The history of Daman & Diu
dates back to the period between 8th and 13th century when it was a
stronghold of the Chowda Rajputs. For the next 200 years, the territory
came under the rule of Muslim
Emperors. The Portuguese arrived in Goa in the 16th century and they
ruled the state and its surrounding areas for over 450 years
(1510-1961).
When Bahadur Shah, Sultan of Gujarat,
was attacked by the Mughal Emperor Humayun, he entered into a
defensive alliance with the Portuguese and allowed them in 1535 to
construct a fortress on the Island and maintain a garrison there.
Later several attempts were made by the rulers of Gujarat
in 1536, 1545 and 1546 respectively to oust the Portuguese from the
Fort of Diu but to no avail. By the Treaty of 1543 the cessation of Diu
to the Portuguese was finally confirmed. The fortress of Diu, an imposing structure was reconstructed after the siege of 1545 by Dom Joao de Castro.
The
Portuguese power was growing day by day in the region. They occupied
some portions of the western coasts including Salcete and Bardez
Talukas, north of Bombay and the pockets of Daman and Diu. In 1670, a
small armed band of the Arabs of Muscat surprised and plundered the
fortress, retiring with the booty they had acquired.
The liberation of Goa and Daman Diu occurred just before the midnight of December 16, 1961 when the Indian
Army carried out 'Operation Vijay' to end the colonial rule in this
territory. The areas located on the west coast of India were formed a single political unit after liberation from the erstwhile Portuguese regime in 1961.
In 1987, when Goa gained the status of a state, Daman and Diu was separated from it and was made a union territory on 30 May 1987.