Battle of Muar River

Battle of Muar River
Part of Malay-Portuguese conflicts
Date April 1523 Location Muar River, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia Result Malaccan – Pahangite victory
Belligerents
Portuguese Empire	Sultanate of Bintan Pahang Sultanate
Commanders and leaders
Jorge de Albuquerque	Unnamed Laksamana
Strength
Unknown	80 vessels
Casualties and losses
65 men killed 3 ships lost	Unknown

The Battle of Muar River took place in 1523 between the allied Malaccan-Pahang navy and the Portuguese navy. The battle ended in favor of the Malayans, as they defeated the Portuguese in the Muar River.

In 1521, having defeated a Portuguese attempt to capture and destroy the Sultan of Malacca Mahmud Shah's base, attacks on Portuguese shipping increased from that time onwards,^[1] which laid a heavy burden on Portuguese operations. In April 1523, the Malaccans, allied with the Pahang Sultanate^[2] launched a raid against the Portuguese and occupied Malacca with a large navy of 80 vessels led by the Laksamana.^[3]

Once the Malayans established themselves in the Muar River,^[4] a lone Portuguese vessel sailing from Malacca spotted the large Malayan navy about 10 leagues away and quickly returned to Malacca to inform its captain Jorge de Albuquerque; who decided to face them in the sea and send ships there, however, the Portuguese encountered a heavy storm which forced them head to the Muar River.

The storm was powerful enough that it forced three Portuguese ships – separated from the rest – to go far into the river where they met the Malayan camp, where they were surrounded and attacked with all 65 Portuguese on board being killed.^[4][5] The rest of the Portuguese navy withdrew to Malacca, and the Malayans, satisfied with their victory returned to Bintan.^[5]

• Attack on Bintan (1521)
• Battle of Pago
• Siege of Bintan