Pepper Wars
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Pepper Wars (Portuguese: Guerras da pimenta)[1] were a series of military conflicts in India between the Kingdom of Portugal, its ally, the Kingdom of Cochin, and the Zamorin of Calicut with his vassals.
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| Pepper Wars | |||||||
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| Part of Zamorin–Portuguese conflicts | |||||||
A Portuguese boat on the Malabar Coast, from Navigatio Acitinerarium by Iohannis Hugonis Linscotani, 1599 | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of Portugal Kingdom of Cochin |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Jorge Cabral Anrique de Sousa Sousa e Sepúlveda Afonso de Noronha Gomes da Silva |
Rajah of Pimenta † Zamorin of Calicut | ||||||
Background
Following a brief war between the Portuguese and the Zamorin, temporary peace was made through a treaty signed at Ponnani on January 1, 1540. According to its terms, the Portuguese were to buy all of Calicut's pepper at the Cochin price and ginger at a rate of 92 Fanams per bahar. Additionally, they allowed the Zamorin to export a quantity of pepper equal to one bahar for every 100 bahars acquired by the Portuguese, for trade on his own behalf in Portugal.[2]
They also agreed to sell part of their goods in Calicut, ensuring the Zamorin could collect his import duties. The Portuguese were to supply him with quicksilver, vermilion, and coal. This treaty allowed the Zamorin to regain not only the commercial benefits granted in the 1513 treaty but also Portuguese neutrality in his wars with the Cochin Rajah. On the other hand, the Portuguese distancing from their old ally, Cochin Rajah, led to a weakening of their power in the region. This peace lasted for only 10 years.[2]
Meanwhile, on January 20, 1550,[3] the Zamorin and the Rajah of Pimenta had allied against Cochin.[4] The Rajah wasn't just a vassal of the Zamorin but had been adopted into the their family.[2]
First Pepper War
Course of hostilities
War broke out between late 1549[5] and 1550.[2] A conflict between the Rajahs of Pimenta and Cochin led the Portuguese to interfere and support Cochin.[2][5] Governor Jorge Cabral set out with a fleet of 90 ships but was halted by bad weather.[4] Meanwhile, the Rajah of Pimenta led 10,000 Nairs in an attack on Bardela, but was met by Cochin and 600 Portuguese.[6] After many charges, the Rajah of Pimenta was mortally wounded and killed.[2][6] His army panicked and fled, many of them slaughtered in the retreat.[6] However, after their palace being burned, they regrouped and rallied with such determination that they forced them to retreat with over 50 Portuguese killed.[6]
Later, on June 24,[7] 5,000 Nairs swore to avenge the Rajah's death and invaded Cochin, killing many and causing great damages, forcing others to flee to the fortress.[6][7] The commander, Anrique de Sousa, marched out and defeated the Nairs, inflicting heavy losses.[6] Following the death of the Rajah, the Zamorin declared war on Cochin.[8] He soon arrived with 140,000 men, 100,000 encamped at Chembe and 40,000 more sent to occupy Bardela.[6] He was joined by 18 of his vassal chiefs,[6][8] including the leaders of Purakkad, Udiyanperur, Mangat, Kasslappera, Venganad, Bettet, and Rurumbrapad, and they all marched to Bardela.[8] After being informed, Governor Cabral dispatched Manuel de Sousa Sepúlveda with four ships to blockade Bardela, and he soon followed with a fleet of 100 ships and 4,000 soldiers.[6] After stopping at Tiracole,[6][7] Pandarane,[7] Coulete,[9] and Ponani,[7][9] burning all towns, they landed in Cochin with 6,000 men, where another 2,000 joined them. The King of Cochin had also assembled an army of 40,000 men.[9]
As they prepared for the attack, the opposing side raised a flag of truce. The Governor believed they were ready to surrender and delayed the attack for the next day. After many wasted days of negotiation, when it became clear they were stalling, he set the attack to November 29, 1550.[9]
But just as the attack was about to take place, a vessel arrived with orders from the newly appointed Viceroy, Dom Afonso de Noronha, to stop all operations. And so all 18 princes and their armies escaped without consequence,[9] and a peace treaty was signed in December 1550.[1]
Aftermath
The war was especially fatal for the Cochin royal family. Three of their rajahs were killed in battle, one after another.[8]
St. Francis Xavier, seeing how jealousy among the governors often led to wasted efforts, wrote a letter to the King of Portugal. In it, he recommended the Crown to punish such actions. However, like many of his letters, his plea was ignored.[9]
Later wars
Anticipating that the war would continue in the coming years, the Almandarim pointed out the need to build three fortresses to defend Cochin.[10] When Afonso de Noronha left for Goa on January 20, 1551, the Rajah's personal guard once again attacked the fort at Cochin in February, which was at the time defended by Jorge Cabral and Manuel de Sousa Sepúlveda.[11]
A new political crisis, with the Zamorin now involved, occurred in November 1553.[12] Concerned by the situation, the Viceroy set sail in late November with a large fleet to assist their ally. At sea, he encountered Dom Diogo de Noronha and his fleet, accompanied by Gonzalo Pereira Marramaque, known for his actions in a recent engagement against the Turks.[13]
After two councils of war,[12] they decided to land on the Alagada Islands, under the Rajah of Pimenta.[13] The landing was opposed by the natives with arrows, but Portuguese cannon fire overwhelmed them. The islands were burned with only one Portuguese killed.[13]
Gomes da Silva remained to continue the war, achieving such success that the Rajah sued for peace.[13] D. Afonso left orders that the lands of the Rajah should only be restored once peace terms were fulfilled, notably, that he return under Cochin's suzerainty and supply the Portuguese with the necessary pepper.[14] A treaty was signed in favor of the Portuguese, with the Rajah satisfied to recover the islands, his wife, and his captured men.[13]