The history of Goa dates back to the 3rd Century BC, when it formed a part of the Mauryan Empire during the reign of Ashoka. Besides the Indian culture, Goa also nurtured the Greek and the Arabic cultures during the evolution of its History. The rich history of the state also saw the development of a large number of monuments which attract tourists from all over the world still now, making tourism one of the major sources of revenue of the state. We at Touristplacesinindia.com offers you complete information on all that you want to know about the History of Goa.

The Hindu dynasties that ruled Goa for about 700 years starting from the 2nd Century AD include the Parthians, Abhiras, Batpura, Bhojas Chalukyas, Rastrakutas and the Kadambas. The Kadambas occupation of Goa during the beginning of the 11th Century BC by making an allicance with Chalukyas was a unique feature in the history of Goa because of the fact that Kadambas were a local dynasty that came to dominate the scene of Goa. The Kadambas are said to have constructed the first settlement on the site of Old Goa in the 11th Century. This period is said to be the Golden Age of Goa. However the fall of the Chalukyan Empire after the death of the last Chalukya King weakened the power of the Kadambas and exposed Goa to the invasion of the Muslims during the 14th Century AD.

The Bahamani invation of Goa in the middle of the 13th Century AD brought complete destruction of the temples of Goa. These invaders murdered the priests and looted the wealth of the temples. To protect the deities from the hands of the invaders, most of them were moved to safer areas. The only temple that survives still today is the Shree Mahadev Temple at Tambdi Surla. In the later part of the 15th Century, Goa became a part of the Muslim Bahamani Kingdom. However during the turn of the 15th Century, the Bahamani Kingdom split into five independent kingdoms of Bijapur, Golkunda, Bidar, Berar and Ahmednagar.

In 1510 AD, the Portuguese laid siege of Goa under Alfonso de Albuquerque and by the end of the Century Goa saw many Churches and buildings on it and Goa came to be known as the �Golden Goa� and �Lisbon of the East�. Even after independence of India, Goa continued to be under the Portuguese rule until in December 17, 1961 when Indian Army in its bloodless operation �Operation Vijay� liberated Goa from Portuguese Control. The first elections were held in 1963 in Goa and Dayanand Bandodkar became the first Chief Minister of the State.

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Tourist Map of Goa