View source for Blockade of Porto Novo

{{Short description|1683 blockade of a South Indian harbour}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2025}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Blockade of Porto Novo
| place             = [[Parangipettai#History|Porto Novo]] (present-day [[Parangipettai]], [[India]])
| image             = Axel Juel blockade of porto Novo.png
| image_size        = 290px
| date              = March 1683, August 1684 – {{circa|1687}}
| coordinates       = {{coord|11.49|N|79.76|E|display=inline,title}}
| territory         = ''[[Status quo ante bellum]]''
| result            = Danish victory
| combatant1        = {{flag|Danish India}}
| combatant2        = [[Parangipettai#History|Porto Novo]]<br />Danish hitmen
| commander1        = {{flagicon|Danish India}} [[Axel Juel]]
| commander2        = Gopal Pundit<br />Peder Trane
| units2            = Unknown
| units1            = Unknown
| strength1         = 4 [[warships]]
| strength2         = 3-4 ships
| casualties1       = Unknown
| casualties2       = 6 vessels<br />Some killed
| campaignbox       = {{Campaignbox Danish colonial conflicts}}
| caption           = Map of [[Axel Juel|Axel Juel's]] blockade of [[Porto Novo, India|Porto Novo]] and surrounding areas
}}

The '''blockade of Porto Novo''' ({{Langx|da|Blokaden af Porto Novo}}), also known as the '''siege of Porto Novo''' ({{Langx|da|Belejringen af Porto Novo|label=none}}), was a Danish [[blockade]] of the Indian trade centre [[Parangipettai#History|Porto Novo]] (present-day [[Parangipettai]]) starting in August 1684 and continuing for three to four years, while the siege is described as taking place in March 1683. The events extremely affected Porto Novo's trade and cost the city 60,000 [[Écu|écus]] annually.

== Background ==
The [[Danish East India Company]] was founded in 1616 and established its first settlement in [[Tranquebar]] in [[South India]] in 1620.{{Sfn|Larsen|1940|pp=15–16}} Cargoes from [[Denmark–Norway]] were sent regularly, until the [[Dano-Swedish War (1658–1660)|Dano-Swedish Wars c. 1659]] broke the connection, and the first {{Abbr|D.E.I.C.|Danish East India Company}} was subsequently dissolved.{{Sfn|Larsen|1940|p=16}} A new Danish company was established in 1670, with [[Sivert Adeler]] becoming [[governor of Danish India]] in 1683. Adeler left Tranquebar on 6 January 1682, and [[Axel Juel]] became governor thereafter.{{Sfn|Coolhaas|2007|p=625}}

== Siege and blockade ==
Already in 1682, Juel is said to have cruised around the Indian trading centre [[Porto Novo, India|Porto Novo]] (present-day [[Parangipettai]]) with two ships, waiting for returning [[Moors|Moorish]] ships to be conquered.{{Sfn|Coolhaas|2007|p=625}}

In March 1683, the Danes had a dispute with the local [[subahdar]], Gopal Pundit, and besieged Porto Novo.{{Sfn|Pringle|1894|p=}} The warfare was conducted on the sea, and the Danes [[Blockade|blockaded]] the [[Vellar River (Northern Tamil Nadu)|Vellar River]]. Meanwhile, they held three or four [[Dutch people|Dutch]] vessels with the [[Dutch East India Company|VOC's]] [[Accounting|accounts]], coming from [[Ceylon]]. The ships were only released upon a written complaint by the Dutch, as the Danes did not expect any more ships from Porto Novo. The Danes had already seized six ships, and the remaining ships from the harbour fled to Trimelevaas and [[Nagapattinam]]. At one point, Governor Axel Juel came in person with four [[Warship|warships]], heavily bombarding the city at the cost of some lives.{{Sfn|Coolhaas|2007|p=634}}

Thereafter, Juel demanded three things:{{Sfn|Coolhaas|2007|p=634}}

# Double compensation for an amount of 200 [[Pagoda (coin)|pagodas]]
# Tariff-free status for 300 bales of [[cloth]] instead of 150 bales, which was previously granted to them
# A written agreement from the merchants to annually ship 600 bales of cloth by [[freight]] with their ships to [[Malacca]] or [[Aceh|Achin]]

These demands were not granted by Gopal Pundit, and Juel quickly returned to Tranquebar instead of attempting anything more.{{Sfn|Coolhaas|2007|pp=634–635}} In September 1683, a Danish ship returned before Portonovo, yet the inhabitants now sent out their ships under [[Flag of Portugal|Portuguese]], [[Flag of France|French]], and [[Flag of England|English flags]]. This made the dispute advantageous Dutch VOC; they did not help the Danes with drinking water in Tegenapatam when they asked for it, and a protest was also made against the damage caused by the Danish Company to the Dutch [[Factory (trading post)|lodge]] in Porto Novo. However, the Danes managed to bring about a favorable [[peace settlement]] with Pundit in the same year.{{Sfn|Krarup|1894|p=89}}

Despite this, the French [[List of lieutenant governors of Puducherry|governor of Pondicherry]], [[François Martin (Pondicherry)|François Martin]], wrote in his ''Mémoires de François Martin'' that Danes at Tranquebar had a great dispute with the governor of Porto Novo starting in 1684. According to Martin, Governor Juel was driven by his obstinate passion to refuse to render justice, and caused the loss of Porto Novo's trade. For nearly three or four years, the Danes prevented any vessel from leaving the harbour. This resulted in a loss of more than 60,000 [[Écu|écus]] each year in revenue for Porto Novo.{{Sfn|Krarup|1937|p=89}}

== Aftermath ==
The favourable outcome for Juel has been described as lucky,{{Sfn|Krarup|1894|p=89}} and the Danish economic situation worsened.{{Sfn|Krarup|1937|p=89}} This resulted in [[Axel Juel#Planned mutiny|a planned mutiny]] against Juel in 1684, which was exposed, and two of the conspirators were executed.{{Sfn|Krarup|1937|p=90}} During a larger lawsuit in Denmark against Juel's governorship in 1689, it was discovered that Porto Novo hired a Danish officer and two local Indians as [[hitmen]] to assassinate other Danish officers. The Danish hitman, Peder Trane, was subsequently [[sentenced to death]].{{Sfn|Krarup|1894|pp=259–260}} Furthermore, Juel is said to have profited over 14,000 [[Danish rigsdaler]] from the war.{{Sfn|Krarup|1894|p=264}}

== References ==
{{Ref list}}

== Works cited ==

* {{Cite book |last=Coolhaas |first=Ed |url=https://resources.huygens.knaw.nl/retroboeken/generalemissiven/#page=777&accessor=toc&source=3 |title=Generale missiven van gouverneurs-generaal en raden aan heren XVII |publisher= |year=2007 |isbn= |edition= |volume=III |location= |language=Dutch}}

* {{Cite book |last=Martin |first=François |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/sfhom_1961-8166_1931_edc_3_1 |title=Mémoires de François Martin |publisher=Publications de la Société française d'histoire des outre-mers |year=1931 |volume=3 |issue=1 |isbn= |location=[[Paris]] |pages=360–361 |language=French |trans-title=The memoirs of François Martin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Pringle |first=Arthur T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NjwnaE4ybSwC&dq=porto+novo+1683+danes&pg=PA27 |title=The Diary and Consultation Book of the Agent Governor and Council of Fort St. George: 1683 |date=1894 |publisher=Superintendent, Government Press |language=en}}
* {{Cite book |last=Krarup |first=Frederik |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x2WTW7gsJFYC&dq=Axel+Juel&pg=PA267 |title=Museum: tidsskrift for historie og geografi. 1894,1 |date=1894 |publisher=[[Bavarian State Library]] |language=da}}
* {{Cite book |last=Larsen |first=Kay |url=https://slaegtsbibliotek.dk/922667.pdf |title=Guvernører, Residenter, Kommandanter og Chefer |publisher=Arthur Jensens Forlag |year=1940 |location=[[Copenhagen]] |pages=61 |language=Danish}}
* {{Cite book |last=Krarup |first=Frederik |url=https://slaegtsbibliotek.dk/911688.pdf |title=Dansk Biografisk Leksikon |publisher=J. H. Schultz Forlag |year=1937 |location=[[Copenhagen]] |pages= |language=Danish |trans-title=Danish Biographic Lexicon}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Porto Novo}}
[[Category:1683 in Asia]]
[[Category:1683 in Denmark]]
[[Category:1680s in Danish India]]
[[Category:1680s in India]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1683]]
[[Category:17th century in Danish India]]
[[Category:Tranquebar]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Danish East India Company]]
[[Category:Sieges involving Denmark–Norway]]
[[Category:Attacks on military installations in India]]
[[Category:Bombing operations and battles]]