Attack in Hooghly

The Attack in Hooghly (Danish; Angrebet i Hooghly) was a Danish attack on two Bengali ships during the Dano-Mughal War in 1671. The Danes succeeded in blowing up the Bengali ships, and violence continued off the coasts of Kalingapatnam and Balasore.

Attack in Hughli
Part of Dano-Mughal War
A View of Chinsura, the Dutch settlement in Bengal
Date 1671 Location Hugli-Chuchura, (modern-day West Bengal, India) 22.90°N 88.39°E / 22.90; 88.39 Result Danish victory
Belligerents
Danish India	Bengal Subah
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Unknown
Strength
6,500 men Multiple ships	2 ships
Casualties and losses
1,500 dead[a]	2 ships destroyed

Background

Further information: Late phase (1669-1698)

Danish trade routes and settlements in India during the isolation from Denmark, 1643-1669

In 1642 the Danish East India Company declared war on the Mughal Empire.^[1][2] Because of the Dano-Swedish Wars Denmark did not have the means to send any ships to Danish India, and relations were subsequently cut.^[3] Relations with Denmark were reestablished in 1669 together with a new Danish East India Company.^[4] At this point the war against Bengal was approved by the Danish government, yet urged the Danes in India to sue for peace if advantageous.^[4][5]

In 1672 king Christian V of Denmark (r 1670–1699) requested compensation for the losses of Danish vessels, though this request was never fulfilled by the Mughals.^[4] This, along with other factors, made the Danes increasingly brazen, and the Danes even attacked Bengal itself in 1671.^[4]

Expedition to Bengal

In 1672 a Danish force of 6500 men were brought to Hooghly.^[6] 1500 of the men was lost due to the sinking of a barge on the Ganges River.^[6] The Danish East India Company sold most of their goods to two local Bengali merchants; Rangsordas and Sonderdas.^[6] They sold their goods to them as a compromise not to trade with others for the next couple of months.^[6] At Hooghly the Danes noticed two Bengali ships, which were returning from a voyage to Ceylon.^[6] The ships were driven towards land near Hooghly, and the Danes subsequently blew the Bengali vessels up.^[6][4]

Aftermath

The renewed violence continued during the following years.^[4] In 1673 the Danes took a large Bengali ship of 170 cargoes near Balasore, and transported it to Tranquebar. This also happened to another ship which was carrying Maldivian cowries the same year.^[4][7]

See also

• Dannemarksnagore
• Skirmish at Pipli – Confrontation between the Danes and Mughals in Pipli
• Cattle War – Conflict between Danish India and the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom
• Loss of the St. Jacob – Seizure of a Danish ship by Benglis
• Dano-Mughal War – Danish colonial conflict against the Mughal Empire

Notes

1. Lost due to the sinking of a barge on the Ganges River