Mazagan Ambush
Part of the Moroccan–Portuguese conflicts
Date11 April 1640
Location
El Jadida, Morocco
Result Moroccan victory
Belligerents
Portuguese Empire Republic of Salé
Commanders and leaders
Francisco de Mascarenhas  †[1] Sidi M'Hamed al-Ayachi
Strength
140 Knights 4,000 men
Casualties and losses
All but 27 killed
or
All but 3 killed
5 captured		 Unknown

In 1640, the Moroccans, led by Sidi al-Ayachi ambushed a Portuguese force from Mazagan, successfully killing most of them, including their commander.

Context

According to Ahmad ibn Khalid an-Nasiri, the city of Azemmour had signed a peace treaty with Mazagan at a time of political turmoil in Morocco. The captain of Mazagan ordered Azemmour to bring their own men for a duel between them. The captain saw the duel between a Portuguese and a Moroccan, until the Portuguese knight won the duel and killed the Moroccan. When the Moroccans saw this, they informed them that this would break the treaty. The captain began taunting them, and the leader of Azemmour then informed Sidi al-Ayachi about this incident. Ayachi then launched his attack on Mazagan.[2]

However, according to Portuguese sources, a group of Moroccans came to Mazagan in April and told the captain, Dom Francisco de Mascarenhas, that the Moroccan sultan, Muhammad ibn Sharif, asked the Portuguese for some aid against his enemies, to which he agreed, though his commanders warned him of such an act.[3][4][5] Francisco would leave Mazagan on April 11.[5][6]

Battle

When al-Ayachi arrived in Mazagan, he found some members of the Oulad Abi Aziz tribe escaping and going to Mazagan because they were allied with the Portuguese. The captain of the fort then marched out with a force of 140 knights, and al-Ayachi stationed himself in a forest nearby the town. When the captain arrived in the forest, al-Ayachi cut off their escape route and encircled the Portuguese with a force of 4,000 infantry and cavalry. When the captain saw this dangerous situation, he asked his commanders what must be done, and they told him to fight until death. The Moroccans managed to wipe out the force. The Portuguese casualties were all but 27 killed, or 132 killed and 5 captured. Only two watchmen and a servant came out alive from the battle. The remaining prisoners were taken to Salé until they were ransomed by John IV of Portugal.[7][4][6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jorge Mascarenhas Montalvão (Marquês de)، Robert Ricard, Un document portugais sur la place de Mazagan au début du xviie siècle, p. 8
  2. ↑ Ahmad ibn Khalid an-Nasiri, Al-Istiqsa li-Akhbar duwal al-Maghrib al-Aqsa, Vol VI, p. 86-7
  3. ↑ Ahmad ibn Khalid an-Nasiri, p. 88
  4. 1 2 Viver em Mazagão WordPress 18 de Abril de 2014.
  5. 1 2 Mário Silva Carvalho, A Amazona Portuguesa.
  6. 1 2 António Dias Farinha, História de Mazagão durante o período filipino, p. 156
  7. ↑ Ahmad ibn Khalid an-Nasiri, p. 88
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