Army of Portuguese India

Portuguese military presence in India began in the early 16th century, when Afonso de Albuquerque and his successors established fortresses at Goa, Diu, Daman and other coastal locations. ^[1] These garrisons were initially manned by soldiers sent from Portugal, but over time the use of locally recruited troops (known as sipais or sepoys) became more common. ^[2]

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the colonial forces in Portuguese India were reorganised several times, with the aim of maintaining a modest defensive capacity while keeping costs low. ^[3] Unlike the British Indian Army, the Portuguese Indian garrison was never large enough to act as an expeditionary force beyond its own territories. ^[4]

Organization

The Army of Portuguese India was composed of:

• A small number of infantry battalions, largely recruited from the local population of Goa and other enclaves. ^[5]
• Detachments of artillery for the defense of coastal forts such as Fort Aguada, Reis Magos Fort, and the fortresses of Diu and Daman. ^[6]
• Auxiliary police and militia units for maintaining internal order. ^[7]

The total strength of the army rarely exceeded a few thousand men. ^[8] The officers were almost entirely Portuguese, while the rank and file were primarily Goan Catholics and other local recruits. ^[9]

World War II

During the Second World War, Portugal under António de Oliveira Salazar maintained a policy of neutrality, and this extended to Portuguese India. ^[10] As a result, the Army of Portuguese India did not take part in combat operations.

Nevertheless, Portuguese India became strategically significant:

• The harbor of Mormugão was used by Axis merchant vessels and was closely monitored by the Allies. ^[11]
• German agents operated a clandestine radio transmitter in Goa, broadcasting propaganda under the name Rádio Goa. ^[12]
• In March 1943, Operation Creek was carried out by British special operatives, who destroyed German and Italian ships sheltering in Mormugão harbor. ^{[13] [14]}

Some individuals from Portuguese India volunteered to serve in the British Indian Army, but this was not an official action of the Portuguese colonial forces. ^[15]

Later years and dissolution

After 1945, the garrison remained small and under-equipped. The Army of Portuguese India was primarily tasked with local defense and ceremonial duties. ^[16]

In December 1961, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Vijay, which resulted in the annexation of Goa, Daman, and Diu into the Republic of India. Facing overwhelming force, the Portuguese garrisons surrendered after brief resistance. ^[17] The Army of Portuguese India was formally dissolved, and its soldiers were repatriated or absorbed into civilian life. ^[18]

See also

• Portuguese India
• Portuguese Armed Forces
• British Indian Army
• Operation Creek
• Annexation of Portuguese India

References

1. Teotónio R. de Souza, Medieval Goa: A Socio-Economic History. New Delhi: Concept Publishing, 1979, pp. 212–218.
2. Charles Ralph Boxer, Fidalgos in the Far East, 1550–1770. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1948, pp. 145–150.
3. Manuel Gomes da Silva, A Índia Portuguesa. Lisboa: Agência Geral do Ultramar, 1954, pp. 87–93.
4. A. J. R. Russell-Wood, The Portuguese Empire, 1415–1808: A World on the Move. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998, p. 188.
5. A. K. Priolkar, Goa under the Portuguese. Bombay: Bombay University Press, 1963, pp. 201–208.
6. Manuel Gomes da Silva, A Índia Portuguesa. Lisboa: Agência Geral do Ultramar, 1954, pp. 87–93.
7. Teotónio R. de Souza, Medieval Goa: A Socio-Economic History. New Delhi: Concept Publishing, 1979, pp. 212–218.
8. T. R. Sareen, The Portuguese Military in India: From the Seventeenth Century to 1961. New Delhi: Concept Publishing, 2001, pp. 287–300.
9. Alan J. Whitaker, The Portuguese Army in India, 1750–1961. New Delhi: Manohar, 1981, pp. 155–160.
10. Paul McGarr, "The Indian Ocean, Cold War and Decolonization: Political, Security and Economic Dimensions." in David Lowe & Tony Joel (eds.), Remembering the Cold War: Global Contest and National Stories. Routledge, 2013, pp. 106–109.
11. Hugh Purcell, The Last Englishmen: Love, War and the End of Empire. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2010, pp. 133–140.
12. Paul McGarr, "The Indian Ocean, Cold War and Decolonization: Political, Security and Economic Dimensions." in David Lowe & Tony Joel (eds.), Remembering the Cold War: Global Contest and National Stories. Routledge, 2013, pp. 106–109.
13. Ian Fleming, The Secret History of Special Operations: The Calcutta Light Horse Raid. London: Pan Books, 1978.
14. Gavin Mortimer, The Men Who Made the SAS: The History of the Long Range Desert Group. London: Constable, 2015, pp. 215–220.
15. Hugh Purcell, The Last Englishmen: Love, War and the End of Empire. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2010, pp. 138–139.
16. Alan J. Whitaker, The Portuguese Army in India, 1750–1961. New Delhi: Manohar, 1981, pp. 155–160.
17. T. R. Sareen, The Portuguese Military in India: From the Seventeenth Century to 1961. New Delhi: Concept Publishing, 2001, pp. 287–300.
18. Alan J. Whitaker, The Portuguese Army in India, 1750–1961. New Delhi: Manohar, 1981, pp. 155–160.

Further reading

• A. J. R. Russell-Wood, The Portuguese Empire, 1415–1808: A World on the Move. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.
• Charles Ralph Boxer, The Portuguese Seaborne Empire, 1415–1825. London: Hutchinson, 1969.
• A. K. Priolkar, Goa under the Portuguese. Bombay: Bombay University Press, 1963.