Siege of Tranquebar (1699)

This article is about This page is about the siege of Tranquebar in 1699. For other uses, see Siege of Dansborg (disambiguation).

Siege of Tranquebar
Map of fortified Tranquebar drawn by Governor Peter Anker, 1798
Date 1699 Location Tranquebar, Danish India (present-day India) 11°1′45″N79°50′58″E / 11.02917°N 79.84944°E / 11.02917; 79.84944 Result Anglo-Danish victory Territorial changes Thanjavurian army retreats from Tranquebar
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

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]

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

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

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

• Siege of Madras  – Part of Seven Years' War
• British occupation of Serampore (1763)  – 1763 siege and occupation of Serampore
• Peter Anker
• Conquest of Koneswaram Temple  – Colonial controntation between the Portuguese and the Danish

Notes

1. See Siege of Dansborg (1624), Siege of Dansborg (1644) and Sieges of Tranquebar (1655–1669)

References

1. Anson 1745, p. 13.
2. Salmon 1759, p. 200.
3. Navneforskning, Afdeling for (3 May 2021). "Tranquebar – Danmarks første tropekoloni og dens navne". navn.ku.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 6 July 2024.
4. "Christian IV drømte om guld og krydderier fra Indien: Sådan blev Tranquebar en dansk koloni". videnskab.dk (in Danish). 28 April 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
5. "Traktaten og rejsen - www.foreningen-trankebar.dk". 123hjemmeside.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 7 July 2024.
6. Milburn 1813, p. 367.
7. Salmon 1759, p. 199.
8. Buckingham 1829, p. 375.
9. Salmon 1759, pp. 199–200.
10. Buckingham 1829, pp. 375–376.

Works cited

• 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.