Battle of Margão (1659)
| Battle of Margão | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Adil Shahi–Portuguese conflicts | |||||||
 Map of the Velhas Conquistas (in red) and the Novas Conquistas (in yellow). | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Portuguese Empire | Sultanate of Bijapur | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Luís de Mendonça Furtado |
| ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | 400-500 killed[1] | ||||||
The Battle of Margão was a military conflict between the Portuguese Empire and the Sultanate of Bijapur that took place in 1659. The battle resulted in a decisive victory for the Portuguese.
Background
[edit]In the 1650s, the Dutch East India Company developed friendly ties with the Sultanate of Bijapur and encouraged it to attack Portuguese holdings in India. In 1654, Abdulla Hakim, with Dutch support, led an invasion into the Portuguese territories of Bardez and briefly put the supply of food into Goa in jeopardy, however, the forces of Bijapur were repelled.[2]
Following this conflict, treaties were reaffirmed between the Sultanate and Portugal in 1655.[3] However, in 1659, Ali Adil Shah II again attempted to recapture Portuguese territories in Goa, launching another invasion led by Abdulla Hakim into the Velhas Conquistas.
The Battle
[edit]In 1659, Abdulla Hakim led the Bijapur forces into the Velhas Conquistas. However, Luís de Mendonça Furtado responded the invasion with an expedition to Margao. The Bijapur forces were defeated, suffering between 400 and 500 casualties, and they were forced to retreat. Ali Adil Shah II temporarily abandoned his efforts to seize Portuguese territories in Goa.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ B. D. Shastry: "The Portuguese Commercial Relations with Bijapur in the Seventeenth Century" in Souza, Teotónio: Essays in Goan History, Concept Publishing Company, 1989, pp. 39-48.
- ^ Dauril Alden: The Making of an Enterprise: The Society of Jesus in Portugal, Its Empire, and Beyond, 1540-1750, Stanford University Press, 1996, p. 187-188.
- ^ a b Frederick Charles Danvers: The Portuguese in India: A.D. 1571-1894, W.H. Allen & Company, limited, 1894, pp. 309-310.