Siege of Tranquebar (1699)
| Siege of Tranquebar | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Map of fortified Tranquebar drawn by Governor Peter Anker, 1798 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Danish India English India |
Thanjavur Maratha Supported by:  Dutch India[1] | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Claus Vogdt Thomas Pitt Unk. captain (WIA) | Shahuji I | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
|
Dansborg garrison English relief force | Whole army | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| +200 men | 20,000–30,000 men | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| <66 (during sortie)[2] | Heavy | ||||||||
The siege of Tranquebar (Danish: Belejringen af Tranquebar) was a siege of the Danish colony of Tranquebar by Shahuji I of the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom in 1699. Despite the dire situation of the besieged Danes, the English at Madras came to relieve the Danes, and the Thanjavurians would eventually retreat.
Background
[edit]Tranquebar as a Danish colony was established in 1620, as a result of a treaty between Christian IV of Denmark and Raghunatha Nayak of Thanjavur.[3][4] One of the stipulations of the treaty obligated the Danes to give an annual tribute to the Thanjavurian Nayak,[5] however, because of the nearly constant dire situation of the Danish East India Company, the Danes could frequently not pay off the tribute. This would lead to a series of conflicts between the aforementioned two, and Fort Dansborg was at risk of conquest numerous times.[a]
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In 1699, the Danes were again on bad terms with the Indian Nayak, and the Nayak sought to resolve this by ousting the Danes from Tranquebar.[6]
Siege
[edit]The Nayak's forces numbered between 20 and 30,000 men,[7][6][8] 1,000 of which were cavalry,[7] and is said to have consisted of the Nayak's whole force.[1] The Indians began digging entrenchments a mile from the town,[7] and with hard labour they brought their trenches a mile down and were within pistol-shot from the walls.[8][6][7] Concurrently, the Indians had shelled Tranquebar, in which they nearly demolished one of the bastions, and were thus ready to launch an assault on the town.[7] This was when the Danish governor,[7] Claus Vogdt, would ask the English at Madras for assistance,[6] which was readily granted, and English forces was subsequently sent.[6][8]
The Danish morale by now was low, and they considered retreating from the town into Fort Dansborg.[7] However, at this critical moment, English reinforcements arrived and a sortie by 200 Black men was immediately carried out.[8][7] Despite initial difficulties, the sorties were successful, and the Indian army retreated from its trenches.[9]
Aftermath
[edit]Subsequently, the Danes and Thanjavurians concluded a treaty about six months after the arrival of English reinforcements.[2] Notably, the Mughal Emperor never intermeddled in the matter, despite the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom being his tributary.[2] Tranquebar would endure another siege by the Nayak in 1718, however, he would be unable to make any impression,[8][6] and Tranquebar would subsequently never be disturbed by the Nayak again.[10]
See also
[edit]- Siege of Madras – Part of Seven Years' War
- British occupation of Serampore (1763) – 1763 siege and occupation of Serampore
- Peter Anker – Norwegian general, diplomat and painter (1744-1832)
- Conquest of Koneswaram Temple – Colonial controntation between the Portuguese and the Danish
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Anson 1745, p. 13.
- ^ a b c Salmon 1759, p. 200.
- ^ Navneforskning, Afdeling for (2021-05-03). "Tranquebar – Danmarks første tropekoloni og dens navne". navn.ku.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "Christian IV drømte om guld og krydderier fra Indien: Sådan blev Tranquebar en dansk koloni". videnskab.dk (in Danish). 2024-04-28. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "Traktaten og rejsen - www.foreningen-trankebar.dk". 123hjemmeside.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-07-07.
- ^ a b c d e f Milburn 1813, p. 367.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Salmon 1759, p. 199.
- ^ a b c d e Buckingham 1829, p. 375.
- ^ Salmon 1759, pp. 199–200.
- ^ Buckingham 1829, pp. 375–376.
Works cited
[edit]- Milburn, William (1813). Oriental Commerce. author and published.
- Anson, George baron (1745). A voyage to the South-seas, and to many other parts of the world, from 1740 to 1744, by an officer of the fleet [R. Walter, revised by B. Robins]. Oxford University.
- Salmon, Thomas (1759). The Universal Traveller Or a Compleat Description of the Several Foreign Nations of the World. Richard Baldwin at the Rose in Pater-Noster-Row.
- Buckingham, James Silk (1829). The Oriental Herald.