Capture of Malacca
Malacca (Melaka), Malaysia
What happened
A Portuguese fleet under Afonso de Albuquerque fought the Malacca Sultanate of Sultan Mahmud Shah. Malacca controlled the Strait of Malacca, the sea route through which nearly all trade between China and India passed. After weeks of failed talks, Albuquerque's ships bombarded the city and his soldiers landed. They took the bridge, the palace and the main mosque, and the sultan fled.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Portugal gained control of a key trade route between the Indian Ocean and East Asia. The Malacca Sultanate came to an end.
What came next
Albuquerque built the fortress of A Famosa. The sultan's son founded the Sultanate of Johor, and the Dutch captured Malacca from the Portuguese in 1641.
Did you know?
A single gate of A Famosa, the Porta de Santiago, still stands; it was saved when the rest of the fortress was pulled down in 1807.
Timeline
- 1509A first Portuguese mission to Malacca ends badly.
- July 1511Albuquerque attacks Malacca.
- 15 August 1511Malacca falls to the Portuguese.
- 1641The Dutch take Malacca.
- 1807The British demolish most of A Famosa.