Capture of Muscat (1552)
Encyclopedia
The Capture of Muscat occurred in 1552, when an Ottoman fleet under Piri Reis
attacked Muscat
, modern Oman
, and seized the town from the Portuguese
. These events followed the important Ottoman defeat in the Second Siege of Diu
in 1546, which put a stop to their attempts in India, but also the successful Capture of Aden (1548)
, which allowed the Ottomans to resist to the Portuguese in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean
.
The city, before then a possession of the King of Hormuz
, had been in Portuguese hands since 1507, when a Portuguese fleet under Afonso de Albuquerque
attacked the city, destroyed it, and then back soon after to occupy it.
The Ottomans attempted to intervene against the Portuguese presence, and four Ottoman ships bombarded the city in 1546.
The city would again be attacked by the Ottomans in 1552 with a larger fleet under Piri Reis
and Seydi Ali Reis
. The ultimate objective was to seize the islands of Hormuz
and Bahrain
, in order to block Portuguese access to the Persian Gulf
and thus reestablish Ottoman control of the Indian Ocean Trade.
The Ottoman force consisted in 4 galleons, 25 galleys, and 850 troops (according to Diogo do Couto, the Ottomans had 15 galleys and 1200 troops ). The recently-built Fort Al-Mirani
was besieged for 18 days with one piece of Ottoman artillery brought on top of a ridge. Lacking food and water, the 60 Portuguese garrisson and its commander, João de Lisboa, agreed to surrender, only to be taken as captives. The fort was captured and its fortifications destroyed.
Soon however the Ottomans departed. Ultimately, they managed to occupy and control the coasts of Yemen
, Aden
and Arabia, as far north as Basra
, so as to facilitate their trade with India
.
The Ottoman again attacked the Portuguese possessions of the coast of India in 1553, with a raid on the Pearl Fishery Coast
of South India around Tuticorin. They were assisted by the Marakkar
Muslims of Malabar, and had the tacit agreement of Vittula Nayak of Madurai
. 52 Portuguese were captured at Punnaikayal
, and churches burnt down. The Ottomans failed however in 1553 against a Portuguese fleet at sea near al-Fahl.
Seydi Ali Reis
and his galleys would be taken in an ambush by Portuguese forces while he was trying to bring back his float from Basra
to Suez
in August 1554.
Three Ottoman galleys would again occupy Muscat in 1581, and let the population escape, before the city again fell into Portuguese hands.
Piri Reis
Piri Reis was an Turkish Ottoman admiral, geographer and cartographer born between 1465 and 1470 and died in 1554 or 1555....
attacked Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
, modern Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, and seized the town from the Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
. These events followed the important Ottoman defeat in the Second Siege of Diu
Second Siege of Diu
The Second Siege of Diu was a siege of the Portuguese Indian city of Diu by the Gujarat Sultanate in 1546. It ended with a major Portuguese victory.- Background :...
in 1546, which put a stop to their attempts in India, but also the successful Capture of Aden (1548)
Capture of Aden (1548)
The Capture of Aden of 1548 was accomplished when Ottomans under Piri Reis managed to take the harbour of Aden in Yemen from the Portuguese on 26 February 1548....
, which allowed the Ottomans to resist to the Portuguese in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
.
Hormuz
Hormuz is distorted from the Persian Ohrmuzd, meaning Ahura Mazda. It can refer to:* The Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf* Hormuz Island, an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf* Hormuz District, an administrative subdivision of Iran...
, had been in Portuguese hands since 1507, when a Portuguese fleet under Afonso de Albuquerque
Afonso de Albuquerque
Afonso de Albuquerque[p][n] was a Portuguese fidalgo, or nobleman, an admiral whose military and administrative activities as second governor of Portuguese India conquered and established the Portuguese colonial empire in the Indian Ocean...
attacked the city, destroyed it, and then back soon after to occupy it.
The Ottomans attempted to intervene against the Portuguese presence, and four Ottoman ships bombarded the city in 1546.
The city would again be attacked by the Ottomans in 1552 with a larger fleet under Piri Reis
Piri Reis
Piri Reis was an Turkish Ottoman admiral, geographer and cartographer born between 1465 and 1470 and died in 1554 or 1555....
and Seydi Ali Reis
Seydi Ali Reis
Seydi Ali Reis was an Ottoman admiral.He commanded the left wing of the Ottoman fleet at the naval Battle of Preveza in 1538....
. The ultimate objective was to seize the islands of Hormuz
Hormuz
Hormuz is distorted from the Persian Ohrmuzd, meaning Ahura Mazda. It can refer to:* The Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf* Hormuz Island, an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf* Hormuz District, an administrative subdivision of Iran...
and Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, in order to block Portuguese access to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
and thus reestablish Ottoman control of the Indian Ocean Trade.
The Ottoman force consisted in 4 galleons, 25 galleys, and 850 troops (according to Diogo do Couto, the Ottomans had 15 galleys and 1200 troops ). The recently-built Fort Al-Mirani
Fort Al-Mirani
Fort Al-Mirani is a fort in the harbour of the city of Muscat, Oman.-History:In the 1552 Capture of Muscat, an Ottoman force consisted in 4 galleons, 25 galleys, and 850 troops attacked the city of Muscat. They captured the city and its fort. The recently-built Fort Al-Mirani was besieged for 18...
was besieged for 18 days with one piece of Ottoman artillery brought on top of a ridge. Lacking food and water, the 60 Portuguese garrisson and its commander, João de Lisboa, agreed to surrender, only to be taken as captives. The fort was captured and its fortifications destroyed.
Soon however the Ottomans departed. Ultimately, they managed to occupy and control the coasts of Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
and Arabia, as far north as Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
, so as to facilitate their trade with 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...
.
The Ottoman again attacked the Portuguese possessions of the coast of India in 1553, with a raid on the Pearl Fishery Coast
Pearl Fishery Coast
The Pearl Fishery Coast refers to a coastal area of southern India, extending along the Coromandel Coast from Tuticorin to Comorin.The coast took its name from the presence of pearls on the coast, and the numerous fisheries that operated to exploit them....
of South India around Tuticorin. They were assisted by the Marakkar
Marakkar
Marakkar or Maraikayar or Maraicayar or Maricar or Marican is a distinctive Tamil- and Malayalam-speaking Muslim people of the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in India.Traditionally, the Maricars engaged in mercantile commerce...
Muslims of Malabar, and had the tacit agreement of Vittula Nayak of Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
. 52 Portuguese were captured at Punnaikayal
Punnaikayal
Punnaikayal , anciently Punicale for the Portuguese, is a harbour city in Tamil Nadu, India.Punnaikayal seems to have been the main Portuguese possession on the southern Coast of India for a period of 50 years after their arrival from 1551, when they established 2 hospitals, a seminary, and the...
, and churches burnt down. The Ottomans failed however in 1553 against a Portuguese fleet at sea near al-Fahl.
Seydi Ali Reis
Seydi Ali Reis
Seydi Ali Reis was an Ottoman admiral.He commanded the left wing of the Ottoman fleet at the naval Battle of Preveza in 1538....
and his galleys would be taken in an ambush by Portuguese forces while he was trying to bring back his float from Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
to Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
in August 1554.
Three Ottoman galleys would again occupy Muscat in 1581, and let the population escape, before the city again fell into Portuguese hands.