Son
of Gonzallo de Albuquerque, lord of Villaverde. He made his first voyage to the far East in 1503, returning back to Portugal 1504. He was also one of the officers when Tristan de Cunha sailed for India in 1506.
He became the Viceroy of India 1509.
With the constant hostilities of the people of Calicut, on 4 January, 1510 he decided to destroy it. So as to secure a permanent foothold in India, he took Goa in March, 1510
1513, saw King Emmanuel call him "protho-capitaneus noster".
He was on the flagship Flora de la Mar and with 18 other ships and 1000 men in his flotilla when took Malacca in July, 1511, after a month of fighting. Once taking it he ordered that it be fortified
While establishing Portuguese colonization in India, and planning advances beyond Eastern Asia, the Crown of Portugal heard of his prejudice. Or be it Still the state of his health, caused by the climate and strain, that made King Emmanuel provide for a successor. So Lope Suarez was sent to take over from him.
Albuquerque pined and died at the entrance of Goa, 16 December, 1515. Fifty-one years later his remains were transported to Lisbon.
Afonlso de Albuquerque holds a very prominent position. His achievements, from a military standpoint, were more remarkable than any of the so-called conquerors of the New World; for he had to cope with adversaries armed very nearly like the Europeans
Notable Dates:
1503 Named the island of Ascension