Siege Of Malacca (1630).docx

Iskandar’s Siege of the Malacca Date: August 13th-19th, 1632

Prelude In 1629, Iskandar Muda, the Sultan of Aceh, has delayed his endeavor to commit a siege upon the prosperous city of Malacca. Instead of waging war, he signed a truce with the Portuguese General Governor: He will postpone his conquest, and they will receive special trading rights and, in turn, the rest of the peninsula is theirs to subjugate.

Background In 1629, Iskandar Muda, the Sultan of Aceh, has delayed his endeavor to commit a siege upon the prosperous city of Malacca. Instead of waging war, he signed a truce with the Portuguese General Governor: He will postpone his conquest, and they will receive special trading rights and, in turn, the rest of the peninsula is theirs to subjugate. With his army out of the way, the Portuguese can now ease their presence in the city; with the remaining armada now moving freely throughout the archipelago without facing any incursion from the strait. But Iskandar, however, did not sit idly by. Despite the truce, the sultan has no intention to leave the city under the hands of Kaffirs. He planned a surprise attack behind the curtains. He immediately sends his envoys throughout the archipelago and the Indian Ocean: he consolidated the Sultanate of Johor; allowing the incumbent Sultan to rule under his suzerainty, and reached to the Ottomans to provide more military and naval support. It wasn’t until 1632 that he launched a surprise invasion, leaving the Portuguese off-guard.

Composition Portugal: Ever since Iskandar’s feint peace proposal, the Portuguese have eased most of their defenses of the Famosa and its extended fortifications, from plummeting from 500-1000 to a meager 450 garrisons. Despite their small numbers, they’re still capable of defending the fort from larger threats. And their 3 Galleons is a walking arsenal capable of overwhelming its enemies. In the early wake of the siege, they levied some of the locals to serve as garrisons, despite being both unmotivated and inexperienced. Portuguese settlers in Tanjung Pasir also participated in the defense: while also inexperience, they’re motivated to fight for their lands. Aceh: After years of extensive planning and preparation on behind-the-scene, Iskandar has amassed one of the largest armies in Southeast Asian history, from a meager 15,000 to the gargantuan size of 55,000 men. He also backed by a grander support from the Ottomans, receiving +500 cannons and 4,000 Bashi volunteers. 450 Galleys and even 2 Javanese Jongs has entered the fray as well. The Sultanate of Johor as also contributed to the war effort, with 7,500 men contributing to the siege.

Terrain Malacca is one of the most urbanized cities in Southeast Asia, a cosmopolitan settlement composed of not only the local Malays, but also Chinese, Indians, Sundanese, and Javanese. The settlement is divided into three districts: Kampung Upeh, the Famosa, and Kampung Hilir. One of the most notable aspects of the city is the fortification itself: Trankera and the Famosa. The Trankera was built after the unsuccessful siege in 1537, and the Famosa has extended from its original structure. While formidable in its own right, it begins to show some literal cracks ever since the peace deal. The Famosa is the most

prominent as an accidental ignition of its gunpowder storage has weakened Sao Tiago. The coastal walls also show some weaknesses, especially with the gradual corrosion from the waves.

Battle Phases August 13th: Iskandar’s navy sailed towards the city. He surprised the Portuguese due to the supposed peace deal and saw this as an unjustified betrayal in his part. Despite housing three galleons, they remain stationary within the walls of the Famosa. All garrisons within the Famosa launched volleys of cannonballs against the fleet but to no avail and the Upeh residents are evacuated to Fort Tanqueira. His army made it at dusk and surrounded the city from both flanks. August 14th: His army begins to set up the trenches, preparing a stationary base for his orchestra of cannons. While the eastern fringes of the city were secured, the rural areas face many skirmishes from the Tanjung Pasir occupants – Portuguese colonist occupying an incomplete stockade. It wasn’t until midnight when the entire settlement falls. August 15th: With the eastern side secured, the rest of their forces moves to occupy the west, led by their Sultan of Johor. A galleon managed to make a desperate breakthrough from the blockade, sailing towards Goa for reinforcements. During the siege, rumors begin to emerge: with both bastion from the eastern flank was weakened due to months of neglect. Iskandar was unsure until the some of the Portuguese escaped to warn Goa, leaving him with no choice but to trust it. August 16th: With both flanks secured, the real battle has begun. Large fleets of rowboats sailed towards the river to occupy Upeh, and volleys of cannon fires from the western flank begin to hail upon the Tanqueira. They were able to seize the district, despite suffering heavy casualties. August 17th: Desperate, Iskandar ordered massive volleys upon the mighty fortress. A massive explosion erupted the two eastern bastions as it pierced through its weakened stones, engulfing it in the process. But despite the efforts, the fortress still stands. After the perceived failure, he prepares to embark from his siege, and withdraw empty-handed but wasn’t until two local defectors give him another opportunity; one that could turn the tides of the war. August 18th: Other than some few skirmishes and feint retaliations between the walls, there wasn’t any major action taken from both sides. However, he ordered his forces to rest early at dawn. August 19th: While nightly patrols in the Famosa were idle, subterfuge begins to seep in as some of the levies successfully opened the gates before sunrise. His forces quietly gathered his forces to the frontline, and a thousand of his men attempt to infiltrate both of the gates. The eastern side was secured, but it was too late for the forces of the west. Thus, the bells rang, and the Portuguese quickly mobilized to the eastern gate. Despite suffering heavy losses, the fortress inevitably falters at the rise of noon.

Aftermath Iskandar takes no leisure as he hastily mobilized his forces to prepare for Portuguese retaliation. It wasn’t until 3 days later when the armada finally arrived but failed to reclaim it back, and eventually surrendered. Iskandar, under sheer confidence, proposed a revised form of the peace deal: they are allowed to navigate through the strait, receive a small square of land at the shores of Kutaradja, and the return of all the Portuguese survivors of the siege, but they’ll abandon all of their ambitions and colonies surrounding the archipelago, especially the Moluccas (Maluku). With the Portuguese influence shattered and the surprise development of his military, Iskandar sets his eyes on the rest of the archipelago, paving the way for a new era of expansion of his dominion.