Aires de Saldanha
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Aires de Albuquerque e Saldanha
| image = Retrato de D. Aires de Saldanha de Albuquerque,.jpg
| caption = Portrait of D. Aires de Saldanha; 1591
| office = Viceroy of Portuguese India
| term_start = 1600
| term_end = 1605
| office2 = Governor of Tangiers
| term_start2 = 17 June 1591
| term_end2 = 24 August 1599
| birth_date = 10 May 1542
| birth_place = Santarém, Kingdom of Portugal
| death_date = {{d-da|19 August 1605|10 May 1542}}
| death_place = Portuguese Empire
| nationality = Portuguese
}}
Aires de Saldanha (Santarém, Portugal, 10 May 1542 - Terceira, 19 August 1605) was a Portuguese soldier. He was the son of António de Saldanha, military and navigator who discovered the bay of Saldanha. He went to Portuguese India in 1558, with the viceroy Constantino of Braganza, this time serving for twelve years in the region.
Captain and Governor
He returned to Portugal in 1570, where he married Joana de Albuquerque, soon after he returned to India, this time with the Viceroy Rui Lourenço de Távora.{{cite book |last1=Pereira |first1=João Manuel Esteves |last2=Rodrigues |first2=Guilherme |title=Portugal; diccionario historico, chorographico, heraldico, biographico, bibliographico, numismatico e artistico |date=1912 |publisher=J. Romano Torres |page=483 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Portugal_diccionario_historico_chorograp/PQsfAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Aires+de+Saldanha+%221570%22+Joana+de+Albuquerque&pg=PA483&printsec=frontcover |access-date=1 December 2024 |language=pt-BR}} He was appointed captain of Portuguese Malacca, where he built the fort of Tidor. Returning to Portugal, he was appointed governor of Tangier, a position he held for 9 years.
Viceroy
In 1600, he was named 17th Viceroy of India{{cite book |title=Handbook of the Bombay Presidency: With an Account of Bombay City |date=1881 |publisher=Murray |page=22 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Handbook_of_the_Bombay_Presidency/e03wh0E8C_UC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Aires+de+Saldanha+%221600%22&pg=PA22&printsec=frontcover |access-date=1 December 2024 |language=en}} and 34th Governor of India.{{cite book |last1=Zúquete |first1=Afonso Eduardo Martins |title=Tratado de todos os vice-reis e governadores da India |date=1962 |publisher=Editorial Enciclopedia |page=133 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Tratado_de_todos_os_vice_reis_e_governad/SC45AQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Aires+de+Saldanha+%221570%22+Joana+de+Albuquerque&dq=Aires+de+Saldanha+%221570%22+Joana+de+Albuquerque&printsec=frontcover |access-date=1 December 2024 |language=pt-BR}} During his viceroyalty, in addition to financial difficulties, had to struggle against the Dutch on several fronts, defending Cochim and Goa, and repel them in the Moluccas.
Death
He died during his return to Portugal, near the island of Terceira, being first buried in Angra do Heroísmo, after his body was moved to Santarém.
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saldanha, Aires de}}
Category:Viceroys of Portuguese India
Category:16th-century Portuguese people