The Battle of Diu and Control of the Spice Trade

On an early morning in February, 1509, two forces faced each other at the port of Diu in India in what would be a pivotal point in world history.

This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.

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Script by JCG

#history #thehistoryguy #India

[TheHistoryGuyChannel]

A few viewers have mentioned that some of the images are not of Portuguese ships. Those are paintings of vessels of the type used in the battle. Images are for illustration only, as there are often not enough images available of the actual event being described.

[eliaslima]

The naval battle of Diu is easily one of the five most important battles in human history!!! Not just the history of Portugal or Europe! This battle totally changed the world, geopolitically, economically and religiously! Very radical changes! At that time, Muslims were on the verge of world domination, having almost complete control of all maritime trade in Southeast Asia and the ports of these heavily populated eastern nations. In Diu, Muslim pretensions to become a global empire, sunk forever! The Islamic world was ripped in half by the viceroy of Portugal and his daring armada. This battle opened the doors of Southeast Asia to all the great European empires. Dutch, French, Spanish, British Empire etc, later even the United States of America benefited from this great Portuguese feat. I would say that even the Russian Empire benefited! Because this Portuguese pressure in the western and eastern Mediterranean and in all the seas that stretched from Arabia to the Philippines, passing through Japan, Australia, etc., drew the attention of the Ottoman Empire to the south of the planet, leaving the Russians practically free to attack the Ottoman territories south of Moscow and expand eastward into Alaska. The most amazing thing is that the battle of Diu is almost unknown in the western world and even among many Portuguese speakers. The Portuguese generations of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries were incredibly brave people! Great Admirals of the Christian faith!!! Great protectors of the western world!!! Great Browsers. I am from the Lima family on my mother's side, and from the Sousa family on my father's side. I am Brazilian and I have deep respect for my Portuguese ancestors.


A batalha naval de Diu, é facilmente uma das cinco batalhas mais importantes da história humana!!! Não apenas da história de Portugal ou da Europa!
Essa batalha mudou o mundo totalmente, no âmbito geopolítico, econômico e religioso! Mudanças muito radicais! Nessa época os mulçumanos estavam prestes a dominar o mundo, tendo o controle quase que total de todo o comércio marítimo do sudeste asiático e dos portos dessas nações orientais de população muito numerosa. Em Diu, as pretensões mulçumanas de se tornarem um império global, afundou pra sempre! O mundo islâmico foi rasgado ao meio pelo vice-rei de Portugal e sua ousada armada.
Essa batalha abriu as portas do sudeste asiático para todos os grandes impérios europeus. Império Holandês, Francês, Espanhol, Britânico etc, posteriormente até os Estados Unidos da América se beneficiaram deste grandíssimo feito português. Diria que até o Império Russo se beneficiou! Pois essa pressão portuguesa no mediterrâneo ocidental, oriental e em todos os mares que se estendiam da Arábia até as Filipinas, passando por Japão, Austrália etc, chamou muito a atenção do Império Otomano para o sul do planeta, deixando os russos praticamente livres para atacar os territórios otomanos ao sul de Moscou e se expandirem para o leste até o Alaska.
O mais incrível é que a batalha de Diu é quase desconhecida no mundo ocidental e até mesmo entre muitos falantes de língua portuguesa.

As gerações portuguesas do século XV, XVI e XVII, foram pessoas incrivelmente valorosas! Grandes Almirantes da fé cristã!!! Grandes protetores do mundo ocidental!!! Grandes Navegadores.

Sou da família Lima por parte de mãe, e da família Sousa por parte de Pai. Sou brasileiro e tenho profundo respeito pelos meus ancestrais portugueses!

[Cobalt]

In 1537, António da Silveira wrote to the Turk Suleiman Pasha in response to a proposal to surrender the fortress of Diu, where an army of 25, 000 men was facing 600 Portuguese (Suleiman Pasha was an eunuch):

"Most honourable Captain Pasha, I have clearly seen the words in your letter. If the knights who are here in this corral had been in Rhodes, you can be sure that you would not have taken it. Know that there are Portuguese here who are accustomed to killing many Moors and their captain is António da Silveira, who has a pair of balls stronger than the bullets in your cannons and that all the Portuguese here have balls and do not fear anyone who does not have them."

Diu remained in Portuguese hands until 1961... different times, different people....

[Orionte]

After tthe Battle Francisco de Almeida said to heavens "My son you didn´t get a single candle ligthing your funeral, Today i ligth an entire city to you"

[Guypt]

Portugal was the first global empire. For a century nobody would mess with Portuguese Navy and the seas were owned by them.

[luispinheiro]

A fathers revenge that changed the world...

[jayhuxley]

When Europeand were playing "my County is bigger than yours", Portugal was fighting for "the World is mine!"

[jonathanbeeson]

Thanks History Guy for illuminating yet another important piece of history that is largely obscure today. I had to check the dates to be sure, but it amazes me that the Portuguese in this battle secured the western Indian Ocean just 10 years after Vasco Da Gama made the first successful trip from Portugal to India by sea.

[timothyprice]

Wow. This is why I love this channel so much. I never heard of this battle and yes, it is truly pivotal in world history! Thank you, HG.

[Janika-xjbv]

Not only were the Portuguese keen on getting their hands on the spice trade, King Manuel I saw himself as a crusader king, fighting the Infidels from a southern, Asian front. The Fall of Constantinople had taken place a mere 50 years prior, it had caused lasting shock and horror.

[OptimusWombat]

There's so much game-changing history that's unknown to most people. Thanks THG!

[therakshasan]

If you weren't a history teacher before I am glad that you are one now .. Thank You .

[gil_vaz]

when a movie about that battle? A father who want to revenge his son death ... change the world for ever .... what a movie....

[Tusiriakest]

My favorite portuguese battle is the Battle of Cochim 1504. 150 Portuguese vs 83.000 Malabaris, Otomans and Venetians. Ther lost more than 19.000, the portuguese had 0 losses.

[OriginalNortad]

I dont remember this being mentioned in my history class. Our explorers are always painted as some endevourers, astronaut like personalities, expanding our knowledge of the world. Good to see an unbiased view of what really happened.

[laserbeam]

I had only vaguly heard of the Battle of Diu. Thank you for expanding on it. Wonderful post.

[roi]

A True fathers bloodlust. One of the most bloody and savage naval war in the past that I heard. Thank you.

[Mojo-lebv]

Amazing how different people will feel differently about family and that can change history. 🌍

[retiredteacher]

I Would have loved to have you as my history teacher! Your stories are full of vigor and excitement! Plus you have the same problem I have with words ending in "-le"! In your summation title " Battle" is spelled "Battel"! Keep these wonderful stories coming and I shall know that secretly we are kindred!

[pauloacsilva]

Those were brutal times. Any of those kingdoms fought in a brutal way. Focusing on that is really pointless.
The important fact on the national level here is that a small country, estimated population of 1 million habitants, managed, half the world away, to mass a strong fleet and confront some major powers at the time right at their doorstep. Gujarat only had an estimated population 4 times greater. Makes us proud of the achievement and that's why it was the main focus in school teaching.
At international level this was very important, even if most of the times is ignored, as it leads to the involvement of the Ottoman empire with an important side effect. The fall of the Mamelukes had the Ottomans stop their advance into European continent to take Egypt and later fight the Portuguese dominance in the Indian Ocean (see Siege of Diu 1538). This gave those European Kingdoms time to reinforce and better prepare for the next Ottoman attempt at European conquest.
For Europe this was more important than it's usually recognized.
Keep history in perspective is very important in understanding it. Recent attempts from some to try and hide or rewrite parts of it will only harm everyone else as we'll repeat errors of the past.