Lourenço de Almeida was a Portuguese naval commander who served in the Indian Ocean at the beginning of the 16th century. He is known for the first time the Portuguese reached Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) and for the naval battle in which he died off Chaul in 1508.
He was born around 1480 in the Portuguese town of Martim. His father was Francisco de Almeida, the first viceroy of Portuguese India. He went to India with his father in 1505 and served as fleet commander under his command.
Ceylon and Cannanore
In 1505, the fleet under his command was driven by adverse winds to Galle in the south of Ceylon. Thus, he was among the first Portuguese to reach the island and established relations with the local ruler, making the island pay tribute to Portugal. This contact is considered the beginning of Portugal's subsequent presence on the island.
In March 1506, he blocked the fleet of the Zamorin, ruler of Kalikút, at the entrance of the port of Cannanore and inflicted heavy losses. This victory strengthened Portugal's position on the Malabar coast.
Battle of Chaul
In March 1508, he clashed with the joint fleet of the Mamluk navy and the ships of the Gujarat Sultanate in the port of Chaul. Instead of cannon fire from a distance, he chose to board enemy ships; His ship was sunk at the entrance of the harbor and he died in the battle. His father defeated the same fleet a year later at the Battle of Diu in 1509, tipping the balance in the Indian Ocean in favor of Portugal.
