y of the
Portuguese in India. But it is both interesting and instructive to
examine the policy of the successors of Albuquerque, and to note the
growth of the causes which led to the destruction of the empire that
he founded. The following chapters are intended to give a short
sketch of the leading features of the history of the Portuguese in
India, up to the time when Portugal lost its independence and was
united with Spain. Special attention will be given to the points in
which Albuquerque's successors fulfilled or diverged from his ideas
of conquest and government.

Albuquerque's immediate successor, who had been sent out to supersede
him, was Lopo Soares de Albergaria, a powerful nobleman and son of
the Chancellor of Portugal. He came out to India with the express
intention of striking out a line for himself, and his favourite
counsellors were the declared opponents of his predecessor.
Nevertheless he dared not abandon {171} Goa, much as that measure was
urged upon him, in the face of the marked approval that the King had
expressed on the receipt of the important despatch by Albuquerque,
which has been printed in full. The new Governor knew that the only
way in which he could obtain the favour of Emmanuel was by carrying
out the policy of closing the Red Sea. It has been said that the King
of Portugal had eventually decided to leave this task in
Albuquerque's hands, and that these instructions only reached India
after the death of the great captain.

Lopo Soares attempted to fulfil the designs of Albuquerque, and in
1517 sailed with a fleet of over forty ships carrying 3000 soldiers
to the Red Sea. This armament, which far exceeded any that
Albuquerque had ever commanded, could easily have accomplished the
favourite scheme of King Emmanuel. The politics of the Red Sea were
become very complicated since Albuquerque's voyage thither. The Emir
Husain on leaving India had betaken himself to Jeddah, where he was
endeavouring to construct a fresh fleet. But the Sultan of Egypt
suspected the Emir's intentions, and ordered an officer named Rais
Sulaiman to establish his authority in the Red Sea. Sulaiman equipped
a fleet at Suez, and in 1516 attempted to take Aden. The Arab ruler
of that port resisted the Egyptians as sturdily as he had done the
Portuguese, and the Egyptian admiral was forced to retreat. The
rivalry between Sulaiman and Husain weakened the position of the
{172} Muhammadans in the Red Sea. When, therefore