Battle of Baçente

The Battle of Baçente found on 2 February 1542 in Northern Ethiopia between a Portuguese army under the command of Cristovão da Gama against a defended Muslims Wallburg the Sultanate of Adal instead.

Prehistory

The Portuguese decided in 1541 a military expedition to Ethiopia to support the Christian Negus Claudius ( Ethiopia), who was harassed by a Muslim army from the conquest led by Afar and Somali Sultanate of Adal. For the Expedition 400 Portuguese soldiers were selected, of which 70 also experienced craftsmen and engineers were also 130 slaves, about 1,000 arquebuses, as many pikes and several mortars were carried. Miguel de Castanhoso who accompanied da Gama wrote, later a report on the expedition. Queen Sabla Wengel was against the Portuguese attack on a Muslim stronghold on a hill, from where regular region was invaded and advised da Gama to her son, the Negus Claudius to wait so that he and his troops in the north of Shewa could march. However, Da Gama was concerned that a marching past to the Muslim stronghold that would be regarded by the local nobility as a weakness and they would stop the supply of his soldiers.

The Battle

After a trial attack on the attachment, which was used to assess the strength of the enemy, ordered da Gama on the following day an attack from three sides. The campaign was a resounding success. The Portuguese lost only eight men, while the entire crew of Wallburg was killed. A mosque, which was originally a church and was converted by the men under the Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al - Ghazi, was again as a church " The Holy Mother of God of victory ." On the following day we celebrated Mass and the Portuguese remained until the end of February in the area.

Swell

R. S. Whiteway: The Portuguese Expedition to Abyssinia in 1441-1543, 1902 Nendeln, Liechtenstein. Kraus reprint, 1967, p 32