Affonso de Albuquerque

Born 1453; died Dec. 16, 1515. Portuguese conqueror, vicegerent (viceroy) in India between 1510 (actually 1509) and 1515; founder of the Portuguese colonial empire in the East Indies.

In 1503, Albuquerque commanded the Portuguese flotilla in the city of Cochin, where he constructed a fort. In 1507 he captured Ormuz on the Persian Gulf, but he was unable to hold it. In 1510 he captured Goa, turning it into the main base for Portuguese conquerors in the East. In 1511 he conquered Malacca in order to control sea trade routes. Albuquerque headed the first Portuguese expeditions to the Malabar coast, the island of Ceylon, and the countries of southeast Asia. In 1513 he attempted to seize Aden. In 1515 he recaptured Ormuz.