https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Skirmish_at_PipliSkirmish at Pipli - Revision history2026-11-02T17:59:08ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Skirmish_at_Pipli&diff=536368&oldid=prevCoin45bazzar: Made initial entry added tags2025-07-01T19:50:04Z<p>Made initial entry added tags</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Confrontation between the Danes and Mughals in Pipli}}<br />
{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = Skirmish at Pipli<br />
| place = [[Pipli]], [[Bengal Subah]], [[Mughal Empire]]<br />
| partof = the Prelude to the [[Dano-Mughal War]]<br />
| date = 1640<br />
| result = Mughal victory<br />
| territory = Danish factory at Pipli disestablished<br />
| combatant1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Mughal Empire.png}} [[Mughal Empire]]<br />
| combatant2 = {{Flag|Danish India}}<br />
| commander1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Mughal Empire.png}} [[Mirza Mumin]]<br />
| commander2 = {{Flagicon|Danish India}} [[Poul Nielsen (merchant)|Poul Nielsen]]{{POW}}<br />
| strength1 = 300 men<br />
| strength2 = Minor<br />
| image = A large Mughal encampment.jpg<br />
| image_size = 300<br />
| caption = A large Mughal [[Military camp|encampment]], 1815<br />
| units1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Mughal Empire.png}} [[Shah Jahan|Great Mogul's]] troops<br />
| units2 = {{Flagicon|Danish India}} [[Sepoys]] from [[Tranquebar]]<br />
| casualties2 = Many Danes imprisoned<br />
| casualties1 = Unknown<br />
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Dano-Mughal War}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Skirmish at Pipli''' ([[Danish language|Danish]]; ''Træfningen ved Pipli'') or more formally the '''Destruction of the Danish factory at Pipli,''' was one of the two recorded land confrontations between the [[Danish East India Company]] and the [[Mughal Empire]] during the [[Dano-Mughal War]]. The skirmish was a Mughal [[Punitive expedition|punitive expedition]] in retaliation for the Danish arrest of a Persian merchant. The skirmish ended in a Mughal victory, and the Danish factory in [[Pipli]] was destroyed and burned down.<br />
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== Background ==<br />
During the regime of [[Roland Crappé]] ({{Abbr|admin|administration}}. 1621–1636) the [[Danish East India Company]] would seek to establish a commercial presence in [[Bengal]].{{Sfn|Wellen|2015|p=446}} Despite initial setbacks the company would establish itself at [[Pipli]] and [[Balasore]] in 1626.{{Sfn|Wellen|2015|p=447}}{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=73}} The factory at Pipli was run by merchant Poul Nielsen.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=80}}<br />
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== Punitive expedition ==<br />
In 1640 the local governor of Pipli, Mirza Mumin had increased the [[tax rate]], making it difficult for the company to pay.{{Sfn|Kumar|2022|p=16}} Besides this the Danes found it increasingly hard to collect the owed money from merchants.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=80}}{{Sfn|Wellen|2015|p=453}} This was particularly true in for their debt from a particular Persian merchant, who, in spite of former requests, refused to pay his debts. The Danes in response decided to imprison him in his own house. However, the merchant escaped, so Poul Nielsen sent armed men around the town to locate him. When this failed, they instead took his slave girl and some of his goods into custody at the Danish [[Outpost (military)|trade station]].{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=80}}{{Sfn|Wellen|2015|p=453}}<br />
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Viewing this as a breach of [[sovereignty]], the Mughal government sent a force of 300 men of the Great Mogul's troops.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=80}}{{Sfn|Wellen|2015|p=453}} In the following action, the Danish trade station was taken and burnt to the ground.{{Sfn|Kumar|2022|p=16}} All of the company's goods in the place were impounded and many Danes were subsequently taken as [[Prisoner of war|prisoner]] and sent to another town.{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=80}}<br />
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== Aftermath ==<br />
After some time, Nielsen and some of his men managed to escape and made it down to Danish [[Tranquebar]].{{Sfn|Bredsdorff|2009|p=80}}{{Sfn|Kumar|2022|p=17}} However, the factories at Pipli and Balasore were abandoned by the company in 1643, and yet only in 1676 the factory at Balasore was reestablished.{{Sfn|Kumar|2022|p=16}}<br />
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This would be one of several hostile instances between the Mughal Empire and the Danish East India Company that would culminate in the [[Dano-Mughal War]], after the [[Loss of the St. Jacob]] in 1642.{{Sfn|Islam|2003|p=213}}<br />
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== See also ==<br />
* {{Annotated link|Dannemarksnagore}}<br />
* {{Annotated link|Expulsion of Danes from Balasore}}<br />
* {{Annotated link|Cattle War}}<br />
* {{Annotated link|Loss of the St. Jacob}}<br />
* {{Annotated link|Dano-Mughal War}}<br />
* {{Annotated link|Capture of St. Michael}}<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist|30em}}<br />
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== Bibliography ==<br />
* {{Cite journal |last=Wellen |first=Kathryn |url=https://www.kitlv.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Mughal.pdf |title=The Danish East India Company's War against the Mughal Empire, 1642-1698 |journal=Royal Netherlands Institute for Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies |volume=19 |pages=439–461 |year=2015 |issue=5 |doi=10.1163/15700658-12342470 | issn=1385-3783}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Bredsdorff |first=Asta |url= |title=The Trials and Travels of Willem Leyel |publisher=[[Museum Tusculanum Press]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-8-76353-023-1 |edition= |location=Copenhagen}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Bredsdorff |first=Asta |url=https://slaegtsbibliotek.dk/928692.pdf |title=Søhistoriske Skrifter |publisher=Handels- og Søfartsmuseet Kronborg |year=1999 |isbn= |edition= |volume=XXI |location=Copenhagen |language=Danish}}<br />
* {{Cite book |editor-last=Islam |editor-first=Sirajul |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |volume=3 |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh |location=Dhaka |year=2003 |isbn=978-9-84320-578-0}}<br />
* {{Cite book |last=Leyel |first=Willem |url=https://www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/da/other/index-creator/149/103799/23436633 |title=Rentekammerafdelingen: Willum Leyels arkiv (1639–1648) |publisher=Danske Kancelli |year=1644 |isbn= |edition= |volume= |location= |language=Danish}}<br />
* {{Cite journal |last=Kumar |first=Lalit |url=https://technoreview.co.in/index.php/TRJTM/article/view/50/34 |title=Danish East India Company: Establishment and Company's business activities in India and Southeast Asia 1620-1650 |journal=Techno Review Journal of Technology and Management |publisher=Tmail Nadu History Congress Proceedings |year=2022 |edition= |volume= 1|issue=2 |pages=13–19 |doi=10.31305/trjtm2021.v01.n02.003 |language=|doi-access=free }}<br />
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[[Category:Battles involving Denmark]]<br />
[[Category:Battles involving Norway]]<br />
[[Category:Battles involving the Mughal Empire]]<br />
[[Category:1640 in India]]<br />
[[Category:1640s in the Mughal Empire]]<br />
[[Category:Battles involving the Danish East India Company|Pipli]]<br />
[[Category:1640s in Danish India]]</div>Coin45bazzar