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Portuguese–Mughal Naval Conflicts (1620s)

Type Event Region Asia Time 1621–1628

In the 1620s, the Portuguese State of India and the Mughal Empire fought a series of naval conflicts in the Arabian Sea and along India's west coast;…

Timeline

  1. 1621–1623Arabian Sea shipping lanes · Arabian SeaThe Portuguese authorities in Goa repeatedly intercepted Mughal ships carrying Muslim pilgrims and valuable cargo in the Arabian Sea, on the pretext of suppressing piracy and protecting Red Sea trade, provoking strong protests from Jahangir's court.
  2. 1622–1624Surat · GujaratMughal provincial governors detained Portuguese merchants and goods at Surat, Hooghly, and other ports in retaliation, restricting Portuguese commercial activity; the two sides negotiated through exchanged envoys, but naval plunder and countermeasures continued intermittently.
  3. 1626–1628Agra/Goa · IndiaFollowing Jahangir's death and Shah Jahan's accession, relations gradually eased through the release of prisoners and the restoration of some trading privileges; Portugal retained its Goa outpost but could no longer monopolize Indian Ocean maritime trade.

Sources