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Diu 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.
History
In 1535
Bahadur Shah, 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 to repel 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 movement when the Portuguese arrived in India. In 1513, the Portuguese tried to establish an outpost there, but negotiations were unsuccessful. In 1531 the attempt of conquest waged by D. Nuno da Cunha was also not successful. However, Diu came to be offered to the Portuguese in 1535 as a reward for military aid they gave to...
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