Albuquerque had innovative ideas for securing this new empire. Aware of how few the Portuguese were, of their high mortality rate and their lack of women, he immediately set about promoting a mixed marriage policy, encouraging the union of the Portuguese rank and file – soldiers, masons, carpenters – with local women. These were generally low-caste Hindus, who were baptised and granted dowries. The married men, known as casados, were also given financial incentives for entering into binding ties. Within two months of the reconquest of Goa he had arranged two hundred such marriages. This policy
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