Goa, the fine and fertile island on the western coast of India lying 320 kms south of Mumbai, had come under the rule of many historical dynasties. The Kadambas
ruled the land with Chandrapura (the modern Chandor) for their capital. The commercial centre Govapuri became a prosperous city under them. (Area: 3813 sq km.
Population: 1082117-1981 census).
The Bahamanis, the Muslim rulers of Deccan, conquered Goa in 1352. For a while they were ousted by the Vijaynagar kings, but they recaptured it in 1470, in the
process destroying Govapuri almost completely. Ela,on the river Mandovi became their capital. It fell in the hands of Yusuf Adil Shah, the Sultan of Bijapur.
In 1510 Alfonso de Albuquerque, the second governor of the Portuguese possessions in India, conquered it, killing the Bijapur soldiers mercilessly. The large
cannon with which Adil Shah tried to defend his possession still lies at Campal in Panjim, the capital of Goa. Soon Goa became a legend in Portugal. Camoes, the renowned
Portuguese poet, described Goa as Senhora de todo o Oriente"—the Queen of the Orient.
In I 1809, during the Napoleonic wars the British occupied Goa, but restored it to Portugal after the Treaty of Vienna. In 1961, after more than four centuries
of foreign domination, it was liberated by India.
Goa, Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli were the Portuguese Possessions. Goa became a state, Daman & Diu formed one Union Territory, Dadra and Nagai Haveli,
consisting of 72 villages in Valsad district of Gujarat constitutes another unit, for administrative facility.