Diu Cape

The waters off Diu lie along the southern edge of the Saurashtra peninsula, where the Arabian Sea meets a low island coast. Diu commanded a useful harbour on the routes linking Gujarat with the western Indian Ocean. The Portuguese built a fortress there in 1535 under an agreement with Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. The stronghold withstood major sieges in 1538 and 1546, securing a foothold from which the Portuguese could watch the shipping that passed this coast.