Siege of Goa 1517
Part of Adil Shahi–Portuguese conflicts and Portuguese Battles in the East
Portuguese Goa in Civitates Orbis Terrarum, 1572.
Date July–September 1517[1] Location Goa, India Result Portuguese victory
Belligerents
Portuguese Empire	Sultanate of Bijapur
Commanders and leaders
Dom Guterre de Monroy	Çufolarim
Strength
Over 800 Portuguese soldiers[1][2] Unrecorded number of Goan auxiliaries	20,000[3]-22,000[4] men 5000[3]-2000 horse[4] 15000[3]-20000 foot[4]
Casualties and losses
Few[3]	Heavy[3][4]

The siege of Goa of 1517 was an armed encounter in India between the forces of the Portuguese Empire and the Sultanate of Bijapur, who tried to recapture the capital of Portuguese India. The attempt was unsuccessful.

Context

The Sultanate of Bijapur, ruled by the Adil Shahi dynasty, was one of the Deccan sultanates. In the early 16th century, Bijapur was found to be harbouring at Goa Mamluk warriors after they had been defeated by the Portuguese at the decisive 1509 Battle of Diu, and re-equipping them. As a result, the important port city was occupied by the 2nd governor of India Afonso de Albuquerque.

In 1517, Albuquerques successor Lopo Soares de Albergaria sailed to the Red Sea with a large armada. While he was away with the bulk of Portuguese forces, the captain of Goa Dom Guterre de Monroy raided the neighbouring lands of Bijapur and Ismail Adil Shah who had just signed a peace with the neighbouring Sultan of Ahmednagar sought to recapture the city.^[1][3][4] He gathered an army of 20,000 to 22,000 men and tasked the mission to a general the Portuguese identified as Sufo Larij^[1] or Çufolarim.^[3][4]

The siege

When the captain of Goa Dom Guterre de Monroy became aware of the approach of the enemy army, whose commander was a friend of his, he dispatched 100 men on 10 oarships to the Banastarim fording to prevent them from wading across to Tiswadi island, on which the city of Goa stood.^[3] A first engagement took place between the opposing forces at Benastarim.^[3] Fearing that the enemy might cross over on rafts, a few days later, Dom Guterre had all the fording points garrisoned.^[3]

Supplies in the city were requisitioned, spies wer sent to the enemy camp, the native auxiliary militia was mobilized and the women and children of all Hindus and Muslims, 20,000 persons in all, were closed within the city walls, to prevent any mutinies or uprisings.^[4][3] Because the Bijapur army was heavily spied, the Portuguese ships always sailed to wherever Çufolarim attempted to put barges on the water.^[3]

By request of the auxiliaries, Dom Guterre decreed that one gold pardao would be offered for the head of each warrior brought back from the enemy camp.^[3] As the auxiliaries were similar to the enemy soldiers, they moved back and forth between camps with great ease, and a great sum was spent paying for the heads brought back. Dom Guterre wrote to Çufolarim asking "why was he taking so long to cross over", and Çufolarim replied with a letter written in a script that the Portuguese could not read.^[3]

Çufolarim then erected artillery batteries to bombard the Benastarim fort, but as the pieces were light, they did little damage.^[1][3][4] An auxiliary commander named Ralu managed to ambush with ten men an artillery wagon crew that was bringing a heavy piece to the Bijapur camp. Portuguese counter-batteries caused great damage on their own right.^[3]

With the arrival of Portuguese ships in August, with over 400 men in reinforcements, the Portuguese intensified their attacks on enemy positions and seeing how little damage was being made to Portuguese defenses, the Sultan of Bijapur ordered Çufolarim to sign a new peace with the Portuguese and withdraw.^[3][4][1]

Aftermath

The good service rendered by the native Goan militia greatly increased their worth and reputation in the eyes of the Portuguese.^[3] The sultans of Bijapur would besiege Goa several more times in the future, always unsuccessfully.