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João de Castro

Type Figure Region Portugal Time c. 1500–1548 Also known as João de Castro, fifth Governor of India

A 16th-century Portuguese naval commander and colonial administrator, fifth Governor of Portuguese India from 1545 to 1548, known for the defence of …

Timeline

  1. c. 1500–1541Lisbon · PortugalBorn to a noble Lisbon family, he took part in voyages to North Africa and the Indian Ocean in his early years, accumulating rich navigation and combat experience and gradually becoming a naval commander relied upon by the crown.
  2. 1541–1545Goa · GoaServing in the East in the 1540s, he took part in the defence of Goa in 1542 and was appointed fifth Governor of India by John III in 1545, charged with consolidating Portuguese military presence in the Arabian Sea.
  3. 1545–1548Diu · GujaratDuring his term he strengthened the fortifications of Goa, in 1546 defeated the fleet of Sultan Mahmud Shah III of Gujarat at the Battle of Diu, and wrote the Roteiro recording eastern hydrography and sailing knowledge.

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