The Northern Province (Portuguese: Província do Norte) was a subdivision of the Portuguese State of India that existed between 1534 and 1739, with its capital at Baçaim (Vasai).
The origin of the province lies in the conquest of Baçaim and the annexation of its hinterland in 1534. A war ensued that, by around 1542, confirmed Portuguese sovereignty over the entire Baçaim district. The Province expanded with the 1556 conquest of the praganas of Manorá and Asserim, which were subsequently integrated into the Baçaim district. The district of Damão was annexed in 1558, and the following year the Boticer pragana was added to it, though it was lost in 1581.
Most of the Province's territory fell permanently into Maratha hands in 1739. Following its collapse, part of the territory became the Portuguese exclave of Damão, held by Portugal until 1961. In 1783, Portugal annexed the pragana of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, formed from part of the Loaça pragana — itself part of the former Damão district between 1558 and 1739. This territory remained under Portuguese sovereignty until 1954.
Subdvisions The Northern Province was divided into two districts: Baçaim and Damão. Each district was subdivided into tanadarias, administrative and military divisions, which were further subdivided into praganas and cassabés, solely fiscal divisions. +SubdivisionDistrictTanadariaLocationNotesCaranjá CassabéBaçaimCaranjáUran 1534–1739. The only division where the position of tanadar was hereditary.Bombaim CassabéBaçaimMahim-BombaimMumbai1534–1661Mahim CassabéBaçaimMahim-BombaimMahim 1534–1661Salcete IslandBaçaimSalcete IslandSalsette1534–1739Taná CassabéBaçaimTanáThane 1534–1737Panchena PraganaBaçaimTerra firmeTaloje Panchnand 1534–Sabaio PraganaBaçaimTerra firmeBelapur 1542–1737Cairena PraganaBaçaimTerra firmeKopar Khairane 1534–1737Baçaim CassabéBaçaimBaçaimBaçaim 1534–1739Sopará CassabéBaçaimAgaçaimNala Sopara 1534–Agaçaim CassabéBaçaimAgaçaimAgashi 1534–Anjor PraganaBaçaimTerra firmeAnjur 1534–Caimão PraganaBaçaimCampo de BaçaimKaman 1534–1737Herá PraganaBaçaimCampo de BaçaimHedavade 1534–1737Solgão PraganaBaçaimCampo de BaçaimKoshimbe 1534–Manorá PraganaBaçaimManoráManor 1556–1739Asserim PraganaBaçaimAsserimAsheri 1556–1684, 1687–1739Mahim-Quelme PraganaDamãoMahim-QuelmeMahim 1559–1739Tarapur PraganaDamãoTarapurTarapur 1559–1739Danu PraganaDamãoDanuDahanu 1559–1739Bará PraganaDamãoSangensBahare1559–Sangens PraganaDamãoSangensSanjan 1559–1739Naer PraganaDamãoCampoDaman1559–1961. Parts of this pragana formed part of the Daman exclave until 1961.Callana PraganaDamãoCampoNani Daman 1559–1961. Parts of this pragana formed part of the Daman exclave until 1961.Loaça PraganaDamãoCampoLavachha 1559–1954. Parts of this pragana formed part of the Dadra and Nagar Haveli exclave until 1954.Poarim PraganaDamãoCampoKilla-Pardi 1559–1739Boticer PraganaDamãoValsad1559–1581
An eleventh pragana in the District of Daman, the Ganjar pragana, de jure belonged to Portugal; but Portuguese control was never imposed in that territory.
See also Norteiro people Battle of Vasai
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