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Battle of Lingga

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Context

When the Governor of Portuguese India Afonso de Albuquerque captured the Malay city of Malacca, its ruler Sultan Mahmud Shah fled with his remaining forces to Bintan, where he usurped its native ruler. He built a new city there, rallied several states in the region against the Portuguese and continuously harassed Malacca by land and sea.

When the Sultan of Lingga revolted against the suzerainty of Mahmud Shah he promptly allied with the Portuguese, and ships from Lingga could often be found in Malacca acquiring weapons and selling foodstuffs.

Mahmud Shah's persuaded his son-in-law the Sultan of Indragiri in Sumatra to blockade Lingga with his fleet. It was joined by Mahmud's own fleet commanded by his admiral, once it returned from a failed raid on Malacca, the two fleets numbering 160 oarships.

The Sultan of Lingga had already requested support from the Portuguese, and the captain of Malacca Jorge de Albuquerque sent two small carracks with 80 soldiers to aid him, under the command of Baltasar Rodrigues Raposo and Álvaro de Brito.

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