Francisco de Almeida
D. Francisco de Almeida | |
|---|---|
| 1st Viceroy of Portuguese India | |
| In office 12 September 1505 – 4 November 1509 | |
| Monarch | Manuel I of Portugal |
| Preceded by | Tristão da Cunha (designate; never took office) |
| Succeeded by | Afonso de Albuquerque |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Francisco de Almeida ca. 1450 |
| Died | 1 March 1510 (aged 59–60) Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope |
| Children | Lourenço de Almeida |
| Occupation | Soldier, explorer, viceroy of Portuguese India |
| Known for | Establishment of Portuguese naval hegemony in the Indian Ocean. |
Dom Francisco de Almeida (Portuguese pronunciation: [fɾɐ̃ˈsiʃku ðɨ alˈmɐjðɐ]; c. 1450 – 1 March 1510), was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492. In 1505 he was appointed as the first governor and viceroy of the Portuguese State of India (Estado da Índia). Almeida is credited with establishing Portuguese hegemony in the Indian Ocean with his victory at the naval Battle of Diu in 1509. Before Almeida returned to Portugal he lost his life in a conflict with indigenous people at the Cape of Good Hope in 1510. His only son Lourenço de Almeida had previously been killed in the Battle of Chaul.