The Portuguese Diogo de Melo arrived at the spot by chance in 1523, when heading towards Ormuz but caught in a violent storm and having his boat blown towards the coast of Daman. Soon after it was settled as a Portuguese colony and remained so for over 400 years. A larger fort was built in Motidaman in the 16th century to guard against the Mughals who ruled the area until the Portuguese arrived. It still stands today, most of it preserved in its original form. Today the majority of the municipal government offices are situated inside this fort.
Daman was incorporated into the Republic of India in December 1961 after a battle between the Portuguese and the Indians. The battle left 4 Indians dead and 14 wounded, and 10 Portuguese dead and 2 wounded
