Q. The Portuguese built their first fortress in India at __?
Answer: Kochi
Notes: The Portuguese built their first fortress in India at Kochi in 1503. The fortress, named Fort Emmanuel after King Manuel I of Portugal, was constructed with the permission of the ruler of the Kingdom of Kochi. Strategically located near the Malabar coast's spice trade routes, Fort Emmanuel enabled the Portuguese to consolidate power along India's southwestern shores. For over a century, it served as the epicenter from which the Portuguese promoted trade interests and religious proselytization in the subcontinent. Though the fort now lies in ruins on Fort Kochi Beach, it inaugurated a era of direct European involvement in Indian political and mercantile affairs.