Siege of Jeddah
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The Siege of Jeddah was a battle fought between the Portuguese Empire under Lopo Soares de Albergaria and the Ottoman Empire over the Red Sea main port of Jeddah defended by the Mamluk garrison led by Amir Husain Al-Kurdi (aka Mirocem) and the Ottoman naval force led by Selman Reis. The battle occurred on 16 December 1517 which also happened to be the Hajj season of 923 AD.
Background
In 1515, the Portuguese commander, Afonso de Albuquerque established a blockade on the Red Sea, heavily affecting the Mamluk trade route with India. Alfonso planned to seize control on the long Yemeni-Hejazi shores of the Red Sea to completely cutoff the spice route through Egypt and force European states to trade via the Portuguese new route around Africa. A blockade on the Red Sea gates will also impact Muslim travelers to the holy cities.
On the other side, the relationship between the Ottomans and the Mamluks was not going well, both struggled for control of the spice trade. Selim I had always wanted to seize control of the Holy Land and gain the title of the Caliph from the shadow Caliph of Cairo, Al-Mutawakkil III.[1] The Ottoman–Mamluk War (1485–1491) was a spark for this relation to explode.
Following Ottoman victory over the Safavid and the weakening Mamluks due to blockade and war with the Portuguese, Selim saw a great opportunity to take over the Mamluks and expand his empire in the sweeping Ottoman–Mamluk War (1516–1517).
By death of Tuman bay II in April 1517, Cairo, Levant and Hejaz were mostly secured to the Ottomans. While the Mamluk regime at its final resistance to the end of 1517, much of the Mamluk and Arab nobility have sworn loyalty to Selim. Including Husain Al-Kurdi of Jeddah, who himself had experienced battles with the Portuguese fleet in India. As the protectors of the holy cities, the Ottomans did not want the Red Sea blockade to continue. The shortage of goods would soon starve Egypt and the Hejaz.
Battle
The Portuguese bombardment began shelling the city during the Hajj season of 1517 (923 AD) where Muslim pilgrims began their journey to the holy city of Mecca. Husain managed to recruit volunteers from among the pilgrims. Portuguese made several attempts to land ground forces who were met by fierce resistance by Jeddah's garrison. Since the old wall did not have any watch tower, forces on the ground relied heavily on the fleet of Selman Reis, who successfully repelled the Portuguese fleet completely from the Red Sea.
Aftermath
Jeddah was officially annexed to the Ottoman Empire, while the remaining of Hejaz became a vassal state eight years later governed by Sherif Barakat of Mecca, Husain fortified the city with a stone wall replacing the older clay wall, using forced labor, as a harbor of refuge from the Portuguese, allowing Arabia and the Red Sea to be protected. Parts of the city wall still survive today in the old city. Even though the Portuguese were successfully repelled from the city, fleets in the Indian Ocean were at their mercy. The Portuguese soldiers' cemetery can still be found within the old city today and is referred to as the site of the Christian Graves.[2]
See also
Notes
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References
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