was complete and effective, and their rivals, the Arabs, were at their mercy. No ship could sail in the Indian Ocean without a Portuguese carta (pass).