Turkish–Portuguese War (1509)

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Turkish-Portuguese War (1509)


caption=
partof=the Turkish-Portuguese Wars
date=1509
place=the Indian Ocean, near Diu and Africa
result=Portuguese victory
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=Viceroy Dom Francisco de Almeida
Admiral Afonso de Albuquerque
commander2=Amir Husain Al-Kūrdī
The Zamorin
strength1=
strength2=
casualties1=
casualties2=The First Portuguese-Turkish War was an armed military conflict between Portugal and Ottoman Empire in 1509, in the Indian Ocean. It was an attempt by the Mamluk Egyptian state supported by Turkish ships and local Indian allies to prevent Portugal from setting up a regular trade connection between South Asia and Europe in the process of the expansion of the Portuguese Empire. Previously all trade had passed through the Middle East but since the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope sea route from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean by Vasco da Gama, in 1498, this monopoly could now be broken. Moreover, Portugal had begun to impose a licensing system on Indian Ocean trade that threatened to ruin many Muslim merchants and tried to divert trade to ports it controlled. [Metz, Helen Chapman. "Empire in Asia," Portugal: A Country Study. (1995) http://countrystudies.us/portugal/24.htm (Accessed on April 9, 2008)]

Turkish forces also assisted the Sultan of Gujarat at certain points in the war against Portugal.

In February 3, in the Battle of Diu the Portuguese fleet, under Dom Francisco de Almeida won over a Egyptian-Gujarati fleet.The Portuguese, using muskets which were the very latest technological innovation and along with the more maneuverable sails on their ships were successful in this naval battle.This victory assured Portuguese naval dominance over the Indian Ocean trade until it was threatened in the 17th century by Omani Empire and the Dutch East India Company. They went on to capture Goa in 1510 which they retained until 1961.

References

*Britannica Hungarica, Hungarian encyclopedia, "Magyar Világ Publisher 1994."

ee also

*History of Portugal
*Military history of Portugal