Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Battle of Diu That Made Portugal Master of the Indian Ocean
In 1509, a small Portuguese fleet under Francisco de Almeida crushed a combined Mamluk-Gujarati-Ottoman armada off the coast of Diu, forever changing the balance of power in the Indian Ocean. This episode dives into the forgotten but pivotal Battle of Diu: why it happened, the ingenious Portuguese tactics (including the use of carracks and broadsides against traditional dhow warfare), and how it opened the door for Portugal to dominate spice trade for a century. We also explore the backroom politics in Cairo and Calicut, the role of the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri, and the…
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