Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History / The Battle of Diu That Sealed Portuguese Supremacy in the Indian Ocean
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked about the cartaz system and how the Portuguese tried to control the Indian Ocean. But there's one battle that really sealed their dominance, and it happened in February 1509, off the coast of Diu in what's now Gujarat. Luna: Wait, isn't Diu the place where the Portuguese built that massive fortress? Lucas: Exactly. But before the fortress, there was a naval battle that's often overshadowed by the more famous First Battle of Diu earlier that same year. Actually, the decisive engagement was the Second Battle of Diu, in 1509, where a Portuguese fleet of about 18 ships faced a combined force of Mamluks, Ottomans, Gujaratis, and even some Venetians who were bankrolling the opposition. Luna: Venetians? Why would they care about a battle in India? Lucas: Because the spice trade was their lifeblood. Venetian merchants had controlled the flow of pepper and cinnamon into Europe through the Red Sea and Alexandria. The Portuguese discovery of the sea route around Africa threatened to undercut them entirely. So they secretly funded the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt to build a fleet capable of challenging the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean. Lucas: The Mamluks, for their part, were worried about losing the customs revenue from spices passing through their territory. And the Ottoman Empire, which had just conquered Egypt's northern provinces, also had an interest in limiting Portuguese expansion. So you had this bizarre alliance: Mamluks, Ottomans, Gujaratis, and Venetians, all trying to stop about 1,500 Portuguese soldiers and sailors. Luna: And the Portuguese won? That seems incredible. Lucas: They did, but it wasn't easy. The Portuguese commander was Dom Francisco de Almeida, the first Viceroy of Portuguese India. He had a fleet of caravels and naus, heavily armed with cannon. The opposing fleet, commanded by the Mamluk admiral Amir Husain Al-Kurdi, had about 100 ships, mostly smaller vessels, but they also had some large war galleys equipped with cannon. Lucas: The battle itself was intense. The Portuguese used their superior naval artillery to devastating effect, but the close-quarters fighting was brutal. One Portuguese account describes how the Mamluks tried to board the Portuguese flagship, only to be repelled by soldiers armed with crossbows and arquebuses. In the end, the allied fleet was destroyed, and Amir Husain barely escaped with his life. Luna: But why do you say this was the decisive moment? Didn't the Portuguese already have a presence in India? Lucas: They did, but the victory at Diu effectively eliminated any organized naval opposition to the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean for decades. It allowed them to enforce the cartaz system — requiring all ships to purchase a license from the Portuguese — and to monopolize the spice trade. The Mamluks never recovered, and their sultanate was soon conquered by the Ottomans. The Venetians had to find other ways to get spices, often buying from the Portuguese themselves. Lucas: There's also a fascinating character in all this: Malik Ayyaz, the governor of Diu for the Sultan of Gujarat. He was a former slave who had risen to power, and he played a double game — he secretly allied with the Portuguese while publicly supporting the Sultan. After the battle, he helped the Portuguese build the Fortaleza de Diu, which became one of their most important strongholds in India. Luna: So he was essentially a collaborator? But why would he do that? Lucas: Malik Ayyaz was a pragmatist. He saw that the Portuguese were here to stay and that fighting them would ruin Diu's prosperity. By cooperating, he ensured that Diu remained a major trading port under Portuguese protection, even as the Sultanate of Gujarat lost control. It's a classic example of how local elites sometimes chose accommodation over resistance. Lucas: The battle also had a long-term impact on Portuguese strategy. After Diu, the Portuguese focused on building a network of fortified ports — the Estado da Índia — rather than trying to conquer large territories. Places like Goa, Malacca, and Diu itself became the nodes of an empire that controlled trade routes, not land. Luna: But what about the Ottoman reaction? They must have been furious. Lucas: They were, but they were busy in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. The Ottomans did try to challenge the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean later, especially in the 1530s and 1540s, sending fleets to aid the Sultan of Gujarat and the Kingdom of Aceh. But they never managed to dislodge the Portuguese from their key positions. The Battle of Diu in 1509 set the pattern for Portuguese naval dominance. Lucas: Interestingly, the First Battle of Diu, which occurred just a few months earlier in 1508, was actually a Portuguese defeat. The Mamluk-Gujarati fleet had caught a Portuguese squadron off guard and sunk several ships. But Francisco de Almeida, seeking revenge, refused to leave until he had crushed the allied fleet. He famously said, 'For the loss of a few ships, we must exact a price that will be remembered for centuries.' And he did. Luna: That's a pretty ruthless attitude. Lucas: It was. And it worked. After the second battle, the Portuguese executed many of the prisoners, including some Venetian merchants who had been captured. They wanted to send a message: the Indian Ocean was now their domain. Luna: It's amazing how one battle could have such a ripple effect — on trade, on empires, on the whole region's history. Lucas: Absolutely. And if you found today's conversation useful, the way we keep this show ad-free is through listener support. You can help us continue bringing these stories by visiting buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a simple way to say you value what we're doing, and it keeps us going. Luna: Yeah, it really does make a difference. We're able to research and produce these episodes without any commercial interruptions. Lucas: So, to bring it back to Diu — the fortress that Malik Ayyaz helped build still stands today, a reminder of that pivotal moment. And the battle itself is a perfect example of how a small European nation, with better technology and strategy, could reshape global trade for centuries. Luna: I'll never look at a bottle of pepper the same way again. Lucas: Ha! Well, that's the spice trade for you. Thanks for joining us on this journey.