Battle of Jambi

1630 naval battle

Battle of Jambi (1630)

Part of Dutch–Portuguese War

Portuguese galleon fighting Dutch and English warships
| Date| April 5th to May 5th, 1630

|

Location|

Jambi river, Indonesia

Result|  Portuguese victory[2]
Belligerents

Kingdom of Portugal

* Portuguese India

|  Dutch East India Company
English East India Company[1]
Commanders and leaders
Nuno Álvares Botelho †
Rui Freire de Andrade|  Unknown
Strength
27 ships|  28 ships
Casualties and losses
1 galliot sunk|  7 ships burned or captured

* v
* t
* e

Dutch–Portuguese War

Europe

* Cape St. Vincent
* The Downs

Brazil

* 1st Salvador
* 2nd Salvador
* 3rd Salvador
* 1st Recife
* Mata Redonda
* Abrolhos
* Porto Calvo
* 4th Salvador
* Itamaracá
* Paraíba
* Tabocas
* Casa Forte
* Tamanare
* 1st Guararapes
* 2nd Guararapes
* 2nd Recife

Africa

* 1st Mozambique
* 2nd Mozambique
* 1st Luanda
* 1st Elmina
* 2nd Elmina
* 2nd Luanda
* Kombi
* 3rd Luanda

Asia

* Bantam
* Changi
* Amboina
* 1st Malacca
* Cape Rachado
* Sumatra
* Macau
* Persian Gulf
* Hormuz
* Jambi
* Goa
* Mormugão
* Galle
* 2nd Malacca
* 1st Colombo
* 2nd Colombo
* Mannar
* Malabar

* v
* t
* e

Portuguese colonial campaigns

15th century

* Ceuta (1415)
* Ceuta (1419)
* Tangier (1437)
* Ksar es-Seghir (1458)
* Tangier (1463–64)
* Anfa (1468)
* Asilah (1471)
* Tangier (1471)
* Guinea (1478)
* Chaouia (1487)
* Graciosa (1489)
* Targa (1490)

16th century

* India (1500–1513)
* East Africa (1500-1509)
* Algeria (1501)
* India (1504)
* Kilwa (1505)
* Mombasa (1505)
* Indian Ocean (1505–17)
* India (1506)
* India (1506)
* Mozambique (1506)
* East Africa (1507)
* India (1507)
* Socotra (1507)
* Muscat (1507)
* Persian Gulf (1507–15)
* India (1508)
* Diu (1509)
* Goa (1510)
* Malaysia (1511)
* India (1512)
* Aden (1513)
* Morocco (1513)
* Morocco (1514)
* Morocco (1514)
* Iran (1514-15)
* Marrakesh (1515)
* Morocco (1515)
* Nigeria (1515-16)
* Doukkala (1516)
* East Africa (1517)
* Goa (1517)
* Malaysia (1520)
* Sri Lanka (1520–1658)
* Sumatra (1521)
* Bahrain (1521)
* Insulindia (1521)
* China (1521)
* Sumatra (1522)
* Arabia (1523)
* Malaysia (1523)
* Sumatra (1523–24)
* Insulindia (1525)
* Insulindia (1526)
* India (1526)
* Java (1527)
* Sumatra (1528)
* East Africa (1528)
* Persian Gulf (1529)
* Moluccas (1530–1607)
* India (1531)
* Morocco (1533)
* Persian Gulf (1534)
* Malaysia (1534)
* Tunis (1535)
* Malaysia (1535)
* Malaysia (1536)
* Moluccas (1536)
* Brazil (1534–1536)
* India (1538)
* India (1538)
* Indian Ocean (1538–60)
* Red Sea (1541)
* Red Sea (1541)
* Red Sea (1541)
* Red Sea (1541)
* Ethiopia (1541)
* Ethiopia (1542)
* East Africa (1542)
* Ethiopia (1542)
* Ethiopia (1542)
* Ethiopia (1542)
* Ethiopia (1542)
* Ethiopia (1543)
* Malaysia (1543)
* Insulindia (1545)
* India (1546)
* India (1547)
* Malaysia (1547)
* Arabia (1548)
* Arabia (1548)
* Jailolo (1550)
* Persian Gulf (1551)
* Malaysia (1551)
* Arabia (1552–54)
* Gulf of Oman (1554)
* Pakistan (1557)
* Sri Lanka (1557–58)
* Brazil (1558)
* India (1559)
* India (1559)
* Jaffna (1560)
* Japan (1561)
* Morocco (1562)
* Morocco (1564)
* Japan (1565)
* Brazil (1567)
* Malacca (1568)
* Mozambique & Zimbabwe (1569-73)
* Sumatra (1569)
* Gambia (1570)
* Goa (1570–1571)
* Chaul (1570–1571)
* Honavar (1571)
* Mangalore (1571)
* Chale (1571)
* India (1570–75)
* Malaysia (1573)
* Malaysia (1574)
* Malaysia (1575)
* Morocco (1578)
* Angola (1580)
* India (1581)
* Arabia (1581)
* Angola (1583)
* Indian Ocean (1586–89)
* Persian Gulf (1586)
* Malaysia (1586)
* Malaysia (1587)
* Sri Lanka (1587–88)
* Mombasa (1589)
* Jaffna (1591)
* Chaul (1594)
* India (1599–1600)

17th century

* Java (1601)
* Myanmar (1605)
* Sumatra (1606)
* Malaysia (1606)
* Malaysia (1606)
* Indonesia (1606)
* China (1609)
* India (1612)
* Brazil (1612–1615)
* Persian Gulf (1614)
* Malaysia (1615)
* Gambia (1618)
* Jaffna (1619)
* Coromandel Coast (1619)
* Persian Gulf (1621–22)
* Trincomalee (1622)
* Persian Gulf (1622)
* China (1622)
* Angola (1622)
* Angola (1623)
* Brazil (1624)
* Angola (1624)
* Persian Gulf (1625)
* Brazil (1625)
* Gold Coast (1625)
* Malaysia (1628)
* Malacca (1629)
* Cape of Good Hope (1630)
* Brazil (1630)
* Jambi (1630)
* Brazil (1631)
* East Africa (1632)
* Bengal (1632)
* Arabia (1633)
* Arabia (1633–43)
* Brazil (1636)
* Gold Coast (1637)
* India (1638)
* Brazil (1638)
* India (1638–39)
* India (1639)
* Brazil (1640)
* Morocco (1640)
* Malaysia (1640–41)
* Colombia (1641)
* Angola (1641–48)
* Brazil (1641)
* India (1644–45)
* Brazil (1645)
* Brazil (1645)
* Angola (1647)
* Brazil (1648)
* Brazil (1649)
* Arabia (1650)
* Brazil (1652–54)
* 1st Sri Lanka (1654)
* 2nd Sri Lanka (1654)
* Mannar (1658)
* Malabar (1658–63)
* Margão (1659)
* Angola (1665)
* Brazil (1666)
* Angola (1670)
* Angola (1670)
* Angola (1671)
* Angola (1681)
* Angola (1691-93)
* India (1693)
* East Africa (1696–98)

18th century

* India (1704)
* Brazil (1710)
* Brazil (1711)
* Angola (1723)
* India (1729–32)
* Banda Oriental (1735–37)
* India (1746)
* India (1746)
* India (1752)
* Brazil (1756)
* Brazil (1762–63)
* Banda Oriental and Rio Grande do Sul (1762–63)
* Morocco (1769)
* Angola (1774–1778)
* Banda Oriental (1776–77)

19th century

* French Guiana (1809)
* China (1809–10)
* Banda Oriental (1816–20)
* Brazil (1821–25)
* China (1846)
* Mozambique (1847–1910)
* China (1849)
* Guinea-Bissau (1886)
* Guinea-Bissau (1886)
* Guinea-Bissau (1886)
* Mozambique (1895)
* Mozambique (1895)

20th century

* Angola (1902–04)
* Angola (1907)
* East Timor (1911–12)
* Angola (1914–15)
* Mozambique (1914-18)
* Angola (1914–1917)
* Mozambique (1917–18)
* Mozambique (1917-18)
* Timor (1942–43)
* India (1954)
* India (1961)
* Africa (1961–74)
* Angola (1961–74)
* Guinea-Bissau (1963–74)
* Mozambique (1964–74)

* v
* t
* e

Dutch colonial conflicts

17th century

* Bantam (1601)
* Amboina (1605)
* Malacca (1606)
* Cape Rachado (1606)
* Pulo Buton (1606)
* Mozambique (1607)
* Mozambique (1608)
* Banda Islands (1609–21)
* Johor (1613)
* Jayakarta (1618–19)
* Jayakarta (1619)
* Macau (1622)
* Pescadores (1622–24)
* Salvador (1624)
* Luanda (1624)
* Persian Gulf (1625)
* Salvador (1625)
* Elmina (1625)
* Cuba (1628)
* Batavia (1628–29)
* Recife (1630)
* Jambi (1630)
* Abrolhos (1631)
* Liaoluo Bay (1633)
* Taiwan (1635–36)
* Brazil (1636)
* Liuqiu Island (1636)
* Porto Calvo (1637)
* Elmina (1637)
* Vietnam (1637–43)
* Goa (1638)
* Salvador (1638)
* Mormugão (1639)
* Itamaracá (1640)
* Ceylon (1640)
* Malacca (1641)
* Luanda (1641)
* Taiwan (1641)
* Taiwan (1642)
* Chile (1643)
* Cambodia (1643–44)
* New Netherland (1643–45)
* India (1644-45)
* Tabocas (1645)
* Brazil (1645)
* Philippines (1646)
* Kombi (1647)
* Guararapes (1648)
* Guararapes (1649)
* Taiwan (1652)
* 2nd Recife (1652-1654)
* 2nd Colombo (1654)
* Mannar (1658)
* Malabar (1658-1663)
* New Netherland (1659–63)
* Cape Colony (1659-1677)
* Formosa (1661–62)
* Sulawesi (1666–69)
* Ceylon (1670-1670)
* India (1673)
* Java (1674–80)

18th century

* Java (1704–07)
* Java (1719–23)
* India (1739–41)
* Java (1741–43)
* Penfui (1749)
* Java (1749–57)
* Ceylon (1764-1766)
* Persian gulf (1765)
* India (1781)
* Sumatra (1781)
* Ceylon (1782)
* Gold Coast (1782)
* Cape Colony (1795)

19th century

* Surinam (1804)
* Cape Colony (1806)
* Java (1806–07)
* Moluccas (1810)
* Java (1811)
* Algiers (1816)
* Ambon (1817)
* Palembang (1819)
* Palembang (1821)
* Sumatra (1821–37)
* Borneo (1823)
* Bone (1824–25)
* Java (1825–30)
* Aceh (1831)
* Ahanta (1837–39)
* Bali (1846)
* Bali (1848)
* Bali (1849)
* Palembang (1851–59)
* Montrado (1854–55)
* Nias (1855–64)
* Bali (1858)
* Bone (1858–59)
* Borneo (1859–63)
* Japan (1863–64)
* Pasoemah (1864–68)
* Gold Coast (1869–70)
* Aceh (1873–1904)
* Mandor (1884–85)
* Jambi (1885)
* Edi (1890)
* Lombok and Karangasem (1894)
* Pedir (1897–98)

20th century

* Kerinci (1903)
* Bone (1905–06)
* Bali (1906)
* Bali (1908)
* Venezuela (1908)
* Indonesia (1941–45)
* Indonesia (1946–49)

The Battle of Jambi in 1630 was a naval engagement between Portuguese, Dutch and English ships in the Indonesian archipelago.[3] Although the Portuguese won this battle, their commander Nuno Álvares Botelho, who is renowned in Portugal as one of the last great commanders of Portuguese India, drowned during the confrontation.

## Background

[edit]

Main article: Battle of Duyon River

In 1629, Malacca was attacked by the Sultan of Aceh with around 19,000 men and 236 ships, but was completely annihilated by the Portuguese commander Nuno Álvares Botelho and his allies.[4] This victory gave great prestige to him and to Portugal in general. He was received in Malacca with a euphoric triumph by captain António Fonseca and the city's population.[5] The news of this great victory reached Goa in late February 1630 where it was also celebrated. The Viceroy of India Miguel de Noronha, commented, "I can affirm that all the victories that we read about in the chronicles of India cannot compare with this one." Thus, from a Portuguese viewpoint, the situation in the straits of Malacca had taken a positive turn.[6]

Portuguese soldiers at Malacca fighting the Acehnese, in a 1606 painting.

Shortly after that siege, Nuno Botelho decided to take the initiative. He met with Portuguese commercial shipping, which was coming from Macau, in order to protect it from the Dutch.[7] After learning that the Count of Linhares had become the new Viceroy of India and had reached Goa in October 1629, Botelho gave him an account of everything he had done so far and asked for his assistance and approbation to continue his designs against the Dutch and English. The Viceroy not only sent Botelho everything he had asked but also gave him full power to act as a governor general, without having to wait for orders from Goa.[8]

## Battle

[edit]

In the meantime, with 27 ships, Nuno Botelho sailed for Jambi, a place with a lot of pepper and much resorted by the Dutch and English.[9] In any case, the Portuguese morale about taking the fight to the Dutch was very high, unlike several years prior.[10]

At the mouth of the Jambi river, he found three Dutch ships, which he either captured or burned. Continuing upstream he found a large Dutch carrack, which he attacked immediately. This carrack blew up when a cannon-ball ignited its maganize. Then, even further up the river he successfully fired two more Dutch carracks full of pepper. Three weeks later, another Dutch carrack known as the Walcheren, arrived at the mouth of the river on May 5. Botelho promplty attacked this ship too, surrounding it from all sides.[11] The Portuguese quickly boarded the carrack and the Dutch crew quickly fled below decks. The Portuguese then fired upon the ship and withdrew. However, one of their craft became entangled with the Walcheren's prow. Fearing that this ship would be caught by the fire, Nuno Botelho brought up his own jália (small galley-type ship) to assist it, but something exploded in the Dutch ship, which destroyed Botelho's jália. Unfortunaletly, he could not swim and after being thrown to the water, he drowned. According to Manuel Xavier, who wrote an account of these events, the heart of Botelho was still beating when he was rescued, but it was too late and he died soon after in the arms of his chaplain.[12]

The Portuguese armada then withdrew to Malacca, carrying the body of their fallen commander.[13]

## Aftermath

[edit]

The first rumours of Botelho's death did not reach Goa until six months later, but the Portuguese Viceroy dismissed them as being lies made by the Dutch. When the unwelcomed report was confirmed in February 1631, Miguel de Noronha described it as "the worst news possible". A few days later he informed the King of Portugal, "I write this letter ... with tears in my eyes because I'm giving in it news to Your Majesty of the death in India ... of the man who with the cleanest heart and hands was serving your Majesty here." Indeed, Botelho's death was a heavy blow to Portuguese morale.[14]

Nonetheless, the victories achieved by Nuno Álvares Botelho in Hormuz (1625), in Malacca (1629), in Jambi (1630) and his plans to attack Batavia, strongly impressed the Dutch. In their eyes, the Portuguese once again looked like respectable adversaries with whom it was necessary to be careful.[15]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Andrada, Ruy Freyre de (2005). Commentaries of Ruy Freyre de Andrada. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-34469-2.
2. ^ Monteiro, Saturnino (1989). Batalhas e combates da Marinha Portuguesa: 1626-1668 (in Portuguese). Livraria Sá da Costa Editora. ISBN 978-972-562-323-7.
3. ^ Andrada, Ruy Freyre de (2005). Commentaries of Ruy Freyre de Andrada. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-34469-2.
4. ^ Barbara Watson Andaya, Leonard Y. Andaya (2017): A History of Malaysia, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 70-71. "The failure of Sultan Iskandar Muda's attack on Portuguese Melaka in 1626 and a massive naval defeat by Portuguese forces in 1629 were a fundamental blow."
5. ^ Jarnagin, Laura (2011). Portuguese and Luso-Asian Legacies in Southeast Asia, 1511-2011: The making of the Luso-Asian world, intricacies of engagement. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 978-981-4345-25-5.
6. ^ Jarnagin, Laura (2011). Portuguese and Luso-Asian Legacies in Southeast Asia, 1511-2011: The making of the Luso-Asian world, intricacies of engagement. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 978-981-4345-25-5.
7. ^ Jarnagin, Laura (2011). Portuguese and Luso-Asian Legacies in Southeast Asia, 1511-2011: The making of the Luso-Asian world, intricacies of engagement. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 978-981-4345-25-5.
8. ^ Kerr, Robert (2022-11-13). The History of Voyages and Travels: Volume 1-18. DigiCat.
9. ^ Kerr, Robert (2022-11-13). The History of Voyages and Travels: Volume 1-18. DigiCat.
10. ^ Jarnagin, Laura (2011). Portuguese and Luso-Asian Legacies in Southeast Asia, 1511-2011: The making of the Luso-Asian world, intricacies of engagement. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 978-981-4345-25-5.
11. ^ Jarnagin, Laura (2011). Portuguese and Luso-Asian Legacies in Southeast Asia, 1511-2011: The making of the Luso-Asian world, intricacies of engagement. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 978-981-4345-25-5.
12. ^ Jarnagin, Laura (2011). Portuguese and Luso-Asian Legacies in Southeast Asia, 1511-2011: The making of the Luso-Asian world, intricacies of engagement. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 978-981-4345-25-5.
13. ^ Monteiro, Saturnino (1989). Batalhas e combates da Marinha Portuguesa: 1626-1668 (in Portuguese). Livraria Sá da Costa Editora. ISBN 978-972-562-323-7.
14. ^ Jarnagin, Laura (2011). Portuguese and Luso-Asian Legacies in Southeast Asia, 1511-2011: The making of the Luso-Asian world, intricacies of engagement. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 978-981-4345-25-5.
15. ^ Monteiro, Saturnino (1989). Batalhas e combates da Marinha Portuguesa: 1626-1668 (in Portuguese). Livraria Sá da Costa Editora. ISBN 978-972-562-323-7.

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