To Hormuz; Albuquerque's Death

After a Persian ambassador reached him at Cannanore in 1513, Albuquerque sent an envoy via Hormuz to Tabriz, and turned his attention to recapturing Hormuz. After the Portuguese withdrew in 1507, a young ruler had risen to the throne there, but the real power lay with his Persian vizier, Reis Hamed. 

Arriving in Hormuz in March 1515, Albuquerque met the king with the vizier present, had the Persian stabbed by his entourage,"freed" the king, and took the island without resistance in an almost bloodless coup. 

While Albuquerque remained in Hormuz, engaging in diplomatic negotiations and receiving envoys, his health began to fail. 

Worse, the word was out that his replacement was on the way from Portugal. Lopo Soares de Albergaria, a personal enemy, had been elevated to the position at the behest of Albuquerque's political enemies at the Portuguese court.

He made the decision to return to India in November 1515, but his condition deteriorated on the return voyage, Feeling his death approaching, Albuquerque drew up his will, held a final council with his captains, wrote a long letter to King Manuel and died within sight of Goa on 16 December 1515. His body was buried in Goa but subsequently moved to Lisbon in 1566.

Sources: Felipe Fernandez-Armesto (ed.) The Times Atlas of World Exploration; C.R. Boxer The Portuguese Seaborne Empire; Chambers Biographic Dictionary, John Crawford, History of the Indian Archipelago; J. C. H. Gill The Missing Coast: The Queensland Coast Takes Shape; R H Major, Early Voyages to Terra Australis; D.J.M. Tate The Making of Modern Southeast Asia: Volume 1: The European Conquest; Wikipedia  

© Ian Hughes 2017