Little is known of the early history of Goa, although there are references to it in the epic poems Ramayana and Mahabharata. Its political history can be traced back to the 200's B.C. when Goa formed a part of the Maurya Empire.
After the Maurya period (about 321 to 185 B.C.), a succession of small kingdoms ruled the area. They were the Satavahana, the Rashtrakuta, the Chalukya, the Shilahara, and the Kadamba. The Kadambas ruled for more than three hundred years until they were defeated by the Yadavas of Devagiri in A.D. 1237. The Yadava rule lasted until 1347 when Goa was annexed to the Bahmani.
For about 150 years, Goa was influenced by the conflict between the Vijayanagar and Bahmani kingdoms; the political control over Goa often changed from one kingdom to another. After the disintegration of the Bahmani kingdom, Goa came under the rule of the sultan of Bijapur in 1482.

By the end of the 1400's, when the Portuguese reached India, Goa had become an important centre of trade. It had trade relations with almost all trading nations in the East. The modern history and culture of Goa is dominated by Portuguese trading interests and political ambitions in India. In 1510, a seaborne expeditionary force commanded by the Portuguese military leader Afonso de Albuquerque captured Goa and it became the capital of the Portuguese empire in Asia. The city enjoyed the same privileges as Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.

Goa also became an important headquarters for Catholic Christian missionaries. The Franciscans arrived in 1517 and a member of their order was appointed as the city's bishop in 1538. In 1542, St. Francis Xavier, the Spanish-born missionary known as the Apostle of the Indies, took over the College of Holy Faith.
He renamed it in honour of Saint Paul, because it was to become a centre for training local converts as missionaries. From that time onward, Jesuits in Asian countries were known as Paulistas. In 1557, Goa was made an archbishopric with authority over all India. By the early 1600's, it controlled bishoprics as far apart as Mozambique and Japan. But by then the city was past the peak of its development.

The Dutch blockaded the city in 1603 and 1639 but did not take it. Maratha raiders almost captured the city in 1683, but were thwarted by the arrival of a Mughal army. Goa was again saved from Marathas in 1739 by the arrival, by sea, of the new viceroy and his men. In 1759, the seat of government shifted to Panaji. Cholera caused many deaths and many survivors left Old Goa and moved to other parts of Goa. The population of Old Goa fell from 20,000 in 1695 to about 1,600 by 1775.

Portuguese rule actively supported the conversion of the local inhabitants to Christianity. That they were intolerant toward the followers of other religions is evident from the inquisitions they conducted. Portuguese rule was so oppressive and exploitative that during 450 years of Portuguese rule, there were 40 armed revolts in Goa. Although these revolts were put down with a heavy hand, the urge for freedom could not be suppressed for ever.

A movement for the liberation of Goa gained momentum in the 1900's. The main leaders of the movement were Tristao Bragansa Cunha, Purushottam Kakodkar, Laxmi Kant Bhembre, Divakar Kakodkar, and Dayanand Bandodkar. The liberation movement became stronger after Indian independence in 1947. India's new government claimed Goa in 1948.
In 1955, nonviolent protesters attempted a peaceful annexation. The resulting casualties led to a breakdown of relations between India and Portugal. Indian troops invaded Goa in December 1961.
At this time, many Portuguese left Goa, taking with them gold and jewellery pledged in Goan banks. Goa was made an Indian territory in 1962. It became a state in 1987. Indo-Portuguese relations improved in 1992 when riches taken out of the country in 1961 were returned to the Goan banks.