Between ottomans and gujaratis: D. Diogo de Noronha, the Repositioning of Diu in the Indian Ocean, and the Creation of the Northern Province (1548–1560)

This article analyzes the role of Diu in the reconfiguration of the Northern Province during the 1550s by focusing on the career of D. Diogo de Noronha, whose role in the consolidation of the Portuguese presence in Diu has received little attention. After defeating the Abyssinian forces of the lord of Diu and seizing over half of the custom house revenue of the city from the Gujarati sultan, Noronha ensured a safer position for Diu and also contributed to the creation of the Northern Province in the late 1550s. What was the true role played by Diu after the difficult sieges of 1538 and 1546, when the Ottoman naval defeat of 1554 renewed the project of expansion to the North? What was the importance of Noronha in that project and how did he influence the spheres of decision in both Asia and Portugal? How did he leverage the struggles within the Gujarati court to achieve his goals? What were the main consequences of his actions for the later development of Diu in the second half of the sixteenth century? These are some of the questions we attempt to answer in this article.