Capture of the ship The Bengali Prize

The Capture of The Bengali Prize (Danish: Kapre af den bengalske prise), or the Seizure of The Bengali Prize, was a Danish capture and seizure of a larger Bengali vessel in late 1642 in the Bay of Bengal. The capture is known to be the first confrontation of the Dano-Mughal War, after the formal declaration of war.

Capture of The Bengali Prize
Part of the Dano-Mughal War

A large Bengali vessel, by Frans Balthazar Solvyns
DateLate 1642
Location
Result Danish victory
Belligerents
 Danish India
Commanders and leaders
Danish India Bernt Pessart Shah Jahan[a]
Units involved
Danish India Fortuna
Danish India Valby
Bengali Prize[b]
Strength
2 ships 1 ship
Casualties and losses
Unknown 1 ship

Background

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Danish India had since its creation in 1620 suffered from financial difficulties. The financial situation resulted from the loss of the Jupiter in 1640 and the Nightingale (Nattergalen) in 1626, which the Danes blamed on the Bengalis.[1] Being appalled, Governor Bernt Pessart sent a formal declaration of war in 1642.[2]

Seizure

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Immediately after declaring war, as early as the end of 1642, Pessart sent out two Danish privateering sloops, the Fortuna and the Valby, with cannons and crews to lookout for Bengali prizes.[3] In this way he hoped to recoup all his losses.[3]

 
A coin with the inscribtion NIS BE or NIJ BE and possibly stands for "Bengali", which could refer to the ship The Bengal Prize.[4]

Before the end of the year, the two Danish sloops seized a fairly large vessel from the Great Mogul, Shah Jahan.[3] The vessel was renamed Den Bengalske Prise (The Bengali Prize)[2] and escorted to Tranquebar, where it would be incorperated into the Danish East Indian fleet.[3]

This capture is the only documented Danish seizure of a Bengali vessel in 1642, likely explained by size of the vessel.[5]

In Danish service

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At Tranquebar, The Bengali Prize was armed with guns from Fort Dansborg and served the company for a couple of years.[3] In late 1643, she participated in a voyage from Tranquebar to Masulipatnam, however, got wrecked off the coast of Emeldy by Governor Bernt Pessart.[6][7]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Owner of the vessel
  2. ^ Name given to the vessel after its seizure

References

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  1. ^ Wellen 2015, p. 447.
  2. ^ a b Wellen 2015, p. 448.
  3. ^ a b c d e Bredsdorff 2009, p. 86.
  4. ^ "Mønter og skibe fra kaperkrigen". www.danskmoent.dk. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  5. ^ Bredsdorff 2009, p. 73.
  6. ^ Bredsdorff 2009, p. 92.
  7. ^ "Mønter og skibe fra kaperkrigen". www.danskmoent.dk. Retrieved 2024-08-04.

Bibliography

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