The Sun and the Lion

During the King of Kings' eastward expedition to India, the Portuguese continued to build a colonial empire on the coast of the Indian Ocean. In his report to Manuel, the deputy king explained the current situation of being unable to implement the plan immediately: Sending troops to the Red Sea is also what I want to do most. But for the sake of safety, I decided to build forts at various trading points on the Malabar coast first, and Zamorin in Calicut was a serious problem.”

After proudly displaying the results of the construction, Almeida suggested with some obsequiousness: From Kilwa, Malindi, Mombasa and Sofala on one side of the sea to the Malabar coast on the other side acknowledge your authority, countless solid tranquilities The royal fortress is located in a wealthy port. Any ship that wants to sail on the water must obtain your permission and protection. Therefore, in my opinion, Your Majesty should adopt the title of Emperor of the East India and use your power to Look, it’s deserved and deserved.”

The Portuguese court held national celebrations after receiving reports of the arrival of the spices, and commissioned artists to create commemorative tapestries based on the expansion of the colonial empire in the Indian Ocean.

However, what the deputy king did not know was that Manuel secretly appointed Albuquerque, the commander of the reinforcement fleet, as the governor-general of India. He only took up the post after the deputy king resigned. Almeida only knew that this new subordinate was here to divide the country. of his jurisdiction.

Albuquerque's first task was to establish a stronghold on Socotra Island to threaten Red Sea shipping. For this reason, Almeida sent personnel in advance to survey and build outposts to carry out activities after the arrival of reinforcements.

The Portuguese's attempt to seize Socotra threatened the shipping between Aden and Hormuz. When the rate of shipwrecks of merchant ships made people feel abnormal, the fleet stationed in the port of Aden went to Socotra, the most suspected island. Due to the poverty of the island, the Safavid navy gave up its control and construction plans after taking control of Aden.

The approach of Karak and Karavel made the Portuguese lookouts initially mistakenly believe that they were reinforcements sent by the Vice-King. This allowed the Safavid fleet to easily approach the coast. The Iranian sailors who landed and the shelling of naval guns informed the misjudged lookouts. He was wrong.

The Portuguese on the shore were obviously unprepared for the sudden attack. The damage to the temporary camp left the Portuguese sailors at a loss. The Iranian sailors who happened to land on the beach were already close to the place with matchlock guns and shot at the crowd who were still in chaos. The victims all hurriedly dropped everything and fled inland.

When the commander of this fleet saw that the battle was over, he ordered the entire army to stop and recuperate, and count the results and losses. This raid killed and wounded dozens of Portuguese and captured a Portuguese Karak. Several people were injured only due to accidents, but no one died.

The Portuguese who tried to escape inland to survive found that this was actually a dead end. The indigenous people living in the interior drove these embarrassed outsiders back to the coast. The Portuguese captain had to lead the remaining less than forty people to surrender to the raiders. .

These Portuguese prisoners were screened and screened. Except for technical personnel such as navigators, craftsmen and gunners, the others were deemed worthless and executed on the spot, and sharp wooden stakes were found to erect their severed heads one by one on the ruins of the camp. , the stranded boat loaded with dead bodies was covered with a captured flag of the King of Portugal.

The survivors were first carried back to Aden and then escorted to Hormuz. In order to survive and regain their freedom, most of them chose to defect and serve the pagan monarchs.

The failure on Socotra Island could not be known to the deputy king, but Sultan Bijapur was very dissatisfied with the Portuguese fortress on Anjadip Island. The Portuguese army stationed here forced merchant ships to pay taxes at ports under Portuguese control. Let the Muslim businessmen complain.

Some Muslim merchants who refused to cooperate with outsiders not only sought help from Yusuf Khan, the nominal ruler of Anjadeep Island, but also tried to bypass the ports that had succumbed to the despotic power of the deputy king. Lourenco left a small number of guards after the construction of the fort was completed. The army was ordered to go south to cut off the Muslim merchants' Ceylon route, and also landed on the island of Ceylon to erect a monument to commemorate it.

After the Bijapur court learned that someone had invaded Anjadeep Island, it planned to organize an attack to drive them away. While making careful plans, Yusuf Khan asked the Safavid garrison in Goa for help.

The fleet set off from Goa and went straight to Anjadeep Island. The leading carrack was discovered by the patrolling Portuguese Caravel. The Iranian warship opened fire first, and the shells caused serious damage to the hull of the Portuguese warship. The galleys in the fleet took the opportunity to get closer. Attack first with the bow cannon, and clear the enemy deck with broadside fire before jumping in.

After clearing the outer patrol ships, the warships parked in the harbor were attacked by Iranian warships later. In order to prevent unnecessary risks, the Sultan of Bijapur prepared a large number of arson weapons for the fleet. Two Karaks were launched at the beginning of the war. It was burned by a fire ship.

The Bijapur army and Safavid sailors carried by transport ships came ashore to besiege the fortress. The defenders used artillery to fight back, but failed to repel the enemy troops who had come ashore. The enemy fleet continued to float on the water. superior.

The corrugated walls on the outer wall of the fortress were severely damaged by shelling and could not provide good cover for the defenders. The naval musketeers who came ashore gradually gained the upper hand in the exchange of fire.

This kind of battle lasted for several days. When the defenders stopped shooting, the Bijapur soldiers used long ladders to pass through the trenches that had been filled in the previous few days, climbed up the fort wall and entered to fight with the defenders.

The fighting inside the fort was more intense than before. Bijapur soldiers repeatedly attacked the main building of the fort but were driven out. Portuguese shooters dared to shoot through the windows of the main building, making the captured outer wall unsafe.

In order to crush the resistance of the remaining defenders, the commander ordered all the arson weapons to be moved ashore. The Bijapur soldiers used all these arson weapons on the main building of the fort. The naval musketeers aimed their guns at the doors and windows and shot at all suspected figures to prevent them. Someone escaped inside.

The fire continued for nearly a day, and the officers in charge of the siege believed that there would be no survivors in the fortress and began to organize a retreat.

The news that the Portuguese garrison on Anjadeep Island was completely annihilated was not brought to Cochin by a passing merchant ship until half a month later, which horrified the deputy king and other Portuguese officers.

Almeida knew that Portugal's status and prestige in the Indian Ocean were based on force that could not be resisted, and he had to take countermeasures to stabilize the confidence of his vassals and allies.

Anti-Portuguese Muslim merchants and Indian ports were encouraged by the news of the destruction of the Portuguese fort by Bijapur's army. These Franks were not invincible.

Calicut Zamorin also sent an envoy to Bijapur to congratulate Yusuf Khan and hoped to reach consensus and cooperate with him on dealing with these Portuguese.

The year 1506 in the Indian Ocean was spent in two setbacks by Portugal.