The government of Portuguese India started in 1505, six years after the discovery of the sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Viceroy Francisco de Almeida, then settled at Kochi. Until 1752, the name "India" included all Portuguese possessions in the Indian Ocean, from southern Africa to Southeast Asia, governed - either by a Viceroy or Governor - from its headquarters, established in Goa since 1510. In 1752 Portuguese Mozambique got its own government and in 1844 the Portuguese Government of India stopped administering the territory of Portuguese Macau, Solor and Portuguese Timor, being then confined to Malabar.
The following is a list of rulers during the history of Portuguese India as a viceroyalty or governorship.
| Official Title | Office-Holder | Mandate Begin | Mandate End | Notes |
| Viceroy (nom.) |
D. Tristão da Cunha | 1504 | 1505 | First to be nominated viceroy, never assumed office |
| Viceroy | D. Francisco de Almeida | 12 September 1505 | November 1509 | conquered Kilwa, erected forts in Anjediva, Cochin, Cannanore, refused to cede office until after Diu, died at Table Bay, on return voyage, March 1510 |
| Governor and Captain-General(*) |
D. Afonso de Albuquerque | 4 November 1509 | September 1515 | conquered Goa, Malacca, Muscat and Hormuz, died off Goa, December 1515 |
| Governor | Lopo Soares de Albergaria | 8 September 1515 | September 1518 | erected forts in Colombo (Ceylon) and Kollam returned to Portugal |
| Governor | Diogo Lopes de Sequeira | 8 September 1518 | January 1522 | Albuquerque's old lieutenant, erected fort at Chaul, returned to Portugal |
| Governor | D. Duarte de Menezes | 22 January 1522 | September 1524 | former captain of Tangier, dismissed and returned to Portugal |
| Viceroy | D. Vasco da Gama | 5 September 1524 | December 1524 | old discoverer of Indies route, died at Cochin, December 1524 |
| Governor | D. Henrique de Menezes | 17 January 1525 | February 1526 | died at Cannanore, February 1526 |
| Governor | Lopo Vaz de Sampaio | February 1526 | November 1529 | arrested, returned to Portugal as prisoner |
| Governor | Nuno da Cunha | 18 November 1529 | September 1538 | son of Tristão da Cunha, conquered northern province (Bassein, Bombay, Diu, Daman) died at sea on return to Portugal, March 1539 |
| Governor | D. Diogo Rodrigues | 25 October 1535 | 1548 | died in Goa, 21 April 1577 |
| Viceroy | D. Garcia de Noronha | 14 September 1538 | April 1540 | Another old Albuquerque lieutenant, died in Cochin, April 1540 |
| Governor | D. Estêvão da Gama | 3 April 1540 | May 1542 | son of Vasco da Gama, Captain of Portuguese Malacca f.1538, returned to Portugal |
| Governor | Martim Afonso de Sousa | 8 May 1542 | 1545 | donatary-captain of São Vicente f.1534, returned to Portugal |
| Governor | D. João de Castro | 10 September 1545 | 1548 | Nephew of Garcia de Noronha , promoted to Viceroy in early 1548 |
| Viceroy | D. João de Castro | 1548 | June 1548 | died at Goa, June 1548 |
| Governor | Garcia de Sá | 6 June 1548 | June 1549 | acquired Bardez and Salcette, died at Goa, June 1549 |
| Governor | Jorge Cabral | 13 June 1549 | November 1550 | interim governor, returned to Portugal |
| Viceroy | D. Afonso de Noronha | November 1550 | September 1554 | former governor of Ceuta, 1540–49, returned to Portugal |
| Viceroy | Pedro Mascarenhas | 23 September 1554 | June 1555 | old discoverer of Indian Ocean islands, died at Goa, June 1555 |
| Governor | Francisco Barreto | 16 June 1555 | September 1558 | returned to Portugal |
| Viceroy | D. Constantino de Braganza | 8 September 1558 | September 1561 | returned to Portugal |
| Viceroy | D. Francisco Coutinho | 7 September 1561 | February 1564 | died at Goa, February 1564 |
| Governor | João de Mendonça | 19 February 1564 | September 1564 | returned to Portugal |
| Viceroy | António de Noronha | 3 September 1564 | September 1568 | died at sea on return to Portugal |
| Viceroy | Luís de Ataíde | 10 September 1568 | September 1571 | returned to Portugal |
| Governor | António de Noronha | 6 September 1571 | December 1573 | |
| Governor | António Moniz Barreto | 9 December 1573 | September 1576 | |
| Governor | Diogo de Menezes | September 1576 | August 1578 | |
| Viceroy | Luís de Ataíde (second time) | 31 August 1578 | March 1581 | |
| Governor | Fernão Teles de Menezes | 1581 | 1591 | |
| Viceroy | Matias de Albuquerque | 1591 | 1597 | |
| Viceroy | D. Francisco da Gama, conde da Vidigueira |
1597 | 1600 | |
| Viceroy | Aires de Saldanha | 1600 | 1605 | |
| Viceroy | Martim Afonso de Castro | 1605 | June 1607 | |
| Governor | Fr. Aleixo de Meneses, Archbp of Goa |
June 1607 | 1609 | |
| Governor | André Furtado de Mendonça | 1609 | ||
| Viceroy | Rui Lourenço de Távora | 1609 | 1612 | |
| Viceroy | D. Jerónimo de Azevedo | 1612 | 1617 | |
| Viceroy | D. João Coutinho | 1617 | 1619 | |
| Governor | Fernão de Albuquerque | 1619 | 1622 | |
| Viceroy | D. Francisco da Gama (second time) | 1622 | 1628 | |
| Viceroy | Fr. Luís de Brito e Meneses, Bishop of Meliapore |
1628 | July 1629 | |
| Governing Council | 1. Nuno Álvares Botelho 2. D. Lourenço da Cunha 3. Gonçalo Pinto da Fonseca |
1629 | ||
| Viceroy | Miguel de Noronha, conde de Linhares | 1629 | 1635 | |
| Viceroy | Pero da Silva | 1635 | June 1639 | |
| Governor | António Teles de Meneses | 1639 | 1640 | |
| Viceroy | João da Silva Telo e Meneses, conde de Aveiras | 1640 | 1644 | |
| Viceroy | Filipe de Mascarenhas | 1644 | 1651 | |
| Viceroy | João da Silva Telo e Meneses, conde de Aveiras (second time) |
1651 | ||
| Governing Council | 1. Fr. Francisco dos Mártires (Archbp of Goa) 2. Francisco de Melo e Castro 3. António de Sousa Coutinho |
1651 | 1652 | |
| Viceroy | Vasco de Mascarenhas, Conde de Óbidos | 1652 | 1655 | |
| Usurper | Brás de Castro (usurper) | 1655 | ||
| Governor | Rodrigo Lobo da Silveira, conde de Sarzedas | 1655 | January 1656 | |
| Governing Council | 1. Manuel Mascarenhas Homem 2. Francisco de Melo e Castro 3. António de Sousa Coutinho |
January 1656 | 1661 | |
| Governing Council | 1. Luís de Mendonça Furtado e Albuquerque 2. Manuel Mascarenhas Homem 3. D. Pedro de Lencastre |
1661 | ||
| Governing Council | 1. Luís de Mendonça Furtado e Albuquerque, 2. António de Melo e Castro 3. D. Pedro de Lencastre |
1661 | 1662 | |
| Viceroy | António de Melo e Castro | 16 December 1662 | 1666 | |
| Viceroy | João Nunes da Cunha, Conde de São Vicente | 1666 | November 1668 | |
| Governing Council | 1. António de Melo e Castro, 2. Manuel Corte-Real de Sampaio 3. Luís de Miranda Henriques |
November 1668 | 1671 | |
| Viceroy | Luís de Mendonça Furtado e Albuquerque | 1671 | 1676 | |
| Viceroy | D. Pedro de Almeida, Conde de Assumar | 1676 | 1678 | |
| Interim Governor | António Brandão, Archbishop of Goa (sometime with António Pais de Sande) |
1678 | 1681 | |
| Viceroy | Francisco de Távora, conde de Alvor | 1681 | 1686 | |
| Governor | D. Rodrigo da Costa | 1686 | 1690 | |
| Governor | D. Miguel de Almeida | 1690 | January 1691 | |
| Governing Council | 1. Fernando Martins Mascarenhas Lencastre 2. Fr. Agostinho da Anunciação (Archbp of Goa) |
January 1691 | 1692 | |
| Viceroy | Pedro António de Meneses Noronha de Albuquerque | 1692 | 1697 | |
| Viceroy | António Luís Gonçalves da Câmara Coutinho | 1697 | 1701 | |
| Governing Council | 1. Fr. Agostinho da Anunciação (Archp of Goa) 2. D. Vasco Lima Coutinho |
1701 | 1702 | |
| Viceroy | Caetano de Melo e Castro | 1702 | 1707 | |
| Viceroy | D. Rodrigo da Costa (second time, as Viceroy now) |
1707 | 1712 | |
| Viceroy | Vasco Fernandes César de Meneses, Conde de Sabugosa | 1712 | 1717 | |
| Governor | Fr. Sebastião de Andrade Pessanha, Archbishop of Goa | January 1717 | October 1717 | |
| Viceroy | Luís Carlos Inácio Xavier de Meneses, conde de Ericeira | October 1717 | 1720 | |
| Viceroy | Francisco José de Sampaio e Castro | 1720 | July 1723 | |
| Interim Governor | Cristóvão de Melo | July 1723 | ||
| Governing Council | 1. Cristóvão de Melo 2. Fr. Inácio de Santa Teresa (Archbp of Goa) 3. Cristóvão Luís de Andrade |
1723 | 1725 | |
| Viceroy | João de Saldanha da Gama | 1725 | 1732 | |
| Governing Council | 1. Cristóvão de Melo 2. Fr. Inácio de Santa Teresa (Archbp of Goa) 3. Tomé Gomes Moreira |
1732 | ||
| Viceroy | Pedro de Mascarenhas, conde de Sandomil | 1732 | 1740 | |
| Viceroy | Luís Carlos Inácio Xavier de Meneses, conde de Ericeira (second time) |
1740 | 1742 | |
| Governing Council | 1. Francisco de Vasconcelos 2. Lourenço de Noronha 3. Luís Caetano de Almeida |
1742 | 1744 | |
| Viceroy | Pedro Miguel de Almeida Portugal e Vasconcelos, conde de Assumar, marquis de Alorna |
1744 | 1750 | |
| Viceroy | Francisco de Assis de Távora, marquis of Tavora |
September 1750 | 1754 | [returned to Portugal, executed in 1759] |
| Viceroy | Luís Mascarenhas, conde de Alva | 1754 | June 1756 | |
| Governing Council | 1. António Taveira da Neiva Brum da Silveira (Archbp of Goa) 2. João de Mesquista Matos Teixeira 3. Filipe de Valadares |
1756 | 1757 | |
| Viceroy | Manuel de Saldanha e Albuquerque, conde da Ega | 1758 | 1765 | |
| Council | 1. António Taveira da Neiva Brum da Silveira (Archbp of Goa) 2. João Baptista Vaz Pereira 3. D. João José de Melo |
1765 | 1768 | |
| Governor | João José de Melo | 1768 | 1771 | |
| Governor and Captain-General |
João José de Melo | 1771 | January 1774 | |
| Interim Governor | Filipe de Valadares Sotomaior | 1774 | ||
| Governor and Captain-General of India | D. José Pedro da Câmara | 1774 | 1779 | |
| Governor and Captain-General of India | D. Frederico Guilherme de Sousa Holstein | 1779 | 1786 | |
| Governor and Captain-General of India | Francisco da Cunha e Meneses | 1786 | 1794 | |
| Governor and Captain-General of India | Francisco António da Veiga Cabral da Câmara, Viscount Mirandela |
1794 | 1806 | |
| Viceroy and Captain-General of India | D. Bernardo José Maria da Silveira e Lorena, Count of Sarzedas |
1806 | 1816 | |
| Viceroy and Captain-General of India | D. Diogo de Sousa, Count of Rio Pardo |
1816 | 1821 | |
| Provisional Junta of Government of the State of India | Manuel José Gomes Loureiro, Manuel Godinho Mira, Joaquim Manuel Correia da Silva e Gama, Gonçalo de Magalhães Teixeira Pinto Manuel Duarte Leitão |
1821 | ||
| Provisional Junta of Government of the State of India | D. Manuel da Câmara, D. Frei de São Tomás de Aquino, António José de Melo Sotomaior Teles, João Carlos Leal António José de Lima Leitão |
1821 | 1822 | |
| Provisional Junta of Government of the State of India | D. Manuel da Câmara, D. Frei de São Tomás de Aquino, António José de Melo Sotomaior Teles, João Carlos Leal Joaquim Mourão Garcez Palha |
1822 | 1823 | |
| Viceroy and Captain-General of India | D. Manuel da Câmara | 1823 | 1825 | (Dissolved Junta and assumed de facto title of Governor of Portuguese India) |
| Government Council of the State of India | D. Frei Manuel de São Galdino, Cândido José Mourão Garcez Palha e António Ribeiro de Carvalho |
1825 | 1826 | |
| Governor and Captain-General of India | D. Manuel Francisco Zacarias de Portugal e Castro | 1826 | 1830 | |
| Viceroy and Captain-General of India | D. Manuel Francisco Zacarias de Portugal e Castro | 1826 | 1835 | |
| Governor | Bernardo Peres da Silva | 1835 | ||
| Governor | D. Manuel Francisco Zacarias de Portugal e Castro | 1835 | ||
| Governor | Joaquim Manuel Correia da Silva e Gama | 1835 | ||
| Government Council of the State of India | João Casimiro Pereira da Rocha de Vasconcelos, Manuel José Ribeiro, Frei Constantino de Santa Rita, João Cabral de Estefique, António Maria de Melo, Joaquim António de Morais Carneiro, António Mariano de Azevedo José António de Lemos |
1835 | 1837 | (after 1836 confined to Goa) |
| Governor | Bernardo Peres da Silva | 1836 | 1837 | (Governor of Daman and Diu, provisional governor of Goa) |
| Governor | Simão Infante de Lacerda de Sousa Tavares, barão de Sabroso |
1837 | 1839 | (restored unity to Portuguese India) |
| Governor | José António Vieira da Fonseca | 1839 | ||
| Governor | Manuel José Mendes, Baron of Candal |
1839 | 1840 | |
| Government Council of the State of India | José António Vieira da Fonseca, José Câncio Freire de Lima, António João de Ataíde, Domingos José Mariano Luís, José da Costa Campos Caetano de Sousa e Vasconcelos |
1840 | ||
| Governador Interino | José Joaquim Lopes Lima | 1840 | 1842 | |
| Government Council of the State of India | António Ramalho de Sá, António José de Melo Sotomaior Teles, António João de Ataíde, José da Costa Campos Caetano de Sousa e Vasconcelos |
1842 | ||
| Governor | Francisco Xavier da Silva Pereira, Count of the Antas |
1842 | 1843 | |
| Governor | Joaquim Mourão Garcez Palha | 1843 | 1844 | |
| Governor | José Ferreira Pestana | 1844 | 1851 | |
| Governador | José Joaquim Januário Lapa, Viscount of Vila Nova de Ourém |
1851 | 1855 | |
| Government Council of the State of India | D. Frei Joaquim de Santa Rita Botelho, Arcebispo de Goa e Primaz das Índias, Luís da Costa Campos, Francisco Xavier Peres, Bernardo Heitor da Silva e Lorena Vítor Anastácio Mourão Garcez Palha |
1855 | ||
| Governor | António César de Vasconcelos Correia, Count of Torres Novas |
1855 | 1864 | |
| Governor | José Ferreira Pestana | 1864 | 1870 | (2nd term) |
| Governor | Januário Correia de Almeida, Count of São Januário |
1870 | 1871 | |
| Governor | Joaquim José Macedo e Couto | 1871 | 1875 | |
| Goverdor | João Tavares de Almeida | 1875 | 1877 | |
| Government Council of the State of India | D. Aires de Ornelas e Vasconcelos, Archbishop of Goa and Primate of the Indies, João Caetano da Silva Campos, Francisco Xavier Soares da Veiga Eduardo Augusto de Sá Nogueira Pinto Balsemão |
1877 | ||
| Governor | António Sérgio de Sousa | 1877 | 1878 | |
| Government Council of the State of India | D. Aires de Ornelas e Vasconcelos, Archbishop of Goa and Primate of the Indies, João Caetano da Silva Campos, Francisco Xavier Soares da Veiga António Sérgio de Sousa Júnior |
1878 | ||
| Governor | Caetano Alexandre de Almeida e Albuquerque | 1878 | 1882 | |
| Governor | Carlos Eugénio Correia da Silva, Viscount of Paço d'Arcos |
1882 | 1886 | |
| Government Council of the State of India | D. António Sebastião Valente, Arcebispo de Goa e Primaz das Índias, José de Sá Coutinho, José Inácio de Brito José Maria Teixeira Guimarães |
1886 | ||
| Governor | Francisco Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral | 1886 | ||
| Government Council of the State of India | D. António Sebastião Valente, Arcebispo de Goa e Patriarca das Índias Orientais, José de Sá Coutinho, José Inácio de Brito José Maria Teixeira Guimarães |
1886 | ||
| Governor | Augusto César Cardoso de Carvalho | 1886 | 1889 | |
| Interim Governor | Joaquim Augusto Mouzinho de Albuquerque | 1889 | ||
| Government Council of the State of India | D. António Sebastião Valente, Arcebispo de Goa e Patriarca das Índias Orientais, Joaquim Borges de Azevedo Enes, José Inácio de Brito Joaquim Augusto Mouzinho de Albuquerque |
1889 | ||
| Governor | Vasco Guedes de Carvalho e Meneses | 1889 | 1891 | |
| Governor | Francisco Maria da Cunha | 1891 | ||
| Interim Governor | João Manuel Correia Taborda | 1891 | 1892 | (1st term) |
| Government Council of the State of India | D. António Sebastião Valente, Arcebispo de Goa e Patriarca das Índias Orientais, Luís Fisher Berquó Falcão, Raimundo Maria Correia Mendes João Manuel Correia Taborda |
1892 | ||
| Governor | Francisco Teixeira da Silva | 1892–1893 | ||
| Government Council of the State of India | Luís Poças Falcão, Raimundo Maria Correia Mendes João Manuel Correia Taborda |
1893 | ||
| Governor | Rafael Jácome de Andrade | 1893 | 1894 | (1st term) |
| Interim Governor | João Manuel Correia Taborda | 1894 | (2nd term) | |
| Government Council of the State of India | D. António Sebastião Valente, Arcebispo de Goa e Patriarca das Índias Orientais, Francisco António Ochoa, Luís Carneiro de Sousa e Faro João Manuel Correia Taborda |
1894 | ||
| Governor | Elesbão José de Bettencourt Lapa, Viscount of Vila Nova de Ourém | 1894 | 1895 | |
| Governor | Rafael Jácome de Andrade | 1895 | 1896 | (2nd term) |
| Viceroy | Prince D. Afonso Henriques de Bragança, Duke of Porto |
1896 | ||
| Interim Governor | João António de Brissac das Neves Ferreira | 1896 | 1897 | |
| Interim Governor | João Manuel Correia Taborda | 1897 | (3rd term) | |
| Government Council of the State of India | D. António Sebastião Valente, Arcebispo de Goa e Patriarca das Índias Orientais, Francisco António Ochoa, João de Melo Sampaio João Manuel Correia Taborda |
1897 | ||
| Government Council of the State of India | D. António Sebastião Valente, Arcebispo de Goa e Patriarca das Índias Orientais, Abel Augusto Correia do Pinto, João de Melo Sampaio João Manuel Correia Taborda |
1897 | ||
| Governor | Joaquim José Machado | 1897 | 1900 | |
| Governor | Eduardo Augusto Rodrigues Galhardo | 1900 | 1905 | |
| Government Council of the State of India | D. António Sebastião Valente, Arcebispo de Goa e Patriarca das Índias Orientais, Alfredo Mendonça David, José Emílio Santana da Cunha Castel-Branco Francisco Maria Peixoto Vieira |
1905 | ||
| Governor | Arnaldo de Novais Guedes Rebelo | 1905 | 1907 | |
| Government Council of the State of India | Bernardo Nunes Garcia, César Augusto Rancon Francisco Maria Peixoto Vieira |
1907 | ||
| Governor | José Maria de Sousa Horta e Costa | 1907 | 1910 | |
| Governor-General | Francisco Manuel Couceiro da Costa | 1910 | 1917 | |
| Interim Governor-General | Francisco Maria Peixoto Vieira | 1917 | (1st term) | |
| Government Council of the State of India | Francisco Peixoto de Oliveira e Silva, Francisco Wolfgango da Silva Francisco Maria Peixoto Vieira |
1917 | ||
| Governor-General | José de Freitas Ribeiro | 1917 | 1919 | |
| Interim Governor-General | Augusto de Paiva Bobela da Mota | 1919 | 1920 | |
| Governador-General | Jaime Alberto de Castro Morais | 1920 | 1925 | |
| Interim Governor-General | Francisco Maria Peixoto Vieira | 1925 | (2nd term) | |
| Governor-General | Mariano Martins | 1925–1926 | ||
| Interim Governor-General | Tito Augusto de Morais | 1926 | ||
| Interim Governor-General | Acúrcio Mendes da Rocha Dinis | 1926 | 1927 | |
| Governor-General | Pedro Francisco Massano de Amorim | 1927 | 1929 | |
| Interim Governor-General | Acúrcio Mendes da Rocha Dinis | 1929 | ||
| Governor-General | Alfredo Pedro de Almeida | 1929 | 1930 | |
| Governor-General | João Carlos Craveiro Lopes | 1930 | 1936 | |
| Interim Governor-General | Francisco Craveiro Lopes | 1936 | 1938 | |
| Governor-General | José Ricardo Pereira Cabral | 1938 | 1945 | |
| Interim Governor-General | Paulo Bénard Guedes | 1945 | 1946 | |
| Governor-General | José Silvestre Ferreira Bossa | 1946 | 1947 | |
| Interim Governor-General | José Alves Ferreira | 1947 | 1948 | |
| Governor-General | Fernando Quintanilha e Mendonça Dias | 1948 | 1952 | |
| Governor-General | Paulo Bénard Guedes | 1952 | 1958 | |
| Governor-General | Manuel António Vassalo e Silva | 1958 | 1961 |
(*) - In 1508, King Manuel I of Portugal partitioned the Indian Ocean into two "High Captaincies" - (1) Capitão-Mor dos mares da Ethiopia, Arabia e Persia (centered at Socotra) covering the east African and Arabian-Persian coasts, from Sofala to Diu; (2) Capitão-Mor dos mares da India (centered at Cochin), covering the Indian coast from Diu down to Cape Comorin. Afonso de Albuquerque was Captain-General of the latter. Jorge de Aguiar was made Captain-General of the former.
(**) - Title of Viceroy of Indies extinguished by royal letter in 1771, replaced by Capitão-Geral (Captain-General) of the Indies.
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