Do You Know About The Battle Of Diu?

Why the Battle of Diu is as historic as the Battle of Trafalgar.

IMAGE: Francisco de Almeida won an impressive victory against the navies of the sultan of Egypt and the kings of Cambay and Calicut in the Battle of Diu. Photograph: Kind courtesy Wikimedia Commons

At 11 am on February 3, 1509 began a battle that changed the course of Indian history and turned the global spice trade war on its head.

It was called the Battle of Diu. Fought a decade after Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama discovered the sea route to India and arrived in Calicut.

The Portuguese obtained trading rights and went on to colonise Indian territories like Goa, Daman and Diu.

They were also the last Europeans to leave India. The Portguese only left after the Indian armed forces liberated Goa, Daman and Diu in December 1961 after a 36-hour campaign.

IMAGE: The Battle of Diu. Photograph: Kind courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The Battle of Diu ushered the 100 year dominance of the Portuguese empire and western control of the Indian Ocean.

It was a naval battle fought between the Portuguese and an alliance of the sultan of Gujarat, the zamorin of Calicut and the rulers of Egypt.

The Indians had sought help from the Mamluks of Egypt because they were the middlemen between spice merchants in India and buyers in Venice who then sold the spices to the European market.

The battle was fought in the Diu harbour on the Arabian Sea.

The Portuguese commander was Viceroy Dom Francesco de Almeida who lost his 20-year-old son in the campaign.

The combined forces were led by Malik Ayyaz, the governor of Diu, Amir Hussain Al Kurdi of the Mamluk sultanate, and Kunjali Marrakar, admiral of Zamorin's forces.

The combined forces had never seen such a naval armada before and suffered a massive defeat.

The victorious soldiers were rewarded handsomely, the vanquished were given brutal punishments, some were tied to cannons, others were hung to death.

IMAGE: Diu Fort. Photograph: Kind courtesy Aditya Mahar/Wikimedia Commons

Two-and-a-half decades later a fort was built in Diu as a defence alliance between the sultan of Gujarat and Portuguese after an attack by the Mughal emperor Humayun.

The imposing fort by the sea is worth a visit if you happen to visit Diu.

Many historians put the Battle of Diu along with some of the most important oceanic battles like the Battle of Trafalgar.

After several attempts, the Portuguese finally occupied Diu in 1546. They ruled for 420 years.

Diu became part of the Union Territory of Goa. After Goa gained statehood in 1987, Daman and Diu became a is now a separate Union Territory.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com