Coins and ships from The Privateer War.
Denmark had for a number of years a small colony in Tranquebar in
India.
A little known chapter in Tranquebar's
history is the Privateer War in Bengal from 1641 to 1698.
Bengal was the land around the great river Ganges' delta. In 1641 it was a province in the empire of Shah Jahan's
empire. Shah Jahan is famous because he build Taj Mahal to commemorate his
favorite wife. Bengal was a big and rich country. It was
ruled by a general governor, who was usually a relative of the mogul. The individual cities were ruled by officials called governors. The
country was very rich with big trading opportunities, but the population was
hostile to Europeans. For the Danish there had been some problems with the
trade in Bengal.
Denmark had lost three ships by shipwreck in Bengal: Jupiter in
1625, Nattergalen ca. 1628 and St.Iacob in 1640.
The shipwreck in 1640 was due to the fact that the Danish
ship St. Iacob, as it was in trouble in a storm, was denied access to the
port of Pipely by the Governor, The Danish
demanded compensation for the wrecked ship and its cargo, and when it was
refused by the Bengals, the war began. Governor Claus Rytter
started the privateer war with the ship "The Golden Sun". In April 1641 two Danish ships operated in the Bengal Bay in a
combined operation of trade and privateer war. They captured a large ship
that was later used use in the trade by the Danes.
Governor Willum Leyel demanded 436,500 rigsdaler in compensation
for the wrecks. The Bengals rejected and he continued and intensified from
the 1643 privateer war, with Christianshafn as the main ship, but also with the
yachts Valdebye and Fortun. Early in 1644, a Fregatta
of Bengal were conquered. In the same year, a ship of 400 t was conquered.
The little Yacth Valdebye forced at Zinzely
two big Bengal ships to strand. In addition, Leyel took a number of
smaller ships, the so-called sampans. September 29, 1644 (Michaelmas), a Bengal ship was
conquered. It was incorporated in the Danish fleet.with
the name St. Micael. In 1645, the Bengals offered 80,000 rupees in
compensation. The offer was rejected and the war
continued. In 1647, Governor Willum Leyel had five ships in the war
against the Bengals: Christianshafn, Fortun, St. Micael,
St. Peder St. Povl
and Valdebye. Governor Eskild Andersen continued from 1655 the Privateer War. There came no ships from
Denmark in the many years when Eskild Andersen was governor of
Tranquebar. During that time, the Privateer
War was an important source of income for Tranquebar.
In 1660 - 61 Eskild Andersen took a
prize. The value of the prize was estimated at 80,000 pardou. The Bengals complained to the Dutch about the
attacks of Danes. The Dutch asked Eskild Andersen to stop. He
replied, "That he owe his king to make war with the Bengals, and he will
continue."
In 1662 the war continued at full
force. Eskild Andersen recruited English sailors and took more Bengal
ships. There were some negotiations to stop the war. Governor Sivert Adler negotiated in 1674 with Bengal. First, Danish
dealers demanded a compensation of 400,000 rd for the
losses by the shipwreck of the three ships: Nattergalen,
Jupiter and St. Jacobac. Bengal made counterclaims
for more than 30 ships. It was agreed that the claims
abolished each other and the Danes were entitled to duty free trade in Pipely and Balasore and to
construct a new lodge. Peace was agreed.
Peace did not hold. In 1682, the new governor Axel Juel resumed the war against Bengal, without gaining any
benefits.
The energetic governor Von Kalnien
captured several Bengal ships in 1688.
After 1690 there were no
hostilities. The Danes wanted to resume trading with Bengal. The new
mogul, Aurangzeb extended his kingdom to the south. The Danes feared the
consequences of continued war with Bengal if Aurangzeb was to conquer South
India.
In 1698, the Danish negotiator Andreas Andree was
sent to Bengal, and here he concluded the following settlement:
1. The company gave up all old claims.
2. The Bengal
renounced compensation for the more than 30 ships taken.
3. The company should
have all the commercial rights that it possessed before, and
also the right to establish a lodge at the Hoogly
River, the future Danmarksnagore.
This time, the peace lasted after more than 50 years of war with
Bengal. There was now trade in Bengal.
Coins and ships from the war of war.
In the first 30 years Tranquebar was Danish, lead coins were minted with the names of most of the ships sailing on
Tranquebar.
In the following are mentioned coins and ships associated with the
war between Tranquebar and Bengal.
Jupiter. DAN NISB ORG -
IVP TER
Jupiter was a yacth. It left Copenhagen
in March 1623 together with Perlen. Upon arrival at Tranquebar in March 1624, it was the two ships that caused Tanjor
General Calincut to abandon the siege of Tranquebar.
While waiting for a cargo for the return journey, Jupiter was sent on a trade mission to Macassar on Celebes. The
trip to Macassar was successful, but on the way back to Tranquebar Jupiter
stranded and was wrecked in Bengal. Only 8 men of the crew saved their lives, 45 men drowned and a
rich cargo was lost. This stranding was a hard blow for the company, which
suffered from lack of manpower and capital.
St. Iacob. DA NISB ORG - ST IACO B
St. Iacob was a ship of 300 t. It left Copenhagen
together with St Anna in 1635. St Iacob reached Tranquebar on September 3,
1636.
St. Iacob was used for a few years sailing
between Masulipatam in India and the Danish offices
in Bantam and Macassar in Indonesia.
On the way to India in 1640 with a rich load from Macassar,
St. Iacob was driven up in the Bay of Bengal by
hard winds and storm. Here the ship asked for shelter in Pipely in
Bengal, but the governor refused access to the harbor and the ship was
wrecked. 16 Danish seamen died and a rich cargo
was lost. From the Danish side, the Bengals were held
responsible for the shipwreck and the Danes demanded 25,000 rigsdaler in
compensation for the ship and 150,000 rigsdaler for the cargo.
This loss triggered the war against the Bengal.
"The
Golden Sun" DANS BORG -
D SOL
In 1639, "The gilded sun" left with Christianshafn from
Copenhagen.
"The gilded sun" reached Tranquebar in September
1640. Everything was in decline, and Governor Pessart was in prison in Masulipatam.
"The gilded Sun" under Claus Rytter
began the war against Bengal.
In April 1642, "The Gilded Sun" took a big Bengal
ship. The ship was named "The Bengal
Prize". Perhaps the BE in the coin NIS BE refers to this Bengal ship.
The coins D SOL and NIS BE have the same front page with the
inscription DANS BORG, so the two coins must be simultaneous.
"The Bengal Prize"
DANS BORG - NIS BE
When Claus Rytter went to war with
Bengal with "The Golded Sun" in 1642 he captured a large Bengal ship. The ship was incorporated into the Danish fleet and was named
"The Bengal Prize".
"The Bengal Prize" sailed together with Christianshafn
and Valdebye in 1643 to Emeldy in the kingdom of Colconda. Here "The Bengal Prize" stranded
and wrecked
The coin NIS BE or NIJ BE is hard to interpret. Some has
suggested that it refers to the small Danish port Nibe.
NIS BE is in a series of ship's coin, so I think it is a ship’s
coin. BE in NIS BE may be for Bengal, and could refer to the ship
"The Bengal Prize".
DAN ISBOR G
- CHRIS TIANS HAFN
Christianshafn was a ship of 400 t. It traveled from
Copenhagen on 8 October 1622. It was purchased for
10,500 rigsdaler and was equipped for 56,000 rigsdaler.
Christianshafn traveled from Tranquebar on September 15,
1923, and was back in Copenhagen on May 27, 1924. The cargo consisted of 400
barrels of peppers and some canvas. It was a costly cargo.
Christianshafn reached Tranquebar two more times. The second
time it sailed from Copenhagen soon after returning home in 1624. It served in
India for a number of years and returned home from the second journey in 1635.
The coin DANISBORG CHRIS TIANS HAFN originates from one of
the first two stays in Tranquebar.
In 1639, Christianshafn left for the third time Copenhagen
together with "The Golden Sun". By the Canary Islands, the ship was damaged by a storm and sailed for shelter to Tenerife. It
was seized by the Spaniards and was first released in
1643.
In September 1643, Christianshafn reached Tranquebar for the third
time. It now served in India for a number of years.
Christianshafn was Governor Willum Leyel's
main ship in the Privateer War against
Bengal.
It participated in the conquest of St. Micael,
St Peder St Povl, a Bengali
frigate and many other larger and smaller ships.
From this last stay, two coins are known:
Crowned
C4 CH
CAS 1645
Crowned
F3 CH
1650
Fortun.
Fortun was a smaller vessel that left Copenhagen on December 2, 1629,
together with the warship Flensburg. By the Cap the Good Hope, Flensborg came in fight with Portuguese ships. The ship caught fire and blew up.
Fortun first reached Tranquebar on September 29, 1631 after a very
difficult journey, where the majority of the crew died.
Fortun then served in India for a number of years. It
participated with Christianshafn and other ships in the Privateer War in the Bengal Bay.
There are two coins with
FORTUN on the reverse.
The first coin has the same front page as the coins TRANGEBARI,
BEWINTHEBER and T DOC B.
DAN NSBO RG FOR
TUNA
The second coin has the same front page as the coin HOPO, a
crowned C4. There are a number of years between the two coins. Perhaps
the two coins do not originate from the same ship.
Crowned
C4 FOR
TUN
Valdebye.
Valdebye was bought in India for 1500
pagodas around 1638. It was used for a number of
years.
Valdebye was in co-operation with Fortun and Christianshafn in the
Privateer War in 1643 and 1644. Some Bengal
ships were conquered, two of the best ships were
incorporated into the Danish Navy and were named St Micael
and "St Peder St Poul".
In August 1644, Valdebye alongside Christianshafn was sent on hijacking in the Bengal Bay, where a Bengali
frigate was conquered.
Valdebye was not found in 1652.
Two coins are referring to the ship Valdebye.
DA NISB
ORG VAL
DE BYE
Crowned
C4 WB
1647
St Micael.
St. Micael was a ship conquered in the
war with the Bengal. The ship was conquered
September 29, 1644, Michaelmas, therefore it was named
St. Micael.
In 1645 it was announced that St Micael was on a trade trip to Queda
in Malaya.
Crowned
C4 St
MiCA EL
"St Peder
St Poul"
The Yacth "St Peder St Poul" was one of the ships that were
conquered during the war with the Bengal around 1645. It then
participated in the Privateer War on
the Danish side.
In 1647, it was on commercial journey to Macassar with a cargo of
canvas and cloth. The cargo should be exchanged
for cloves and sandalwood for sale in India
In 1652, "St Peder St Poul" was the only ship left in Tranquebar.
Two coins refer to the ship "St Peder
St Poul":
Crowned
C4 SPSP
1646 DB
Crowned
F3 SPP
50
One might wonder that a small Danish colony with few ships could
cope with the many ships of great and rich Bengal. The reason was the superiority
of the Danish ships in navigability and not least their superior
guns. There was rarely talk of fighting. The Bengals seemed to have
resigned against Danish ships in advance.