MayraBarnett41 at 17:53, 24 April 2026

2026-04-24T17:53:40Z

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{{Short description|1671 Danish attack on Bengali vessels in Hooghly}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Attack in Hughli
| place = [[Hugli-Chuchura]], (modern-day [[West Bengal]], [[India]])
| partof = [[Dano-Mughal War]]
| date = 1671
| coordinates = {{coord|22.90|N|88.39|E|display=inline,title}}
| result = Danish victory
| combatant1 = {{flag|Danish India}}
| combatant2 = {{flagicon image|Bengal subah flag (Nautical).svg}} [[Bengal Subah]]
| commander1 = {{flagicon|Danish India}} Unknown
| commander2 = {{flagicon image|Bengal subah flag (Nautical).svg}} Unknown
| units1 =
| units2 =
| strength1 = 6,500 men<br />Multiple ships
| strength2 = 2 ships
| casualties2 = 2 ships destroyed
| casualties3 =
| casualties1 = 1,500 dead{{efn|Lost due to the sinking of a barge on the [[Ganges River]]}}
| image = Dutch settlement at Chunchura on the Hugli river, West Benga Wellcome V0050427.jpg
| caption = A View of Chinsura, the [[Dutch Bengal|Dutch settlement in Bengal]]
| image_size = 300
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Dano-Mughal War}}
}}
The '''Attack in Hooghly''' ([[Danish language|Danish]]; ''Angrebet i Hooghly'') was a Danish attack on two [[Bengalis|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]].

== Background ==
{{Further|Dano-Mughal War#Late phase (1669-1698)||label1=Late phase (1669-1698)}}
[[File:Danish India 1643-1669.png|left|thumb|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]].{{Sfn|Wellen|2015|p=448}}{{Sfn|Videnskab|2018|p=}} Because of the [[List of wars between Denmark and Sweden|Dano-Swedish War]]s Denmark did not have the means to send any ships to [[Danish India]], and relations were subsequently cut.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=129}} Relations with [[Denmark]] were reestablished in 1669 together with a new [[Danish East India Company]].{{Sfn|Wellen|2015|p=457}} 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.{{Sfn|Wellen|2015|p=457}}{{Sfn|Andersen|1669|p=}}

In 1672 king [[Christian V of Denmark]] ({{Abbr|r|reign}} 1670–1699) requested compensation for the losses of Danish vessels, though this request was never fulfilled by the Mughals.{{Sfn|Wellen|2015|p=457}} This, along with other factors, made the Danes increasingly brazen, and the Danes even attacked Bengal itself in 1671.{{Sfn|Wellen|2015|p=457}}

== Expedition to Bengal ==
In 1672 a Danish force of 6500 men were brought to [[Hooghly district|Hooghly]].{{Sfn|Coolhaas|2007|p=764}} 1500 of the men was lost due to the sinking of a [[barge]] on the [[Ganges|Ganges River]].{{Sfn|Coolhaas|2007|p=764}} The Danish East India Company sold most of their goods to two local Bengali merchants; Rangsordas and Sonderdas.{{Sfn|Coolhaas|2007|p=764}} They sold their goods to them as a compromise not to trade with others for the next couple of months.{{Sfn|Coolhaas|2007|p=764}} At Hooghly the Danes noticed two Bengali ships, which were returning from a voyage to [[Ceylon]].{{Sfn|Coolhaas|2007|p=764}} The ships were driven towards land near Hooghly, and the Danes subsequently blew the Bengali vessels up.{{Sfn|Coolhaas|2007|p=764}}{{Sfn|Wellen|2015|p=457}}

== Aftermath ==
The renewed violence continued during the following years.{{Sfn|Wellen|2015|p=457}} In 1673 the Danes took a large Bengali ship of 170 [[cargo]]es near Balasore, and transported it to Tranquebar. This also happened to another ship which was carrying [[Maldivians|Maldivian]] [[cowrie]]s the same year.{{Sfn|Wellen|2015|p=457}}{{Sfn|Coolhaas|2007|p=907}}

== See also ==
* {{Annotated link|Dannemarksnagore}}
* {{Annotated link|Skirmish at Pipli}}
* {{Annotated link|Cattle War}}
* {{Annotated link|Loss of the St. Jacob}}
* {{Annotated link|Dano-Mughal War}}

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Works cited ==
*{{Cite book |last=Andersen |first=Eskil |url=https://arkivalieronline.rigsarkivet.dk/da/other/index-creator/149/638/19977040 |title=Ostindiske sager (1668 - 1699) |publisher=Danske Kancelli |year=1669 |isbn= |edition= |location=Copenhagen}}
*{{Cite book |last=Bredsdorff |first=Asta |url= |title=The Trials and Travels of Willem Leyel |publisher=[[Museum Tusculanum Press]] |year=2009 |isbn=9788763530231 |edition= |location=Copenhagen}}
*{{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= |pages=763–764 |language=Dutch}}
*{{Cite book |last=Wellen |first=Kathryn |url=https://www.kitlv.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Mughal.pdf |title=The Danish East India Company's War against the Mughal Empire, 1642-1698 |publisher=Royal Netherlands Institute for Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies |year=2015 |isbn= |edition= |location=}}

*{{Cite book |last=Videnskab |url=https://videnskab.dk/kultur-samfund/serampore-var-en-glemt-dansk-koloni-mens-den-var-koloni/ |title=Serampore var en glemt dansk koloni – mens den var koloni |publisher=Videnskab.dk |year=2018 |language=Danish}}

[[Category:Battles involving Denmark|Hooghly]]
[[Category:Battles involving Norway|Hooghly]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Mughal Empire|Hooghly]]
[[Category:1671 in India]]
[[Category:1670s in the Mughal Empire]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Danish East India Company|Hooghly]]

Attack in Hooghly - Revision history

MayraBarnett41 at 17:53, 24 April 2026