Bengal-Portugal Connection : The Gallant Commanders

Bengal-Portugal Connection : The Gallant Commanders 

☣️|| 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖊𝖓𝖌𝖆𝖑-𝕻𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖚𝖌𝖆𝖑 𝕮𝖔𝖓𝖓𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 ||☣️

The Portuguese first set foot in Bengal in the first half of the 16th century, for the purpose of trade because of the then world demand for finest Maslin textile industry of Bengal. Entering through the Sundarbans Straits in the western part of Bengal, they took permission from Maharaja Satyanarayan Rayamukhuty in Bhurishreshta kingdom and built a settlement at Saptagram (Satgaon) port on the banks of the Hooghly River. On the other hand, they built business centers in Dhaka and Chattagram (Chittagong) in Eastern Bengal. They call the two ports in two different side by two names -

⛵∆ ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕣𝕒𝕞 (Chittagong) - Porto de Grande 

⛵∆ 𝕊𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕣𝕒𝕞 (Satgaon) - Porto de Pequeno

From the late 16th century to the 17th century, they served as mercenaries in the armies of the kings of Bengal in their war against the Mughals. Firstly many of them resorted to piracy, later they were suppressed and used as mercenaries by the army of Chandradwip, Bikrampur and Jessore. The Portuguese introduced advanced technology mobile cannons in the Bengal army.

⚜️ 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝘆 ⚜️

🔖 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐚 : Rodda was a formidable Portuguese gunner. As the artillery chief of Rayashrestha Maharaja Pratapaditya's Jessore army, he participated in several battles against the Mughals. In 1589 AD, the Patna fort of the Mughals was destroyed by the devastating artillery of Francisco Rodda and Maharaja Pratapaditya conquered Subah-e-Bihar.

🔖 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐳 : Nicálo González was the most formidable and crew commander of Rayashrestha Maharaja Pratapaditya's Jessore Army's. He became the terror of Mughals because of his severe torture on the enemies. He commanded 1000 Portuguese infantry in the Jessore army. As the administrator of the Sandwip region under the authority of Rayashrestha Pratapaditya, he successfully resisted the Mughal invasion in the Golfo de Bengala.

🔖 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐃𝐮𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐲 : Dudley was one of the Chief Naval Officers of the Jessore army. In the Battle of Hizley (1587), the devastating Jhaliya Navy he led on the river Subarnarekha destroyed the Pathans of the Orissa Sultanate. He arranged for cannon connection in the Kosha Navy of Bengal.

🔖 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐡𝐨 : Carvalho was the Governor of Sandwip island under the authority of Maharaja Kedarnath Deva Ray of Bikrampur kingdom. He was the Chief of Artillery of the Bikrampur Army. Carvalho commanded the fierce naval battle of Bikrampur with the Mughals over the control of Sandwip island. By his military prowess the Mughals were defeated and the Mughal commander Kilmaq Khan was killed.

🔖 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐞𝐥 𝐝𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐬 : Mattos was one of the Chief Commanders of the Bikrampur army. He showed remarkable military prowess against the Mughals in the Battle of Sripur (1585). Frightened by his rashness, the Mughal commander Man Singh fled to Delhi.

Attack on Diyang, Portuguese depiction of Bikrampur General Domingo Carvalho and Manoel de Mattos, 1602 AD