Latest / The Hidden History of Bengal: Kingdoms, Empires, and Revolution — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Pirates of Bengal: Sandwip's Lost Mercenary Kingdom
In the 17th century, the island of Sandwip off the coast of Bengal became the stronghold of a Portuguese pirate named Gonzales, who carved out a private mercenary kingdom under the Mughal radar. This episode of The Hidden History of Bengal dives into the forgotten story of how Portuguese renegades, known as firangis, allied with Arakanese Magh pirates to raid the Sundarbans delta, capturing thousands as slaves. We trace the rise of Gonzales from a deserter of the Portuguese armada to the self-styled 'Lord of Sandwip', his fortress of cannons and palisades, and his eventual downfall…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.