By the mid-16th century, the city of Goa had expanded far beyond its old Moorish quarters. However, the military defenses of the original enclave no longer met the strategic needs of the time. In response, Viceroy D. Antão de Noronha (1564–1568), following directives from Portugal, commissioned the construction of an extensive outer fortification spanning nearly 16.5 kilometres.
The defensive wall began at the Passo of Daugim, northeast of Tiswadi Island, guarded by the Fort of São José, which protected the entryway. From there, the wall stretched eastwards to Passo Seco, where the Fortress of São Brás stood opposite Cumbarjua. It then extended to the Gate of Santiago in Banastarim, before turning south across the fields of Mangueiral, climbing through the hills of Carambolim, Moulá, and Azossim, and reaching Bainguenim and Panelim to the north, near the Casa da Pólvora (Gunpowder Factory).
The gates of São José, São Brás, and Santiago were of particular importance, as they opened into territories beyond Portuguese control. Travellers passing through these gates had to pay a toll tax (sopó) of two bazarucos and were marked on the arm as proof of payment. This system not only regulated traffic but also acted as a safeguard against the escape of slaves, criminals, and spies.
Alongside these military measures, the Portuguese also pursued a determined programme of religious expansion. Following the conquest of Goa, authorities implemented a triple plan that combined commerce, conquest, and the propagation of Christianity. Within just four years, several Christian chapels had been built in the small city, where missionaries began teaching religious doctrine to the local population.
From 1517 onwards, a number of religious orders established themselves in Goa. Their zeal, alongside that of secular priests sent by King João III, played a crucial role in the Christianisation of Goa and other Portuguese territories across the East.