Portuguese links with Dadrá e Nagar Aveli

Medieval times

The first mentions of the area where today lies the Territory of Dadra Union and Nagar Haveli dates back to medieval times, when Rajput invaders in 1262 became rulers of the region, forming a small state called Ramnagar.

The area stayed under Rajput control until the mid-eighteenth century, when it was conquered by the Marathas.

Portuguese colony

In 1783, Nagar Haveli was ceded to the Portuguese, as compensation for the sinking of a Portuguese ship by the Maratha navy. Later, in 1785, the Portuguese Empire bought Dadra, annexing it in Portuguese India (Estado Português da Índia). It was the first colony to be detached from the Empire by the occupation of the Indian Union in 1954, after nearly two centuries of Portuguese rule.

End of Portuguese rule

After India gained its independence from Britain in 1947, there was much pressure on Portugal and France to cede their Indian territories to enable the formation of the new country. The Portuguese refusal to negotiate. This led, at first, to the loss of areas of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, in 1954. Later, in 1961, the other Portuguese territories in India (Goa, Daman, Diu) were also taken over by the Union Indian and attached to the country. The movement for the end of Portuguese rule in Dadra and Nagar Haveli was due to the collaboration of various movements such as the United Front of Goans (UFG), the Organização do Movimento de Libertação Nacional (NMLO), the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Azad Gomantak Dal.

Integration with India

With the withdrawal of the Portuguese, Dadra and Nagar Haveli became, in the eyes of international law, an independent country. The inhabitants requested the Government of India for administrative support, An officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Mr. K.G. Badlani, was despatched to take over the local administration.

From 1954 to 1961, the region was administered by a board termed as Varishta Panchayat of Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

In 1961, when the Indian armed forces annexed Goa, Daman and Diu, the Badlani administrator was, for a day designated as the Dadra and Nagar Haveli Prime Minister as well as head of state. This enabled him to sign an agreement with the Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, and formally join Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the Republic of India as a Union Territory.

Administration

A Lieutenant Governor administers the territory of the Union, which covers an area of 487 km² and is composed of a single district, which is divided into two talukas (sub-districts):

Dadra is the administrative center of Taluka of Dadra, which covers the city of Dadra and two villages. Silvassa is the administrative center of the Taluka of Nagar Haveli, which comprises the city of Silvassa and 68 villages.

Population

The Territory's population is 220,490 inhabitants, of whom 121,666 are men and 98,824 are women. The population density is 449 hab./km².

The main languages spoken by residents of Dadra and Nagar Haveli are Gujarati, Hindi and Konkani. There are few traces of Portuguese culture remaining in the Territory, and it is practically impossible to find someone who speaks Portuguese today. The literacy rate is 57.6%, one of the lowest in India, which is due, in part, the high allocation of the population in the countryside and the tribal structure that still exists in the Territory.