Siege of Galle
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The Siege of the Portuguese fort Santa Cruz de Gale at Galle in 1640, took place during the Dutch–Portuguese and Sinhalese–Portuguese Wars. The Galle fort commanded 282 villages, which contained most fertile cinnamon lands in southern Sri Lanka It was also an important strategic coastal defense of Portuguese Ceylon. The Dutch, who were in an alliance with the Kingdom of Kandy, landed an expeditionary force under Commodore Willem Jacobszoon Coster of Akersloot, at the Bay of Galle, on 8 March 1640. After bombarding the fort for four consecutive days, Dutch troops stormed the fort and secured a victory on 13 March 1640. The Portuguese garrison, led by Captain Lourenço Ferreira de Brito, mounted a stiff resistance and unexpectedly high casualty rates among Dutch troops gave rise to the proverb “Gold in Malacca, lead in Galle”. With this victory the Dutch gained access to a large port which they later used as a convenient naval base to attack Goa and other South Indian Portuguese defenses. They also gained access to the Sri Lankan cinnamon trade and gained a permanent foothold on the island.
Siege of the Portuguese fortified town of Galle in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) by a VOC fleet in 1640
Siege of Galle in Ceylon in 1640 (cropped)| Type | Subtype | Date | Description | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| event | armed conflict | 1640 | Siege of Galle | siege | Wikidata |
| event | armed conflict | 2006 | Attack on Galle Harbour | Sri Lanka, naval battle | Wikidata |
| site | fort | Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications | old town, cultural heritage, fortress | Wikidata | |
| site | fort | 1584 | Galle Fort | Government of Sri Lanka, fort | Wikidata |
| commons | image | Siege of the Portuguese fortified town of Galle in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) by a VOC fleet in 1640 | Commons | ||
| commons | image | Siege of Galle in Ceylon in 1640 (cropped) | Commons | ||
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