Statue and Memorial to Afonso de Albuquerque, Duke of Goa in the Praça do Império gardens at Belem in Lisbon

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Afonso de Albuquerque, Duke of Goa, was a Portuguese general, a "great conqueror," a statesman, and an empire builder. He was a Portuguese fidalgo, or nobleman, a naval general officer who, by his military and administrative activities, conquered and established the Portuguese colonial empire in the Indian Ocean. After gaining military experience in North Africa, in 1503 he set out on his first expedition to the East, which was to be the scene of his future triumphs. In company with his kinsman Dom Francisco da Alameda, he sailed round the Cape of Good Hope to India and succeeded in establishing the king of Cochin securely on his throne. In return for his services, he obtained permission to build a Portuguese fort at Cochin, thus laying the foundation of his country's empire in the East. In November 1509, he became the second viceroy of the State of India, a position he held until his death. In 1510, he took possession of Goa and set up an administration there,

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Size: 2848px × 4288px
Location: Praça do Império gardens, Portugal
Photo credit: © Brenda Kean / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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