Historical person
Afonso de Albuquerque
1453–1515
Afonso de Albuquerque was a Portuguese commander, admiral and governor who became the principal architect of early Portuguese power in the Indian Ocean. Building on the sea route opened by Vasco da Gama, he sought to control strategic ports and narrow passages rather than conquer large inland territories.
Albuquerque captured Goa in 1510 and Malacca in 1511, then secured Hormuz in 1515, giving Portugal bases near major routes linking India, the Persian Gulf and Southeast Asia. His policies combined fortification and diplomacy with extreme violence. Albuquerque’s seizure of key ports established the strategic network through which Portugal attempted to dominate Indian Ocean sea lanes. Afonso de Albuquerque was born in Kingdom of Portugal and died in Goa.
In Roger Crowley’s Conquerors, the central figure in the expansion is Afonso de Albuquerque, whose capture of Goa, Malacca and Hormuz helped create the strategic network later known as the Estado da Índia. Historical accounts that place Afonso de Albuquerque in context include Roger Crowley’s Spice.
Non Fiction
Non Fiction featuring Afonso de Albuquerque (2 books)
Biographies, histories and other non-fiction are listed separately from the historical novels above.
