Battle of Suvali
In the naval battle of Suvali ( called Swally in English ) on November 29 and 30, 1612, English ships defeated a small Portuguese fleet off the Indian coast near Suvali (coordinates: 21 ° 10 ′ N, 72 ° 37 ′ E), a village west of Surat in Gujarat in India. That was the beginning of the end of Portuguese maritime domination in the western Indian Ocean .
prehistory
Portugal had dominance in this sea area and a monopoly on maritime trade since the Battle of Diu . British trading companies increasingly tried to earn money from the spice trade: the Company of Merchant Adventurers , founded in 1551 , which became part of the Moscow Company in 1555 , and the English East India Company, founded in 1600 .
The Dutch traveler Jan Huygen van Linschoten (1563-1611) served from 1583 to 1588 as secretary to the Portuguese viceroy in Goa . During this time he secretly copied detailed nautical charts, which he published in his book Itinerario in 1596 . He also collected nautical information on navigation off the Indian coast. The traveler Ralph Fitch also gained important knowledge while traveling in the Indian Ocean from 1583–1591 and then advised the East India Company. Maps and information have been of great help in helping non-Portuguese vessels navigate Indian waters.
The company's first envoy, William Hawkins, reached Surat in 1608 to conclude a trade agreement with Mughal Mughal Jahangir . After two years he left unsuccessfully.
The company organized ship convoys with various destinations. The eighth journey led in 1611 to Japan , the ninth journey 1612-1615 to India and Sumatra . The tenth voyage reached Surat, the main port of the Mughal Empire, on September 7, 1612 under Captain Thomas Best . Best also wanted trade promises and negotiated with the governor of Surat and Ahmedabad . Portuguese ships were also operating in the area, and on September 16, Best noticed 16 Portuguese barges in the Tapti River .
When some of his men were captured ashore on September 30th, he confiscated a ship from Gujarat to exchange for his men. On October 10, Best went to Suvali to negotiate with the governor. Negotiations began on the 19th, and on the 24th the parties had reached an agreement - they could also agree on a commercial agreement. Now the approval of the Mughal emperor had to be awaited.
The battle
On the Portuguese side, 4 naos ( galleons ) and 26 rowing boats took part in the battle, on the English side four galleons of the East India Company: Dragon , Hosiander , James and Solomon , the last two ships also belonging to the company's eighth voyage.
On November 27th, Portuguese ships approached with hostile intent. On the 28th they anchored off Suvali and the two fleets shot at each other in the afternoon without causing much damage.
On the morning of November 30th, Best sailed with the Dragon and the Hosiander between the Portuguese ships. During the subsequent maneuvers, three Portuguese ships ran aground. At 9 o'clock the British ships anchored. At high tide, the Portuguese were able to get their ships afloat again, and the English attacked again. In the evening the English anchored about 6 miles away from the Portuguese, who at around 9 p.m. sent a fire to the English ships, but which was sunk by cannon fire, killing 80 Portuguese.
In the days that followed, the ships watched each other without further fighting. On December 5th, Best sailed his ships to Diu .
The English lost 3 men, the Portuguese a galleon and 160 men, according to other sources up to 300.
consequences
On January 6, Best received a letter from the Mughals confirming the treaty negotiated with the governor. Best sent a messenger to England overland. He himself continued his journey, reaching Ceylon and Sumatra before returning to England in April 1614.
This conflict impressed the governor of Gujarat, who reported it to the Mughal emperor, who in turn was more inclined to the English than the Portuguese. The minor naval battle marked the beginning of the decline of Portuguese supremacy in maritime trade with India and the rise of the British East India Company.
literature
- The Project Gutenberg EBook of A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels , Volume IX., By Robert Kerr; SECT. XVII. Tenth Voyage of the East-India Company, in 1612, written by Mr Thomas Best, Chief Commander
Individual evidence
- ↑ It was not called the British East India Company until 1707.
- ↑ http://library.beau.org/gutenberg/1/3/0/5/13055/13055.txt
- ↑ http://library.beau.org/gutenberg/1/3/0/5/13055/13055.txt
- ↑ http://library.beau.org/gutenberg/1/3/0/5/13055/13055.txt