Battle of Reishahr

Battle of Reishahr
DateApril 1534
Location
Reishahr (Modern day Bushehr), Iran
Result Arab victory
Belligerents
Portuguese Empire Reishahr Arabs
Commanders and leaders
Jorge de Castro Shah Ali Sultan
Strength
200 men
9 Vessels		 300 men
Casualties and losses
Many killed
50 captured		 Unknown

The Battle of Reishahr was a military engagement between the Portuguese and the Arabs of Reishahr who rebelled against Ormus. The battle ended with the defeat of the Portuguese.

After the conquest of Shiraz, Shah Ismail I appointed Mir Abu Ishaq governor of Reishahr, Abu Ishaq began attacking Ormus shipping, and he became a target to the Portuguese. After the Battle of Chaldiran, Abu Ishaq saw the opportunity to free himself from the Safavid yoke and decided to share his spoil with Afonso de Albuquerque. The city of Reishahr was important as it was a wheat supplier for Ormus. Mir Abu Ishaq had been succeeded by his son, Shah Ali Sultan.[1]

In April 1534, Shah Ali Sultan, called a vassal of Ormus by Portuguese sources, rebelled and resumed his attacks on Ormus shipping. The king of Ormus, Muhammad Shah II, asked for help from the Portuguese governor of Hormuz, António da Silveira, to get rid of him and his vessels. Antonio dispatched Jorge de Castro with a force of two galiots, two fustas, and 100 men. Antonio felt that the force was weak and dispatched another force of 5 vessels and 100 men.[2][3][4]

The Portuguese force ran into contrary winds for 20 days. The water supplies for the Portuguese ran out. They stopped near Reishahr and went ashore to fetch some water which they did. Few people who lived there escaped to the mountains. Later on the same day, a body of 300 armed Arabs coming from the mountains attacked the Portuguese who killed many of the landing party and captured 50 of them. Hearing this, Jorge was displeased and returned to Ormus.[5][6][7]

Aftermath

[edit]

Later the Portuguese dispatched another expedition, this time Shah Ali Sultan agreed to submit, provided he did not have to pay his fiscal arrears. This was accepted, and the Portuguese captives were returned.[8][9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Daniel T. Potts, p. 8-10
  2. ^ Daniel T. Potts, p. 10
  3. ^ Willem M. Floor, p. 126
  4. ^ Gaspar Corrêa, p. 557
  5. ^ Daniel T. Potts, p. 10
  6. ^ Willem M. Floor, p. 126
  7. ^ Gaspar Corrêa, p. 557-558
  8. ^ Daniel T. Potts, p. 10
  9. ^ Willem M. Floor, p. 126

Sources

[edit]
  • Willem M. Floor (2006), The Persian Gulf: A Political and Economic History of Five Port Cities 1500–1730.[1]
  • Daniel T. Potts (2023), A contribution to the location of the Late Antique settlements known as Rēw-Ardašīr or Rēšahr. Sasanian Studies/Sasanidische Studien 2.[2]
  • Gaspar Corrêa (1862), Lendas da India, Vol III.[3]
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