Editing Vasai (section)

===Portuguese era===
The [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] first reached the west coast of [[Indian subcontinent|India]] when the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] [[Age of Discovery|explorer]] [[Vasco da Gama]] landed at [[Kozhikode|Calicut]] in 1498. According to historian [[Manuel de Faria e Sousa]], the coast of Basai was first visited by the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] in 1509, when [[Francisco de Almeida]] on his way to [[Diu, India|Diu]] captured a Muslim ship in the harbour of [[Mumbai|Bombay]], with 24 citizens of the [[Gujarat Sultanate]] aboard.

To the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]], Basai was an important trading centre located on the [[Arabian Sea]]. They saw it as a vital service station that would give them access to global sea routes and goods such as salt, fish, timber and mineral resources.<ref name=":2" /> They wanted to build a shipyard to manufacture ships and use the fertile land to grow rice, sugarcane, cotton, betel nuts and other crops to trade globally.<ref name=":4" />

The presence of the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] significantly shaped the region into what it is today.<ref name=":2" />

==== Treaty of Vasai (Bassein) (1534) ====
In 1530 the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]], under António da Silveira, took advantage of its strong navy and pillaged and burnt the village of Vasai (Basai). The army of [[Gujarat Sultanate]] was not strong enough for the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] forces and, despite resistance, the [[Bahadur Shah of Gujarat|Sultan of Gujarat]] was eventually defeated.<ref name=":4" /> In 1531 António set fire to Basai yet again as punishment for the [[Bahadur Shah of Gujarat|Sultan]] for not ceding [[Diu, India|Diu]], a vital island that would protect trade in the region. In 1533, Diogo (Heitor) da Silveira set fire to the western coast leading from [[Bandora, Goa|Bandora]] through [[Thane|Thana]] and Basai to [[Surat]].<ref name=":2" />

[[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] General [[Nuno da Cunha]] discovered that the son of [[Malik Ayyaz|Meliqueaz]], the governor of [[Diu, India|Diu]], Malik Tokan was fortifying Basai with 14,000 men. Seeing this fortification as a threat, [[Nuno da Cunha|Nano da Cunha]] assembled a fleet of 150 ships with 4000 men and sailed to north of Basai. Upon seeing the naval superiority of the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]], Malik Tokan attempted to initiate a peace agreement with [[Nuno da Cunha|Nano da Cunha]]. Upon rejection, Malik Tokan was forced to fight against the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]]. Despite bringing fewer soldiers, the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] managed to kill most of the enemy while losing only a few of their own.<ref name=":2" />

The [[Treaty of Bassein (1534)|Treaty of Bassein]] was signed by [[Bahadur Shah of Gujarat]] and the [[Kingdom of Portugal]] on 23 December 1534 while on board the [[galleon]] São Mateus. Based on the terms of the agreement, the [[Portuguese Empire]] gained control of the village of Basai as well as its territories, islands and seas including [[Mumbai|Bombay]]. The village was renamed to Baçaim and became the northern capital of [[Portuguese India|Portuguese territories]] in India.

[[Garcia de Sá]] was later appointed as the first Captain (governor) of Baçaim by his brother-in-law [[Nuno da Cunha]] in 1536, who ruled until 1548 when the governorship was passed onto [[Jorge Cabral]]. The first cornerstone for the [[Fort Bassein|Bassein Fort]] was laid by [[António Galvão]].<ref name=":2" />

Under [[Portuguese India|Portuguese rule]], the [[Fort Bassein]] was the Northern Court, or 'Corte da Norte', functioning as the headquarters of the Court of the North. Baçaim became the capital of the Northern Province, the most productive village of [[Portuguese India]] and became a resort for [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] 'fidalgos' (noblemen and wealthy merchants). A great Portuguese person would be called 'Fidalgo ou Cavalheiro de Baçaim' (''Nobleman of Baçaim'').<ref name=":2" /> By 1674, the [[Portuguese India|Portuguese]] constructed 2 colleges, 4 convent schools and 15 churches in total in Baçaim's territories.<ref name=":4" /> For approximately 205 years, the presence of the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] made the surrounding area a vibrant and opulent village.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/MTDC/HTML/MaharashtraTourism/TouristDelight/Forts/Forts.aspx?strpage=VasaiFort.html|title=Vasai Fort|website=Maharashtra Tourism|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150917163134/https://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/MTDC/HTML/MaharashtraTourism/TouristDelight/Forts/Forts.aspx?strpage=VasaiFort.html|archive-date=17 September 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=25 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/treasures/fort/vasai-fort|title=Vasai Fort|website=Maharashtra Tourism|access-date=25 July 2018}}</ref>

The local ethnic community were called 'Norteiro' (Northern men), named after the Court of the North functioning out of the [[Fort Bassein|fort]].

In 1674, about 600 [[Arab identity|Arab]] pirates from [[Muscat]] entered Baçaim via the west and pillaged the churches in Baçaim. The unexpected attack weakened the [[Portuguese India|Portuguese]] control outside the [[Fort Bassein|fort]] walls<ref name=":4" /> and [[Maratha Empire|Maratha]] [[Maratha Army|warriors]] stationed in the west isolated them further.