Dano-Carical Conflict
{{Short description|1644–1645 European conflict in India}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Dano-Karaikal Conflict
| place = Carical, Portuguese India
(present-day Karaikal, India)
| date = October 1644 – February 1645
| coordinates = {{coord|10.932701|N|79.831853|E|display=inline,title}}
| result = Portuguese-Dutch victory
| combatant1 = {{Flag|Danish India}}
| combatant2 = {{Flagicon|Portuguese Empire}} Portuguese India
{{flagicon|VOC}} Dutch India
| commander1 = {{Flagicon|Danish India}} Anders Nielsen
{{Flagicon|Danish India}} Simon Jansen{{POW}}
| commander2 = {{Flagicon|Portuguese Empire}} Unknown adigar
| units1 = {{Flagicon|Danish India}} Valby
| units2 = {{flagicon|VOC}} Lis
| strength1 = 6 soldiers
4 ships
1 sampan
| strength2 = {{Flagicon|Portuguese Empire}} 3 ships
{{Flagicon|Portuguese Empire}} 3 sampans
{{flagicon|VOC}} 2 ships
| casualties2 = Many
1 sampan
| casualties3 =
| casualties1 = 1 dead
2 wounded
1 sampan
| image = Negapatnam van Choromandel.jpg
| image_size = 300
| caption = Dutch boats in the nearby Negapatnam, by Jan Kip
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Danish colonial conflicts}} {{Portuguese colonial campaigns}} {{Dutch colonial campaigns}}
}}
The Dano-Carical Conflict{{Efn|Alternative names include: Dano-Carical War, Dano-Karaikal Conflict, Dano-Karaikal War, Danish-Carical War, Danish-Karaikal War, Danish-Carical Conflict, and the Danish-Karaikal Conflict.}} ({{Langx|da|Konflikten mod Carical}}) was a small-scale conflict between the Danes at Tranquebar and the Portuguese at Carical ({{Langx|ta|Karaikal|label=none}}). The conflict includes three smaller naval engagements, which eventually led to a four-hour-long imprisonment of Danish Captain Simon Jansen.
Prelude
In 1643, the Danes, who had been in possession of Tranquebar since 1620,{{Cite web |title=Tranquebar, 1620-1845 |url=https://danmarkshistorien.dk/vis/materiale/trankebar |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=danmarkshistorien.dk |language=da}} seized a sampan from the Portuguese at Carical ({{Langx|ta|Karaikal|label=none}}). This resulted in the Portuguese wanting to restore the military balance, and this would lead to three hostile incidents between Tranquebar and Carical.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=137}}
Conflict
In October 1644, the Governor of Danish India, Willem Leyel, received a letter from the commander of Fort Dansborg, Anders Nielsen about a Portuguese seizure of a Danish sampan.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=137}}{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|1999|p=140}}
= First incident =
According to Nielsen, the sampan, which belonged to a citizen of Tranquebar, was on its way home from Ceylon, when it was attacked by three Portuguese vessels off Carical.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|1999|p=140}} The Portuguese carried the sampan with them and the owner of the sampan complained to Nielsen.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=137}}{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|1999|p=140}}
File:A FISHING BOAT.jpg near the Poyang Lake, by William Alexander in {{Circa|1800}}.]]
= Second incident =
Despite having no Danish vessels to pursue the Portuguese, Nielsen set off to Carical in an Indian vessel with three white and three Indian soldiers.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=137}} However, the same three ships that had seized the sampan now appeared again and launched fire upon Nielsen's vessel, where he had to retreat.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=137}}{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|1999|p=140}}
Nielsen then wrote a letter to the Carical authorities, threatening to get revenge when he could.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=137}}{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|1999|p=140}} In response, the adrigar (a town clerk) responded that they just wanted to restore the balance from the Danish seizure of a Portuguese sampan the year before.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=137}}{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|1999|p=141}} However, Neilsen refuted this claim as pure nonsense.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=137}}{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|1999|p=141}}
= Third incident =
In February 1645, the Valby arrived at Tranquebar, and it, together with Simon Jansen, was sent to Carical to revenge the previous attacks.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|1999|p=145}} Jansen seized two sampans lying in the roads, however, two Dutch ships lay at anchor there.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=141}}{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|1999|p=145}} The Dutch crews boarded the Valby and Simon Jansen was brought to Carical as a prisoner.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=141}}
Aftermath
{{See also|Siege of Dansborg (1644)}}
Jansen would stay as a prisoner for roughly four hours until the sampans he had seized got to safety.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=141}}{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|1999|p=145}} No further hostilities would occur between the two towns, however, it was known that Carical had supported the Indian general, Tiagepule in his war on Tranquebar.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=141}}
See also
- {{Annotated link|Conquest of Koneswaram Temple}}
- {{Annotated link|Sinking of the Flensborg}}
- {{Annotated link|Sieges of Tranquebar (1655–1669)}}
- {{Annotated link|Roland Crappé's raids on Portuguese colonies}}
Notes
{{Note list}}
References
{{Ref list}}
Works cited
- {{Cite book |last=Bredsdorff |first=Asta |url= |title=The Trials and Travels of Willem Leyel |publisher=Museum Tusculanum Press |year=2009 |isbn=9788763530231 |edition= |location=Copenhagen}}
- {{Cite book |last=Bredsdorff |first=Asta |url=https://slaegtsbibliotek.dk/928692.pdf |title=Søhistoriske Skrifter |publisher=Handels- og Søfartsmuseet Kronborg |year=1999 |isbn= |edition= |volume=XXI |location=Copenhagen |language=Danish}}
- {{Cite book |last=Leyel |first=Willem |url=https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/other/index-creator/149/103799/23436633 |title=Rentekammerafdelingen: Willum Leyels arkiv (1639 - 1648) |publisher=Danske Kancelli |year=1644 |isbn= |edition= |volume= |location= |language=Danish}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dano-Carical Conflict}}