Siege of Cannanore (1507)
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Cannanore (1507) was a four-month siege, from April to August 1507, when troops of the local ruler (the Kōlattiri Raja of Cannanore
), supported by the Zamorin of Calicut and Arabs, besieged the Portuguese garrison at St. Angelo Fort
in Cannanore
, in what is now the India
n state of Kerala
. It followed the Battle of Cannanore (1506)
, in which the fleet of the Zamorin was defeated by the Portuguese.
, shortly after the opening of hostilities between the Portuguese admiral Pedro Alvares Cabral
and the Zamorin of Calicut, the Kōlattiri Raja of Cannanore
invited the Portuguese to trade in the spice markets of Cannanore instead. Treaties were signed and a crown factory
, defended by a small palisade, was established in 1502
. In late 1505
, D. Francisco de Almeida
, the first Portuguese vice-roy of the Indies secured permission to erect the stone fortress of Santo Angelo
in Cannanore. The fortress garrison of 150 men was placed under the command of D. Lourenço de Brito
The old Kolathiri Raja who had energetically pursued the Portuguese alliance died sometime in 1506. As the succession was disputed, the Zamorin of Calicut, as formal suzerain of the Kerala
coast, nominated an arbitrator to sort through the candidates. The new Kolathiri Raja of Cannanore was consequently indebted to the Zamorin and less inclined to the Portuguese.
Hostilities were in large part due to the Portuguese sinking an Indian ship and killing the crew by stitching them into sails and throwing them into the sea, on the grounds that they were not carrying one of the Cartaz
, the passes the Portuguese were imposing on all ships of the region. Such passes had to be signed by either the commander of Cochin or Cannanore. The population of the adjoining state of Kōlattunād was greatly angered by this event, and asked their ruler, the Kōlattiri, to attack the Portuguese.
The Kōlattiri had 40,000 Nāyars attack the position. The Zamorin supplied the ruler of Cannanore with 21 pieces of artillery and 20,000 auxiliaries.
The firepower of the garrison under Lourenço de Brito allowed it to repulse massive attacks involving thousands of men. The siege soon entered a stalemate, with the Malabari trenches being protected from Portuguese cannonfire by walls of cotton bales, and the Portuguese being slowly forced into starvation. Castanheda
detailed report of the siege, states that they were then surprised- and saved- by a tidal wave of lobsters that washed ashore on August 15. A major assault before the Onam festival nearly overcame the defenders, but was eventually repulsed. However, a large part of the garrison was wounded in the attempt.
The Portuguese garrison was on the verge of being overwhelmed, when on 27 August a fleet of 11 ships under Tristão da Cunha
, the 8th Armada, coming from Socotra
, appeared. 300 Portuguese soldiers were landed, forcing the lifting of the siege and relieving the fortress.
Peace was negotiated between the Portuguese and the Kōlattiri Raja, confirming the continued presence of the Portuguese in Cannanore
and the resumption of their access to its spice markets. These events would eventually be followed by the Portuguese defeat at the Battle of Chaul in 1508.
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
), supported by the Zamorin of Calicut and Arabs, besieged the Portuguese garrison at St. Angelo Fort
St. Angelo Fort
St. Angelo Fort , is a fort facing the Arabian Sea, situated 3 km from the town of Kannur, a city in Kerala state, south India.-History:...
in Cannanore
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
, in what is now the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. It followed the Battle of Cannanore (1506)
Battle of Cannanore (1506)
The Battle of Cannanore took place in 1506 off the harbour of Cannanore in India, between the Indian fleet of the Samorin and a Portuguese fleet under Lourenço de Almeida, son of the Viceroy Almeida....
, in which the fleet of the Zamorin was defeated by the Portuguese.
Background
In early 15012nd Portuguese India Armada (Cabral, 1500)
The Second Portuguese India Armada was assembled in 1500 on the order of King Manuel I of Portugal and placed under the command of Pedro Álvares Cabral. Cabral's armada famously discovered Brazil for the Portuguese crown along the way...
, shortly after the opening of hostilities between the Portuguese admiral Pedro Alvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese noble, military commander, navigator and explorer regarded as the discoverer of Brazil. Cabral conducted the first substantial exploration of the northeast coast of South America and claimed it for Portugal. While details of Cabral's early life are sketchy, it...
and the Zamorin of Calicut, the Kōlattiri Raja of Cannanore
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
invited the Portuguese to trade in the spice markets of Cannanore instead. Treaties were signed and a crown factory
Factory (trading post)
Factory was the English term for the trading posts system originally established by Europeans in foreign territories, first within different states of medieval Europe, and later in their colonial possessions...
, defended by a small palisade, was established in 1502
4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502)
The Fourth India Armada was assembled in 1502 on the order of King Manuel I of Portugal and placed under the command of D. Vasco da Gama. It was Gama's second trip to India...
. In late 1505
7th Portuguese India Armada (Almeida, 1505)
The Seventh India Armada was assembled in 1505 on the order of King Manuel I of Portugal and placed under the command of D. Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy of the Indies...
, D. Francisco de Almeida
Francisco de Almeida
Dom Francisco de Almeida , also known as "the Great Dom Francisco" , was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492...
, the first Portuguese vice-roy of the Indies secured permission to erect the stone fortress of Santo Angelo
St. Angelo Fort
St. Angelo Fort , is a fort facing the Arabian Sea, situated 3 km from the town of Kannur, a city in Kerala state, south India.-History:...
in Cannanore. The fortress garrison of 150 men was placed under the command of D. Lourenço de Brito
The old Kolathiri Raja who had energetically pursued the Portuguese alliance died sometime in 1506. As the succession was disputed, the Zamorin of Calicut, as formal suzerain of the Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
coast, nominated an arbitrator to sort through the candidates. The new Kolathiri Raja of Cannanore was consequently indebted to the Zamorin and less inclined to the Portuguese.
Hostilities were in large part due to the Portuguese sinking an Indian ship and killing the crew by stitching them into sails and throwing them into the sea, on the grounds that they were not carrying one of the Cartaz
Cartaz
Cartaz was a naval trade license or pass issued by the Portuguese in the Indian ocean during the sixteenth century , under the rule of the Portuguese empire. It shared similarities with the British navicert system of 1939-45...
, the passes the Portuguese were imposing on all ships of the region. Such passes had to be signed by either the commander of Cochin or Cannanore. The population of the adjoining state of Kōlattunād was greatly angered by this event, and asked their ruler, the Kōlattiri, to attack the Portuguese.
The siege
The siege started on 27 April 1507, and was to last for four months.The Kōlattiri had 40,000 Nāyars attack the position. The Zamorin supplied the ruler of Cannanore with 21 pieces of artillery and 20,000 auxiliaries.
The firepower of the garrison under Lourenço de Brito allowed it to repulse massive attacks involving thousands of men. The siege soon entered a stalemate, with the Malabari trenches being protected from Portuguese cannonfire by walls of cotton bales, and the Portuguese being slowly forced into starvation. Castanheda
Fernão Lopes de Castanheda
Fernão Lopes de Castanheda was a Portuguese historian in the early Renaissance.His "History of the discovery and conquest of India", full of geographic and ethnographic objective information, was widely translated throughout Europe.- Life :Castanheda was the natural son of a royal officer, who...
detailed report of the siege, states that they were then surprised- and saved- by a tidal wave of lobsters that washed ashore on August 15. A major assault before the Onam festival nearly overcame the defenders, but was eventually repulsed. However, a large part of the garrison was wounded in the attempt.
The Portuguese garrison was on the verge of being overwhelmed, when on 27 August a fleet of 11 ships under Tristão da Cunha
Tristão da Cunha
Tristão da Cunha was a Portuguese explorer and naval commander. In 1514 he served as ambassador from king Manuel I of Portugal to Pope Leo X leading a luxurious embassy presenting in Rome the new conquests of Portugal...
, the 8th Armada, coming from Socotra
Socotra
Socotra , also spelt Soqotra, is a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. The largest island, also called Socotra, is about 95% of the landmass of the archipelago. It lies some east of the Horn of Africa and south of the Arabian Peninsula. The island is very isolated and through...
, appeared. 300 Portuguese soldiers were landed, forcing the lifting of the siege and relieving the fortress.
Peace was negotiated between the Portuguese and the Kōlattiri Raja, confirming the continued presence of the Portuguese in Cannanore
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
and the resumption of their access to its spice markets. These events would eventually be followed by the Portuguese defeat at the Battle of Chaul in 1508.