Afonso de Albuquerque Appointed Viceroy of India (1505)

Timeline

1. 1505Cochin · KeralaThe first viceroy Francisco de Almeida pursued a policy of defending the spice trade through naval battles while limiting land expansion, differing from the king and the conquest-minded faction at court, creating political conditions for the change of viceroy.
2. 1505–1506Lisbon · PortugalManuel I formally appointed Afonso de Albuquerque viceroy of India and ordered him to lead the seventh India fleet east. Albuquerque departed with explicit conquest instructions, intending to establish a permanent fortress system in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean to monopolize the spice routes.
3. 1506–1509West coast of India · IndiaAfter arriving in the East, Albuquerque clashed with Almeida over jurisdiction, and the formal transfer of the viceroy's seal was not completed until after the Battle of Diu in 1509. But his 1505 appointment itself had already established the direction of a conquest-oriented eastern policy; the capture of Goa, Hormuz, and Malacca all proceeded during his tenure.