Siege of Diu
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Diu occurred when an Ottoman
imperial fleet attempted to capture the Indian city of Diu in 1538, then held by the Portuguese
.
It ended with a Portuguese
victory.
, Süleyman Pasha, Governor of Egypt
, led several naval campaigns against the Portuguese in an attempt to remove them and reestablish trade with India. In 1509, the major Battle of Diu (1509)
took place between the Portuguese and a joint fleet of the Sultan of Gujarat
, the Mamlûk Burji Sultanate of Egypt
, the Zamorin
of Kozhikode
with support of the Ottomans. Since 1517, the Ottomans had attempted to combine forces with Gujarat in order to fight the Portuguese away from the Red Sea
and in the area of India. Pro-Ottoman forces under Captain Hoca Sefer
had been installed by Selman Reis
in Diu.
Diu in Gujerat, was with Surat
, one of the main points of supply of spices to Ottoman Egypt
at that time. However, Portuguese intervention thwarted that trade by controlling the traffic in the Red Sea
. In 1530, the Venetians
could not obtain any supply of spices through Egypt.
The Ottomans under the Governor of Yemen
Mustafa, fought the Portuguese at Aden
(1530–31), and sent a fleet to Diu in Gujerat in order to repel a Portuguese siege of the city under Nuno da Cunha
. The Portuguese retreated in February 1531.
Soon after however, the Sultan of Gujerat Bahadur Shah
, who was under threat from the Mughal emperor
Humayun
made an agreement with the Portuguese, who took the opportunity to build a strong fort in front of Diu. The Portuguese seized the stronghold of Gogala (Bender-i Türk) near the city, and built the Diu Fort
. Once the threat from Humayun was removed, Bahadur tried to negotiate the withdrawal of the Portuguese, but on 13 February 1537 he died drowning during the negotiations onboard a Portuguese ship in unclear circumstances, both sides blaming the other for the tragedy.
Bahadur Shah had also appealed to the Ottomans to expel the Portuguese, which led to the 1538 expedition.
to launch an attack against the Portuguese. A fleet of 80 ships, including 17 galleys and 2 galleon
s, was prepared, and the building of a canal was started between the Nile
and Suez
in 1531-1532. There were delays however due to the Siege of Coron
in the Mediterranean, and the Ottoman-Safavid war
of 1533-1535. Meanwhile, the Portuguese continued their progression, and killed Bahadur Shah in February 1537.
Aden
in Yemen
was captured by the Ottomans under Süleyman Pasha in 1538, in order to provide an Ottoman base for raids against Portuguese possessions on the western coast of India. The Sultan of Aden, Sheikh Amir bin Dawaud, an ally of the Portuguese, was hanged when he was invited on the Ottoman ships, and the city was captured without a siege.
The Ottoman fleet left Aden on 19 August 1538 and arrived at Diu on 4 September 1538. It was the largest Ottoman fleet ever sent into the Indian Ocean
. The Ottoman fleet laid siege to Diu with 130 cannons and bombarded the city. Soon however, news were received of the arrival of a strong Portuguese relief fleet. At the same time, it seems that the new ruler of Gujerat was weary of Ottoman control, and did not support them adequately during the siege. The Ottomans finally had to lift the siege.
After the failed siege, the Ottomans returned to Aden, where they fortified the city with 100 pieces of artillery. One of them is still visible today at the Tower of London
, following the capture of Aden by British
forces in 1839. Süleyman Pasha also established Ottoman suzerainty
over Shihr and Zabid
, and reorganized the territories of Yemen and Aden as an Ottoman province, or Beylerbey
lik.
Süleyman Pasha intended to launch a second expedition against the Portuguese in Diu, but this did not happen. In 1540, the Portuguese sent a retaliatory expedition to the Red Sea, attacking Suakin
and Kusayr, and attempted to take Suez
with a fleet of 72 ships in 1541. In 1546, the Ottoman established a new naval base in Basra
, thus threatening the Portuguese in Hormuz
. The Ottomans would suffer a strong naval defeat against the Portuguese in the Persian Gulf
in 1554. Further conflict between the Ottomans and the Portuguese would lead to the Ottoman expedition to Aceh
in 1565.
The Indians would not retake possession of the Diu enclave until Operation Vijay in 1961.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
imperial fleet attempted to capture the Indian city of Diu in 1538, then held by the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
It ended with a Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
victory.
Background
In the Indian OceanIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, Süleyman Pasha, Governor of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, led several naval campaigns against the Portuguese in an attempt to remove them and reestablish trade with India. In 1509, the major Battle of Diu (1509)
Battle of Diu (1509)
The Battle of Diu sometimes referred as the Second Battle of Chaul was a naval battle fought on 3 February 1509 in the Arabian Sea, near the port of Diu, India, between the Portuguese Empire and a joint fleet of the Sultan of Gujarat, the Mamlûk Burji Sultanate of Egypt, the Zamorin of Kozhikode...
took place between the Portuguese and a joint fleet of the Sultan of Gujarat
Mahmud Begada
Sultan Abu'l Fath Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah I, popularly known as Mahmud Begada was the most prominent sultan of Gujarat. He was the great-grandson of Ahmad Shah I, the founder of the Muzaffarid dynasty, and of the city of Ahmedabad in the present-day state of Gujarat, India. He was known to be...
, the Mamlûk Burji Sultanate of Egypt
Burji dynasty
The Burji dynasty المماليك البرجية ruled Egypt from 1382 until 1517. It proved especially turbulent, with short-lived sultans. Political power-plays often became important in designating a new sultan. During this time Mamluks fought Timur Lenk and conquered Cyprus. Constant bickering may have...
, the Zamorin
Saamoothiri
Zamorin is the title used by the Hindu Eradi Samanthan kshatriya rulers of the erstwhile late medieval feudal kingdom of Kozhikode located in the present day state of Kerala, India....
of Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
with support of the Ottomans. Since 1517, the Ottomans had attempted to combine forces with Gujarat in order to fight the Portuguese away from the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
and in the area of India. Pro-Ottoman forces under Captain Hoca Sefer
Hoca Sefer
Hoca Sefer was a captain, who was in charge of pro-Ottoman forces in Gujarat in the first half of the 15th century.Hoca Sefer, who had been installed by the Ottoman captain Selman Reis, attempted to maintain Ottoman influence in Diu against the Portuguese, who had established the Diu Fort there.The...
had been installed by Selman Reis
Selman Reis
Selman Reis was an Ottoman admiral and corsair who was active in the Mamluk Navy of Egypt and later in the Ottoman Navy against the Portuguese in the first half of the 16th century...
in Diu.
Diu in Gujerat, was with Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
, one of the main points of supply of spices to Ottoman Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
at that time. However, Portuguese intervention thwarted that trade by controlling the traffic in the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
. In 1530, the Venetians
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
could not obtain any supply of spices through Egypt.
The Ottomans under the Governor of Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
Mustafa, fought the Portuguese at Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
(1530–31), and sent a fleet to Diu in Gujerat in order to repel a Portuguese siege of the city under Nuno da Cunha
Nuno da Cunha
Nuno da Cunha was a governor of Portuguese possessions in India from 1528 to 1538.He was the son of Antónia Pais and Tristão da Cunha, the famous Portuguese navigator, admiral and ambassador to Pope Leo X....
. The Portuguese retreated in February 1531.
Soon after however, the Sultan of Gujerat Bahadur Shah
Bahadur Shah of Gujarat
Sultan Qutb-ud-Din Bahadur Shah , who reigned 1526-1535 and 1536-1537, was a sultan of Gujarat Sultanate, a late medieval independent kingdom in India.-Early years:...
, who was under threat from the Mughal emperor
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
Humayun
Humayun
Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor who ruled present day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early, but with Persian aid, he eventually regained an even larger one...
made an agreement with the Portuguese, who took the opportunity to build a strong fort in front of Diu. The Portuguese seized the stronghold of Gogala (Bender-i Türk) near the city, and built the Diu Fort
Diu Fort
The Diu Fort, is located on the west coast of India in Diu, a Union Territory, administered by the Government of India. The fort was built by the Portuguese during their colonial rule of the Diu island. The Diu town is located to the west of the fort...
. Once the threat from Humayun was removed, Bahadur tried to negotiate the withdrawal of the Portuguese, but on 13 February 1537 he died drowning during the negotiations onboard a Portuguese ship in unclear circumstances, both sides blaming the other for the tragedy.
Bahadur Shah had also appealed to the Ottomans to expel the Portuguese, which led to the 1538 expedition.
1538 Siege of Diu
The Ottoman governor of Egypt since 1525, Süleyman Pasha, obtained an agreement from IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
to launch an attack against the Portuguese. A fleet of 80 ships, including 17 galleys and 2 galleon
Galleon
A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...
s, was prepared, and the building of a canal was started between the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
and Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
in 1531-1532. There were delays however due to the Siege of Coron
Siege of Coron
The Siege of Coron in 1532-1534 involved the siege and capture of the Ottoman-held fortress of Koroni in Messenia, Greece, by the forces of the Habsburg Empire, and its subsequent recapture by the Ottomans....
in the Mediterranean, and the Ottoman-Safavid war
Ottoman–Safavid War (1532–1555)
The Ottoman–Safavid War of 1532–1555 was fought between the Ottoman Empire of Suleiman the Magnificent and the Persian Safavid Empire of Tahmasp I.-Background:...
of 1533-1535. Meanwhile, the Portuguese continued their progression, and killed Bahadur Shah in February 1537.
Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
was captured by the Ottomans under Süleyman Pasha in 1538, in order to provide an Ottoman base for raids against Portuguese possessions on the western coast of India. The Sultan of Aden, Sheikh Amir bin Dawaud, an ally of the Portuguese, was hanged when he was invited on the Ottoman ships, and the city was captured without a siege.
The Ottoman fleet left Aden on 19 August 1538 and arrived at Diu on 4 September 1538. It was the largest Ottoman fleet ever sent into the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. The Ottoman fleet laid siege to Diu with 130 cannons and bombarded the city. Soon however, news were received of the arrival of a strong Portuguese relief fleet. At the same time, it seems that the new ruler of Gujerat was weary of Ottoman control, and did not support them adequately during the siege. The Ottomans finally had to lift the siege.
After the failed siege, the Ottomans returned to Aden, where they fortified the city with 100 pieces of artillery. One of them is still visible today at the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, following the capture of Aden by British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
forces in 1839. Süleyman Pasha also established Ottoman suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
over Shihr and Zabid
Zabid
Zabid is a town with an urban population of around 23,000 persons on Yemen's western coastal plain. The town, named after Wadi Zabid, the wadi to its south, is one of the oldest towns in Yemen...
, and reorganized the territories of Yemen and Aden as an Ottoman province, or Beylerbey
Beylerbey
Beylerbey is the Ottoman and Safavid title used for the highest rank in the hierarchy of provincial administrators It is in western terms a Governor-general, with authority...
lik.
Süleyman Pasha intended to launch a second expedition against the Portuguese in Diu, but this did not happen. In 1540, the Portuguese sent a retaliatory expedition to the Red Sea, attacking Suakin
Suakin
Suakin or Sawakin is a port in north-eastern Sudan, on the west coast of the Red Sea. In 1983 it had a population of 18,030 and the 2009 estimate is 43, 337.It was formerly the region's chief port, but is now secondary to Port Sudan, about 30 miles north. The old city built of coral is in ruins...
and Kusayr, and attempted to take Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
with a fleet of 72 ships in 1541. In 1546, the Ottoman established a new naval base in Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
, thus threatening the Portuguese in Hormuz
Ormus
The Kingdom of Ormus was a 10th to 17th century kingdom located within the Persian Gulf and extending as far as the Strait of Hormuz...
. The Ottomans would suffer a strong naval defeat against the Portuguese in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
in 1554. Further conflict between the Ottomans and the Portuguese would lead to the Ottoman expedition to Aceh
Ottoman expedition to Aceh
The Ottoman expedition to Aceh was started from around 1565 when the Ottoman Empire endeavoured to support the Aceh Sultanate in its fight against the Portuguese Empire in Malacca...
in 1565.
The Indians would not retake possession of the Diu enclave until Operation Vijay in 1961.