"Auto of India" is a play by Gil Vicente, presented for the first time in 1509 in Almada before Queen D. Leonor. The story follows Constança, who, dissatisfied with her husband’s long absences due to his travels to India, adopts a libertine lifestyle, taking multiple lovers. The play opens with her lamenting:

“Meu marido foi à Índia, E depois homem nascido Não veio onde vós cuidais; E por vida de Constança, Que se não fosse a lembrança.”

This play is significant as it was one of the first in the Iberian Peninsula to have a plot rather than being a mere monologue recited by an individual, as was common in court performances at the time. It represents the first "Farsa" written by Gil Vicente—a social satire that blends comedy with criticism of societal vices. Set against the backdrop of the Age of Discoveries and its social consequences, it humorously highlights the adulterous behavior of the wives of sailors and navigators who, during their husbands’ long absences, feel no shame in betraying them.

The play is situated in a period of significant socio-economic transformation in Portugal, particularly following Vasco da Gama’s discovery of the sea route to India between 1497 and 1498. This discovery marked a shift from Portugal’s earlier focus on establishing small trading posts along the west coast of Africa to a full-fledged colonial campaign in the East, which resulted in the establishment of what was referred to as the "new kingdom of Portugal," governed by viceroys whose administration spanned two continents—from East Africa to the waters near Japan.

During this maritime expansion, Portuguese ports were bustling with ships arriving and departing, inundated with goods previously unseen, and crowded with foreigners eager to buy them. However, the title of the play carries a certain irony, as it does not glorify the maritime expansion into India as other works of the time did—most notably *Os Lusíadas*, which would be written by Camões 70 years later. Instead, Gil Vicente, as a satirical author, chose to explore the consequences of this expansion on marital relationships, comically exposing the dynamics between couples where the husband spends long months at sea and the wife remains at home alone. Interestingly, Camões would echo this theme in *Os Lusíadas* during the episode known as “O Velho do Restelo,” raising the question of whether he had seen a performance of Gil Vicente's play.

The play was groundbreaking for its time. While adultery is now a universal theme in literature, it was still a taboo subject in the 16th century. Nonetheless, Gil Vicente boldly tackled the topic, criticizing it without outright condemnation, instead choosing to caricature it in its absurdity and allowing the audience to draw their own conclusions.

Another aspect that distinguishes this play from Vicente’s earlier works is that it was the first to predominantly use Portuguese, which was also unprecedented at the time when Castilian was prevalent in both literature and society. The only character to speak Castilian is the lover referred to as “Castelhano,” clearly marking him as different. Thus, *Auto da Índia* also represents a linguistic turning point that Portugal was experiencing.

Today, the play remains one of the most popular works by the father of Portuguese theater, continuing to be performed in contemporary theaters, both in its original text and in various adaptations.