Diu Island
Encyclopedia
Diu दिऊ دئو is a city in Diu district
in the union territory of Daman and Diu, India
. It was the location of the pivotal Battle of Diu
in 1509 between Portugal
and a combined force of Turkey
, Egypt
, Venice
, the Republic of Ragusa
(now known as Dubrovnik
) and the Sultan of Gujarat, Mahmud Begada
.
The town of Diu lies at the eastern end of Diu Island
, and is known for its fortress
and old Portuguese Cathedral
. It is also a fishing town.
Diu is listed by the name Dangarvadi on Google Maps
.
, the Sultan of Gujarat, concluded a defensive alliance with the Portuguese
against the Mughal
emperor Humayun
, and allowed the Portuguese
to construct the Diu Fort
and maintain a garrison on the island. The alliance quickly unraveled, and attempts by the Sultans to oust the Portuguese from Diu between 1537 and 1546 failed. The Siege of Diu
by the Ottoman Empire
in 1538 was unsuccessful at repelling the Portuguese. The fortress, completed by Dom João de Castro
after the siege of 1545, still stands. The island was occupied by the Indian military on 19 December 1961.
Diu was a city of great commercial activity when the Portuguese arrived in India. In 1513, the Portuguese tried to establish an outpost there, but negotiations were unsuccessful. In 1531 the conquest attempted by D. Nuno da Cunha was also not successful. However, Diu was offered to the Portuguese in 1535 as a reward for military aid they gave to the Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, against the Great Mogul of Delhi. So coveted since the times of Tristan da Cunha and Albuquerque, and after failed attempts of Diogo Lopes de Sequeira in 1521, Nuno da Cunha in 1523, Diu was offered to the Portuguese, who soon fortified it.
Having repented of his generosity, Bahadur Shah sought to recover Diu, but was defeated and killed by the Portuguese, followed by a period of war between them and the people of Gujarat. In 1538, Coja Sofar, lord of Cambay, together with the Turkish Suleiman Pasha, came to lay siege to Diu, and were defeated by Portuguese resistance led by Anthony Silveira. A second siege
was imposed by the same Coja Sofar, in 1546, and repelled by the Portuguese conquerors, led on land by D. John Mascarenhas, and at sea, by D. João de Castro. Coja Sofar and D. Fernando de Castro, son of the Portuguese viceroy, perished in the struggle.
After this second siege, Diu was so fortified that it could withstand later attacks of the Arabs of Muscat and the Dutch (in the late seventeenth century). From the eighteenth century, Diu declined in strategic importance, and came to be reduced to a museum or historical landmark as commercial and strategic bulwark in the struggle between the forces of the Islamic East and Christian West.
Diu remained in the possession of the Portuguese from 1535 until 1961, when it fell in the possession of the troops of the Indian Union, which invaded all of former Portuguese India at the time of Nehru.
was built in 1535 and maintained an active garrison until 1960. There are three Portuguese Baroque churches, with St. Paul’s Church
, completed in 1610, being the only one still in use for its original purpose. The Church of St. Francis of Assisi, the first church built in Diu, in 1593, is now used as a hospital. St. Thomas Church is currently used as a museum. With no tall buildings except the fort, Diu has a characteristically low skyline. A very ancient Lord Shiva's Temple is located on the "Gangeswar" coast.
Local transport is available from Una (Gujarat). Jet Airways
services the island from the mainland, landing at Diu Airport
. The nearby Nagoa beach and offshore lighthouse are popular tourist destinations, and the coast is a popular recreational area for parasailing, boating, and jet skiing. There are several hotels and resorts and there is a growing hotel and leisure industry. Diu is the only place in Gujarat where alcohol is legal.
Many people confuse Diu with Daman
. Although people refer to them together, they are different places (approximately 650 km from each other).
, Diu had a population of 21,576. Males constitute 46% of the population and females 54%. Diu has an average literacy rate of 71%, higher than the national average of 63.3% male literacy is 81% and, female literacy is 69%. In Diu, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Diu district
Diu district is one of the two districts of Daman and Diu, a union territory of India. It is the ninth least populous district in the country .-Geography: occupies an area of ,...
in the union territory of Daman and Diu, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It was the location of the pivotal Battle of Diu
Battle of Diu (1509)
The Battle of Diu sometimes referred as the Second Battle of Chaul was a naval battle fought on 3 February 1509 in the Arabian Sea, near the port of Diu, India, between the Portuguese Empire and a joint fleet of the Sultan of Gujarat, the Mamlûk Burji Sultanate of Egypt, the Zamorin of Kozhikode...
in 1509 between Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and a combined force of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
, the Republic of Ragusa
Republic of Ragusa
The Republic of Ragusa or Republic of Dubrovnik was a maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik in Dalmatia , that existed from 1358 to 1808...
(now known as Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
) and the Sultan of Gujarat, Mahmud Begada
Mahmud Begada
Sultan Abu'l Fath Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah I, popularly known as Mahmud Begada was the most prominent sultan of Gujarat. He was the great-grandson of Ahmad Shah I, the founder of the Muzaffarid dynasty, and of the city of Ahmedabad in the present-day state of Gujarat, India. He was known to be...
.
The town of Diu lies at the eastern end of Diu Island
Diu Island
Diu दिऊ دئو is a city in Diu district in the union territory of Daman and Diu, India. It was the location of the pivotal Battle of Diu in 1509 between Portugal and a combined force of Turkey, Egypt, Venice, the Republic of Ragusa and the Sultan of Gujarat, Mahmud Begada.The town of Diu lies at...
, and is known for its fortress
Diu Fort
The Diu Fort, is located on the west coast of India in Diu, a Union Territory, administered by the Government of India. The fort was built by the Portuguese during their colonial rule of the Diu island. The Diu town is located to the west of the fort...
and old Portuguese Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
. It is also a fishing town.
Diu is listed by the name Dangarvadi on Google Maps
Google Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
.
History
In 1535 Bahadur ShahBahadur Shah of Gujarat
Sultan Qutb-ud-Din Bahadur Shah , who reigned 1526-1535 and 1536-1537, was a sultan of Gujarat Sultanate, a late medieval independent kingdom in India.-Early years:...
, the Sultan of Gujarat, concluded a defensive alliance with the Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
against the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
emperor Humayun
Humayun
Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor who ruled present day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early, but with Persian aid, he eventually regained an even larger one...
, and allowed the Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
to construct the Diu Fort
Diu Fort
The Diu Fort, is located on the west coast of India in Diu, a Union Territory, administered by the Government of India. The fort was built by the Portuguese during their colonial rule of the Diu island. The Diu town is located to the west of the fort...
and maintain a garrison on the island. The alliance quickly unraveled, and attempts by the Sultans to oust the Portuguese from Diu between 1537 and 1546 failed. The Siege of Diu
Siege of Diu
The Siege of Diu occurred when an Ottoman imperial fleet attempted to capture the Indian city of Diu in 1538, then held by the Portuguese.It ended with a Portuguese victory.-Background:...
by the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1538 was unsuccessful at repelling the Portuguese. The fortress, completed by Dom João de Castro
João de Castro
Dom João de Castro was a Portuguese naval officer and fourth viceroy of Portuguese India. He was called Castro Forte by poet Luís de Camões. Castro was the son of Álvaro de Castro, civil governor of Lisbon...
after the siege of 1545, still stands. The island was occupied by the Indian military on 19 December 1961.
Diu was a city of great commercial activity when the Portuguese arrived in India. In 1513, the Portuguese tried to establish an outpost there, but negotiations were unsuccessful. In 1531 the conquest attempted by D. Nuno da Cunha was also not successful. However, Diu was offered to the Portuguese in 1535 as a reward for military aid they gave to the Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, against the Great Mogul of Delhi. So coveted since the times of Tristan da Cunha and Albuquerque, and after failed attempts of Diogo Lopes de Sequeira in 1521, Nuno da Cunha in 1523, Diu was offered to the Portuguese, who soon fortified it.
Having repented of his generosity, Bahadur Shah sought to recover Diu, but was defeated and killed by the Portuguese, followed by a period of war between them and the people of Gujarat. In 1538, Coja Sofar, lord of Cambay, together with the Turkish Suleiman Pasha, came to lay siege to Diu, and were defeated by Portuguese resistance led by Anthony Silveira. A second siege
Second Siege of Diu
The Second Siege of Diu was a siege of the Portuguese Indian city of Diu by the Gujarat Sultanate in 1546. It ended with a major Portuguese victory.- Background :...
was imposed by the same Coja Sofar, in 1546, and repelled by the Portuguese conquerors, led on land by D. John Mascarenhas, and at sea, by D. João de Castro. Coja Sofar and D. Fernando de Castro, son of the Portuguese viceroy, perished in the struggle.
After this second siege, Diu was so fortified that it could withstand later attacks of the Arabs of Muscat and the Dutch (in the late seventeenth century). From the eighteenth century, Diu declined in strategic importance, and came to be reduced to a museum or historical landmark as commercial and strategic bulwark in the struggle between the forces of the Islamic East and Christian West.
Diu remained in the possession of the Portuguese from 1535 until 1961, when it fell in the possession of the troops of the Indian Union, which invaded all of former Portuguese India at the time of Nehru.
Geography and climate
Diu is located at 20.71°N 70.98°E. The island is at sea level and covers an area of 38.8 km². The climate is cool and dry, with an average annual rainfall of 700 mm.General Information
Old Diu is known for its Portuguese architecture. Diu FortDiu Fort
The Diu Fort, is located on the west coast of India in Diu, a Union Territory, administered by the Government of India. The fort was built by the Portuguese during their colonial rule of the Diu island. The Diu town is located to the west of the fort...
was built in 1535 and maintained an active garrison until 1960. There are three Portuguese Baroque churches, with St. Paul’s Church
St. Paul’s Church, Diu
The St. Paul’s Church, Diu, is situated in Diu Island, on the west coast of India, a Union Territory of India. It is located within the Diu Fort, which came under the control of the Portuguese colonists in early 16th century....
, completed in 1610, being the only one still in use for its original purpose. The Church of St. Francis of Assisi, the first church built in Diu, in 1593, is now used as a hospital. St. Thomas Church is currently used as a museum. With no tall buildings except the fort, Diu has a characteristically low skyline. A very ancient Lord Shiva's Temple is located on the "Gangeswar" coast.
Local transport is available from Una (Gujarat). Jet Airways
Jet Airways
Jet Airways is a major Indian airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is India's largest airline and the market leader in the domestic sector. It operates over 400 flights daily to 76 destinations worldwide. Its main hub is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, with secondary hubs at Delhi,...
services the island from the mainland, landing at Diu Airport
Diu Airport
Diu Airport is located at Diu in the Union Territory of Daman and Diu, India. Besides Diu, it also serves the neighbouring areas of Gujarat, including Veraval and Jafrabad.-History:Diu airport was built in the 1954 when Diu was part of Portuguese India....
. The nearby Nagoa beach and offshore lighthouse are popular tourist destinations, and the coast is a popular recreational area for parasailing, boating, and jet skiing. There are several hotels and resorts and there is a growing hotel and leisure industry. Diu is the only place in Gujarat where alcohol is legal.
Many people confuse Diu with Daman
Daman District, India
Daman district is one of the two districts of the union territory of Daman and Diu on the western coast of India, surrounded by Valsad District of Gujarat state on the north, east and south and the Arabian Sea to the west. The district has an area of , and a population of 113,949 , which increased...
. Although people refer to them together, they are different places (approximately 650 km from each other).
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Diu had a population of 21,576. Males constitute 46% of the population and females 54%. Diu has an average literacy rate of 71%, higher than the national average of 63.3% male literacy is 81% and, female literacy is 69%. In Diu, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Further reading
- Andrada (undated). The Life of Dom John de Castro: The Fourth Vice Roy of India. Jacinto Freire de Andrada. Translated into English by Peter Wyche. (1664). Henry Herrington, New Exchange, London. Facsimilie edition (1994) AES Reprint, New Delhi. ISBN 81-206-0900-X.