Attack in Hooghly

The Attack in Hooghly was a Danish attack on two Bengali ships during the Dano-Mughal War in 1671. The Danes succeeded in blowing up the Bengali ships, and violence continued off the coasts of Kalingapatnam and Balasore.

Background

In 1642 the Danish East India Company declared war on the Mughal Empire. Because of the Dano-Swedish Wars Denmark did not have the means to send any ships to Danish India, and relations were subsequently cut. Relations with Denmark were reestablished in 1669 together with a new Danish East India Company. At this point the war against Bengal was approved by the Danish government, yet urged the Danes in India to sue for peace if advantageous.
In 1672 king Christian V of Denmark requested compensation for the losses of Danish vessels, though this request was never fulfilled by the Mughals. This, along with other factors, made the Danes increasingly brazen, and the Danes even attacked Bengal itself in 1671.

Expedition to Bengal

In 1672 a Danish force of 6500 men were brought to Hooghly. 1500 of the men was lost due to the sinking of a barge on the Ganges River. The Danish East India Company sold most of their goods to two local Bengali merchants; Rangsordas and Sonderdas. They sold their goods to them as a compromise not to trade with others for the next couple of months. At Hooghly the Danes noticed two Bengali ships, which were returning from a voyage to Ceylon. The ships were driven towards land near Hooghly, and the Danes subsequently blew the Bengali vessels up.

Aftermath

The renewed violence continued during the following years. In 1673 the Danes took a large Bengali ship of 170 cargoes near Balasore, and transported it to Tranquebar. This also happened to another ship which was carrying Maldivian cowries the same year.