| Post: | Viceroy |
| Body: | Portuguese India |
| Native Name: | pt|Vice-rei da Índia Portuguesa |
| Residence: | Viceroy's House |
| Nominator: | Prime Minister of Portugal |
| Appointer: | Monarch of Portugal (1505–1910) President of Portugal (1910–1961) |
| Precursor: | None |
| Formation: | 12 September 1505 |
| First: | Tristão da Cunha |
| Abolished: | 19 December 1961 |
| Last: | Manuel António Vassalo e Silva |
| Succession: | Governor of Goa |
The government of Portuguese India (pt|Índia Portuguesa) started on 12 September 1505, seven years after the Portuguese discovery of the sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Portuguese viceroy Francisco de Almeida, then settled at Cochin. Until 1752, the name India included all Portuguese possessions in the Indian Ocean, from Southern Africa to Southeast Asia, governed – either by a viceroy or governor – from its headquarters, established in Old Goa since 1510. In 1752 Portuguese Mozambique was granted its own government, and in 1844 the Portuguese government of India ceased administering the territory of Portuguese Macau, Solor and Portuguese Timor, seeing itself thus confined to a reduced territorial possessions along the Konkan, Canara and Malabar Coasts, which would further be reduced to the present-day state of Goa and the union territory of Daman. Portuguese control ceased in Dadra and Nagar Haveli in 1954, and finally ceased in Goa in 1961, when the area was occupied by the Republic of India (although Portugal only recognised the occupation after the Carnation Revolution in 1974, by a treaty signed on 31 December 1974[1] [2]). This ended four and a half centuries of Portuguese rule in parts – though tiny – of India.
It may be noted that during the term of the monarchy, the title of the head of the Portuguese government in India ranged from "governor" to "viceroy". The title of viceroy would only be assigned to members of the nobility; it was formally terminated in 1774, although it has later been given sporadically to be decisively ended after 1835, as shown below.
The following is a list of rulers during the history of Portuguese India as a viceroyalty or governorship.[3]
| Official title | Office-holder | Mandate begin | Mandate end | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viceroy (nom.) | – | – | First to be nominated viceroy, but was unable to assume office | ||
| Viceroy | 12 September 1505 | November 1509 | First governor and first viceroy of Portuguese India, appointed by King Manuel I of Portugal (r.1495–1521), conquered Kilwa, erected forts in Anjediva, Cochin, Cannanore, refused to cede office until after Battle of Diu, died at Table Bay, on return voyage, March 1510 | ||
| Governor and Captain-General(*) | 4 November 1509 | September 1515 | Appointment disputed and delayed by predecessor, conquered Goa, Malacca, Muscat and Hormuz, died off Goa, December 1515 | ||
| Governor | 8 September 1515 | September 1518 | Erected forts in Colombo (Ceylon) and Kollam, returned to Portugal | ||
| Governor | 8 September 1518 | January 1522 | Old explorer and former designated captain of Malacca (1509, aborted), erected forts in Chaul, Maldives and Pacem, sent embassies to Ethiopia, Pegu and China, returned to Portugal | ||
| Governor | 22 January 1522 | September 1524 | Former captain of Tangier, grandson (via Tarouca line) of the famous Duarte de Menezes (Count of Viana), dismissed and returned to Portugal | ||
| Viceroy | 5 September 1524 | December 1524 | old discoverer of Indies route, now Count of Vidigueira, second Viceroy, first appointee of new King John III of Portugal (r.1521–1557), died at Cochin, December 1524 | ||
| Governor | D. Henrique de Menezes (o Roxo) | 17 January 1525 | February 1526 | succeeded in India by death of predecessor, died at Cannanore, February 1526 | |
| Governor | February 1526 | November 1529 | succeeded in India by death of predecessor (third in line), refused to yield government to designated successor Pedro Mascarenhas, captain of Malacca), arrested, returned to Portugal as prisoner | ||
| Governor | 18 November 1529 | September 1538 | son of Tristão da Cunha, arrival delayed by shipwreck in Madagascar, conquered northern province (Bassein, Bombay, Diu, Daman) died at sea on return to Portugal, March 1539 | ||
| Viceroy | 14 September 1538 | April 1540 | Third Viceroy, nephew of Afonso de Albuquerque, died in Cochin, April 1540 | ||
| Governor | 3 April 1540 | May 1542 | son of Vasco da Gama, captain of Portuguese Malacca (f.1538), succeeded in India by death of predecessor, returned to Portugal | ||
| Governor | 8 May 1542 | 1545 | donatary-captain of São Vicente (Brazil, f. 1534), returned to Portugal | ||
| Governor | 10 September 1545 | 1548 | Nephew of D. Garcia de Noronha, promoted to Viceroy in early 1548 | ||
| Viceroy | D. João de Castro | 1548 | June 1548 | Fourth viceroy. Died at Goa, June 1548 | |
| Governor | 6 June 1548 | June 1549 | succeeded in India by death of predecessor, first governor married in India, acquired Bardez and Salcette, died at Goa, June 1549 | ||
| Governor | 13 June 1549 | November 1550 | succeeded in India by death of predecessor, returned to Portugal | ||
| Viceroy | November 1550 | September 1554 | Fifth Viceroy (henceforth all Governors appointed in Lisbon will have rank of 'Viceroy'), former governor of Ceuta, 1540–49, son of Fernando de Menezes (Marquis of Vila Real), returned to Portugal | ||
| Viceroy | 23 September 1554 | June 1555 | old discoverer of Indian Ocean islands, former captain of Malacca (1525–26), died at Goa, June 1555 | ||
| Governor | 16 June 1555 | September 1558 | succeeded in India by death of predecessor, returned to Portugal. Later (1570) returned as governor of East Africa(**), led expedition to Monomatapa and died in Tete. | ||
| Viceroy | 8 September 1558 | September 1561 | Son of James (Duke of Braganza), first appointee of Catherine of Austria, (regent of new King Sebastian of Portugal), returned to Portugal | ||
| Viceroy | D. Francisco Coutinho (Count of Redondo) | 7 September 1561 | 19 February 1564 | Died at Goa, February 1564 | |
| Governor | 19 February 1564 | September 1564 | former captain of Malacca, succeeded in India by death of predecessor, returned to Portugal | ||
| Viceroy | D. António de Noronha (Antão) | 3 September 1564 | September 1568 | former captain of Ceuta (1549), and Hormuz nephew of earlier India governor D. Afonso de Noronha, died at sea on return to Portugal | |
| Viceroy | 10 September 1568 | September 1571 | future Count of Atouguia (f.1577), first appointee of King Sebastian of Portugal in his own right returned to Portugal | ||
| Viceroy(**) | D. António de Noronha (o Catarraz) | 6 September 1571 | December 1573 | Not to be confused with earlier namesake, governor in Goa of a reduced India (**), co-equal with António Moniz Barreto (in Malacca) and Francisco Barreto (in Sofala), dismissed and returned to Portugal | |
| Governor | 9 December 1573 | September 1576 | Governor of Malacca, succeeded in India after dismissal of predecessor, returned to Portugal | ||
| Governor | September 1576 | August 1578 | Son of Tangier captain João de Menezes ("o Craveiro") Succeeded in India after appointed viceroy, Rui Lourenço de Távora, died en route (off Mozambique), returned to Portugal. | ||
| Viceroy | D. Luís de Ataíde (second time) | 31 August 1578 | March 1581 | Second appointment, now Count of Atouguia, already in India when news of the king's death at Alcazarquivir arrived, managed India through the early stages of 1580 succession crisis, died in Goa, March 1581 | |
| Governor | March 1581 | September 1581 | Succeeded in India by death of predecessor (as per prior instructions of the late Cardinal-King Henry), considered the last governor of the House of Avis, received news of ascension of Habsburg king Philip I of Portugal, administered oaths of loyalty of Portuguese India colonies to new monarchy, returned to Portugal. | ||
| Viceroy | 1581 | 1584 | Donatary-captain in the Azores First appointee of Philip I of Portugal (r.1581–1598), returned to Portugal. | ||
| Viceroy | 1584 | 4 May 1588 | Former governor of Tangier (1474–78), Algarve (1580), grandson of earlier India governor Duarte de Menezes, Died in Goa, May 1588. | ||
| Governor | May 1588 | 1591 | Former governor of Ceylon, current governor of Malacca Succeeded in India by death of predecessor, Died in shipwreck while returning to Portugal. | ||
| Viceroy | 1591 | 1597 | |||
| Viceroy | D. Francisco da Gama, conde da Vidigueira | 1597 | 1600 | ||
| Viceroy | 1600 | 1605 | |||
| Viceroy | 1605 | June 1607 | Died at Malacca in June 1607 | ||
| Governor | Fr. Aleixo de Meneses, Archbishop of Goa | June 1607 | 1609 | ||
| Governor | 1609 | ||||
| Viceroy | 1609 | 1612 | |||
| Viceroy | 1612 | 1617 | |||
| Viceroy | 1617 | 1619 | |||
| Governor | 1619 | 1622 | |||
| Viceroy | D. Francisco da Gama (second time) | 1622 | 1628 | ||
| Viceroy | Fr. Luís de Brito e Meneses, Bishop of Meliapore | 1628 | July 1629 | Died at Cochim in July 1629 | |
| Governing Council | 1. Nuno Álvares Botelho 2. D. Lourenço da Cunha 3. Gonçalo Pinto da Fonseca | 1629 | |||
| Viceroy | 1629 | 1635 | |||
| Viceroy | 1635 | June 1639 | Died at Goa in June 1639 | ||
| Governor | 1639 | 1640 | |||
| Viceroy | 1640 | 1644 | Returned to Portugal | ||
| Viceroy | 1644 | 1651 | |||
| Viceroy | João da Silva Telo e Meneses, conde de Aveiras (second time) | 1651 | Died at Mozambique, en route to India | ||
| Governing Council | 1. Fr. Francisco dos Mártires (Archbp of Goa) 2. Francisco de Melo e Castro 3. António de Sousa Coutinho | 1651 | 1652 | ||
| Viceroy | 1652 | 1655 | Expelled in internal coup | ||
| Usurper | 1655 | Arrested by successor | |||
| Governor | Rodrigo Lobo da Silveira, Count of Sarzedas | 23 Aug 1655 | 14 January 1656 | Died at Goa in January 1656 | |
| Governor | 14 January 1656 | 22 May 1656 | |||
| Governing Council | 1. Manuel Mascarenhas Homem 2. Francisco de Melo e Castro 3. António de Sousa Coutinho | January 1656 | 1661 | ||
| Governing Council | 1. Luís de Mendonça Furtado e Albuquerque 2. Manuel Mascarenhas Homem 3. D. Pedro de Lencastre | 1661 | |||
| Governing Council | 1. Luís de Mendonça Furtado e Albuquerque, 2. António de Melo e Castro 3. D. Pedro de Lencastre | 1661 | 1662 | ||
| Viceroy | 16 December 1662 | 1666 | |||
| Viceroy | João Nunes da Cunha, Count of São Vicente | 1666 | November 1668 | Died at Goa in November 1668 | |
| Governing Council | 1. António de Melo e Castro, 2. Manuel Corte-Real de Sampaio 3. Luís de Miranda Henriques | November 1668 | 1671 | ||
| Viceroy | 1671 | 1676 | Died off Lisbon on return voyage | ||
| Viceroy | 1676 | 1678 | Died at Goa in 1678 | ||
| Interim Governor | António Brandão, Archbishop of Goa (sometime with António Pais de Sande) | 1678 | 1681 | ||
| Viceroy | 1681 | 1686 | |||
| Governor | D. Rodrigo da Costa | 1686 | 1690 | ||
| Governor | 1690 | January 1691 | Died at Goa in January 1691 | ||
| Governing Council | 1. Fernando Martins Mascarenhas Lencastre 2. Fr. Agostinho da Anunciação (Archbp of Goa) | January 1691 | 1692 | ||
| Viceroy | 1692 | 1697 | Returned to Portugal | ||
| Viceroy | 1697 | 1701 | |||
| Governing Council | 1. Fr. Agostinho da Anunciação (Archp of Goa) 2. D. Vasco Lima Coutinho | 1701 | 1702 | ||
| Viceroy | 1702 | 1707 | |||
| Viceroy | D. Rodrigo da Costa (second time, as Viceroy now) | 1707 | 1712 | ||
| Viceroy | Vasco Fernandes César de Meneses, Count of Sabugosa | 1712 | 1717 | Returned to Portugal | |
| Governor | Fr. Sebastião de Andrade Pessanha, Archbishop of Goa | January 1717 | October 1717 | ||
| Viceroy | October 1717 | 1720 | |||
| Viceroy | 1720 | July 1723 | Died at Goa in July 1723 | ||
| Interim Governor | July 1723 | ||||
| Governing Council | 1. Cristóvão de Melo 2. Fr. Inácio de Santa Teresa (Archbp of Goa) 3. Cristóvão Luís de Andrade | 1723 | 1725 | ||
| Viceroy | 1725 | 1732 | Returned to Portugal | ||
| Governing Council | 1. Cristóvão de Melo 2. Fr. Inácio de Santa Teresa (Archbp of Goa) 3. Tomé Gomes Moreira | 1732 | |||
| Viceroy | 1732 | 1740 | Returned to Portugal | ||
| Viceroy | Luís Carlos Inácio Xavier de Meneses, 1st Marquis of Louriçal (second time) | 1740 | 1742 | Died at Goa in 1742 | |
| Governing Council | 1. Francisco de Vasconcelos 2. Lourenço de Noronha 3. Luís Caetano de Almeida | 1742 | 1744 | ||
| Viceroy | Pedro Miguel de Almeida Portugal e Vasconcelos, Count of Assumar, marquis of Alorna | 1744 | 1750 | ||
| Viceroy | Francisco de Assis de Távora, marquis of Távora | September 1750 | 1754 | Returned to Portugal, executed in 1759 | |
| Viceroy | Luís Mascarenhas, Count of Alva | 1754 | June 1756 | Killed in action by the Maratha Army at Goa in June 1756 | |
| Governing Council | 1. António Taveira da Neiva Brum da Silveira (Archbp of Goa) 2. João de Mesquista Matos Teixeira 3. Filipe de Valadares | 1756 | 1757 | ||
| Viceroy | Manuel de Saldanha e Albuquerque, Count of Ega | 1758 | 1765 | Returned to Portugal | |
| Council | 1. António Taveira da Neiva Brum da Silveira (Archbp of Goa) 2. João Baptista Vaz Pereira 3. D. João José de Melo | 1765 | 1768 | ||
| Governor | 1768 | 1771 | Promoted to Captain-General in 1771 (***) | ||
| Governor and Captain-General | 1771 | January 1774 | Died at Goa in January 1774 | ||
| Interim Governor | 1774 | ||||
| Governor and Captain-General of India | 1774 | 1779 | |||
| Governor and Captain-General of India | 1779 | 1786 | |||
| Governor and Captain-General of India | 1786 | 1794 | |||
| Governor and Captain-General of India | 1794 | 1806 | |||
| Viceroy and Captain-General of India | 1806 | 1816 | |||
| Viceroy and Captain-General of India | 1816 | 1821 | |||
| Provisional Junta of Government of the State of India | 1821 | ||||
| Provisional Junta of Government of the State of India | 1821 | 1822 | |||
| Provisional Junta of Government of the State of India | 1822 | 1823 | |||
| Viceroy and Captain-General of India | 1823 | 1825 | Dissolved Junta and assumed de facto title of Governor of Portuguese India | ||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1825 | 1826 | |||
| Governor and Captain-General of India | 1826 | 1830 | |||
| Viceroy and Captain-General of India | 1826 | 1835 | |||
| Governor | 1835 | ||||
| Governor | 1835 | ||||
| Governor | 1835 | ||||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1835 | 1837 | After 1836 confined to Goa | ||
| Governor | 1836 | 1837 | Governor of Daman and Diu, provisional governor of Goa | ||
| Governor | 1837 | 1839 | (restored unity to Portuguese India) | ||
| Governor | 1839 | ||||
| Governor | 1839 | 1840 | |||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1840 | ||||
| Interim Governor | 1840 | 1842 | |||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1842 | ||||
| Governor | 1842 | 1843 | |||
| Governor | 1843 | 1844 | |||
| Governor | 1844 | 1851 | |||
| Governor | 1851 | 1855 | |||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1855 | ||||
| Governor | 1855 | 1864 | |||
| Governor | 1864 | 1870 | 2nd term | ||
| Governor | 1870 | 1871 | |||
| Governor | 1871 | 1875 | |||
| Governor | 1875 | 1877 | |||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1877 | ||||
| Governor | 1877 | 1878 | |||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1878 | ||||
| Governor | 1878 | 1882 | |||
| Governor | 1882 | 1886 | |||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1886 | ||||
| Governor | 1886 | ||||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1886 | ||||
| Governor | 1886 | 1889 | |||
| Interim Governor | 1889 | ||||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1889 | ||||
| Governor | 1889 | 1891 | |||
| Governor | 1891 | ||||
| Interim Governor | 1891 | 1892 | 1st term | ||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1892 | ||||
| Governor | 1892 | 1893 | |||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1893 | ||||
| Governor | 1893 | 1894 | 1st term | ||
| Interim Governor | 1894 | 2nd term | |||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1894 | ||||
| Governor | 1894 | 1895 | |||
| Governor | 1895 | 1896 | 2nd term | ||
| Viceroy | 1896 | ||||
| Interim Governor | 1896 | 1897 | |||
| Interim Governor | 1897 | 3rd term | |||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1897 | ||||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1897 | ||||
| Governor | 1897 | 1900 | |||
| Governor | 1900 | 1905 | |||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1905 | ||||
| Governor | 1905 | 1907 | |||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1907 | ||||
| Governor | 1907 | 1910 | |||
| Governor-General | 1910 | 1917 | |||
| Interim Governor-General | 1917 | 1st term | |||
| Government Council of the State of India | 1917 | ||||
| Governor-General | 1917 | 1919 | |||
| Interim Governor-General | 1919 | 1920 | |||
| Governador-General | 1920 | 1925 | |||
| Interim Governor-General | 1925 | 2nd term | |||
| Governor-General | 1925 | 1926 | |||
| Interim Governor-General | 1926 | ||||
| Interim Governor-General | 1926 | 1927 | |||
| Governor-General | 1927 | 1929 | |||
| Interim Governor-General | 1929 | ||||
| Governor-General | 1929 | 1930 | |||
| Governor-General | 1930 | 1936 | |||
| Interim Governor-General | 1936 | 1938 | |||
| Governor-General | 1938 | 1945 | |||
| Interim Governor-General | 1945 | 1946 | |||
| Governor-General | 1946 | 1947 | |||
| Interim Governor-General | 1947 | 1948 | |||
| Governor-General | 1948 | 1952 | |||
| Governor-General | 1952 | 1958 | |||
| Governor-General | 1958 | 1961 | |||
(*) – In 1508, King Manuel I of Portugal devised a plan to partition the Portuguese empire in Asia into three separate governments or "high captaincies" – (1) Captain-Major of the seas of Ethiopia, Arabia and Persia, centered at Socotra, was to cover the East African and Arabian-Persian coasts, from Sofala to Diu; (2) Captain-Major of the seas of India, centered at Cochin, was to cover the Indian coast from Diu down to Cape Comorin. Afonso de Albuquerque was Captain-General of the latter. Jorge de Aguiar was made Captain-General of the former. A third high captaincy, covering Asia east of Cape Comorin (yet to be explored) was assigned to Diogo Lopes de Sequeira, who was assigned that year to discover Malacca. The triarchy experiment failed – Aguiar drowned en route, while Sequeira quit the region in 1509, after his debacle at Malacca, leaving Albuquerque sole governor of the whole unpartitioned complex.
(**) – Around 1570, King Sebastian of Portugal tried to partition the Portuguese State of India into three separate governments (much like Manuel's plan of 1508) – a western state based around Sofala (covering the East African coast from Cape Correntes to Cape Guardafui), a central state ruled from Goa (covering the area between the Red Sea and Ceylon, encompassing India, reserved for the "Viceroy") and an eastern state ruled from Malacca (covering Southeast Asia, from Pegu to China). D. António de Noronha was appointed to Goa, António Moniz Barreto to Malacca, and Francisco Barreto (the former India governor) to Sofala.
(***) – Title of Viceroy of Indies extinguished by royal letter in 1771, replaced by Capitão-Geral (Captain-General) of the Indies.