Mormugao

Mormugao in South Goa is among India’s principal ports. It was featured in the 1980 film The Sea Wolves and the Hindi film Bhootnath. At the time when the Portuguese conquered Goa in the sixteenth century, they built their maritime supremacy by establishing fortifications on different hillocks. This included the port of Mormugao.

The seaport would soon be targeted by the Sultans of Bijapur, the Marathas, and the Dutch, who each appreciated its strategic significance. But the Portuguese retained their hold over the city. The Portuguese emissary Dom Francisco de Tavora would even move the capital of Portuguese India to this well-fortified seaport. While Panjim soon became the administrative capital, Mormugao only grew in stature. It was also the focal point that facilitated trade between Portuguese India and British India.