A father's grief would change the world. His revenge would shape our modern Western society.

In the annals of history, some figures get all the attention while others, despite their impact, are overshadowed. One such man is Dom Francisco de Almeida, the first Viceroy of Portuguese India, whose contributions reshaped the course of world history. His unbelievable victory at the Battle of Diu in 1509 changed the geopolitical landscape and for better or worse led to Europe's domination of the East. But this is not a tale of colonialism. It is a story of vengeance - and a will so strong to punish those who killed his son; that Almeida overcame impossible odds in one of the greatest naval battles in history.

So who was he?

Born around 1450 in Lisbon, Francisco de Almeida was at the Battle of Toro in 1476 where Portugal lost to and then defeated the armies of Castile. He was at the fall of Granada in 1492, near the end of the Reconquista.

In 1505, King Manuel I of Portugal named Almeida as the first Viceroy of Portuguese India. Viceroy did not mean much, as Portugal had a fragile hold on a few trading posts in India. Technologically well behind the Indian cities, Portugal was making powerful enemies in its attempt to import spices via an ocean route. And the Indian traders laughed at the goods Portugal brought to trade. So, to make trade work, the Portuguese would have to set up trading posts up and down the coast. A warrior, Almeida had a big task. 

With a huge armada of 22 ships, Almeida left Lisbon hoping to establish Portuguese control over the spice trade and build a trade network  along the East African and Indian coasts. But 22 ships were not enough for what we would find in the East. A joint fleet was forming to crush him - a joint venture of the Sultan of Gujarat, the Mamlûk Sultanate of Egypt, the Zamorin of Calicut, the Ottoman Turks, the Republic of Venice and the Republic of Ragus. These were the powers that ruled the land route for spices to Europe- and they wanted to be clear: This was their business, and they did not want to give up a piece of the action.

In March 1508 the Egyptian Mamluk fleet sailed into the port at Chaul, India, surprising a Portuguese naval squadron commanded by Lourenço de Almeida, son of the Portuguese viceroy. For two days, the younger Almeida held them off. Desperate,  Lourenço de Almeida used his ship to hold the enemy fleet off, allowing the rest of the fleet to escape, but young Lourenço was killed. Enraged at news of the death of his son, Francisco de Almeida sought one thing - revenge. “He who ate the chick must now eat the rooster, or pay for it,” he said.

Instead of returning to Portugal, as ordered by the king, he prevented his replacement, Afonso de Albuquerque, from taking power. He gathered every ship he could find and went to find the people who had killed his son. He had just 18 warships and 800 men. The alliance fleet has more than 200 ships and 8,000 soldiers. It was not a fair fight. And, Almeida did not have to look far to find the enemy.

The Battle of Diu: A Turning Point in History

The Battle of Diu, fought on February 3, 1509, was a pivotal naval clash between a Portuguese fleet commanded by Almeida  and a larger alliance fleet of the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, the Sultan of Gujarat, and the Zamorin of Calicut. Legend has it the alliance called for Almeida to surrender. And he refused: "You act as if God speaks Portuguese," the enemy captain mocked his refusal.  Almeida looked the man in the eye and replied “I don’t know if God speaks Portuguese, but my cannons do.”

Outgunned, Almeida would outmaneuver and outfight the enemy - showing cold blood and insane courage. And, the Battle of Diu turned the waters red.

The battle was fierce and brutal. The Portuguese fleet, despite being outnumbered, took the day. And the casualties were lopsided: 32 Portuguese soldiers died and just 200 were wounded. On the opposing side, more than 3,000 were dead, with an even larger number wounded. The end of the battle was marked by severe retribution; Almeida ordered the Egyptian and Turkish prisoners to be executed in gruesome ways, including hanging, burning alive, and being blown apart strapped to the front of a cannon in  retaliation for his son's death. 

Diu was not just a military engagement but a clash of world economic interests, with control of the lucrative spice trade at stake. This battle, a critical point in the history of global trade and naval warfare, led to Portuguese dominance in the Indian Ocean and marked the beginning of European colonialism in Asia.

Almeida's victory was critical. The retreat of the Mamluk and Arab forces enabled the Portuguese to control the Indian Ocean trade, rerouting goods around the Cape of Good Hope and bypassing all traditional routes controlled by Arabs and Venetians through the Red Sea and Persian Gulf.  This victory now allowed Portugal to rapidly capture key ports in the Indian Ocean, including Goa, Ceylon, Malacca, and Ormuz. The defeat crippled the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt and the Gujarat Sultanate, never again would the mighty Ottoman Turks send such an armada to India, and it led to the severe decline of Venice. If it is a city set in 1509 today, it is because they lost so much at Diu.

Impacts and Legacy

Diu is on the same level as the Battle of Lepanto and the Battle of Trafalgar in its significance.  The Battle of Diu marks the beginning of European colonialism in Asia and the spillover of the Christian-Islamic power struggle into the Indian Ocean, a region crucial for international trade at the time. The Portuguese victory at Diu heralded the end of the old trading giants and led to centuries of European naval and trade dominance, reshaping the modern world and the start of colonialism.

This was not the plan for  Francisco de Almeida. His victory at Diu may have been a turning point in global history, but if not for his grief and his superior fleet and skills, it could have been a game over defeat for Portugal. This battle not only reshaped the geopolitical landscape but also marked the beginning of a new era in global trade and naval warfare. The legacy of Almeida and the Battle of Diu remains a testament to the complex interplay of power, exploration, and conflict that has shaped our modern world.

A Tragic Death

After securing Portuguese interests in the Indian Ocean, Almeida planned to return to Portugal. However, his journey was cut short when he was killed in a skirmish with indigenous people off the Cape of Good Hope in March 1510. While today Almeida may not be as well-known as other historical figures, his impact on global trade, maritime warfare, and colonial expansion is undeniable. His legacy is a testament to the anger of a father who has lost his son. As we reflect on his life and achievements, we recognize the profound ways in which his actions influenced the course of history, for better or worse. As Luis Vaz de Camões would write: The feared Almeidas, for whom the Tejo always weeps.