Everything about Timoji totally explained
Timoji (also referred to as
Timoja or
Timayya) was a Hindu privateer who served the
Vijayanagara Empire and the Portuguese during the first decade of the 16
th century. He claimed to have been born in
Goa and to have escaped the city after its conquest by the
Adil Shahi of
Bijapur in 1496.
Background
Since the 14
th century the
Deccan had been divided in two antagonistic entities: on the one side stood the
Bahmani Sultanate, and on the other stood the hindu rajas rallied around the
Vijayanagara Empire. Continuous wars demanded frequent ressuplies of fresh horses, which were imported through sea routes from Persia and Arabia. This trade was subjected to frequent raids by thriving bands of pirates based in in the coastal cities of Western India.
Timoji acted both as a privateer (by seizing horse traders, that he rendered to the raja of
Honavar) and as a pirate who attacked the Kerala merchant fleets that traded pepper with
Gujarat. Timoji operated off Anjediva island with two thousand mercenaries under his command and at least fourteen ships.
Relations with the Portuguese
He met
Vasco da Gama's fleet off Anjediva in 1498, but the Portuguese admiral suspected him of being a spy and refused his advances. In 1505, he attracted the Portuguese Vice-Roy
D. Francisco de Almeida to an estuary and, after keeping him waiting for three days, appeared before him richly attired and offered him his services and a token tribute. In 1507 Timoji warned the Vice-Roy of the upcoming siege of
Cananor by
Calicut forces and suplied the fortress during the siege. In the end of 1507, when a
Mamluk fleet under
Amir Husayn supplements the Calicut forces, he becomes the main informant of D. Francisco de Almeida. Soon after the
Battle of Diu, Timoji met the Vijayanagara emperor
Krishnadevaraya and offered him a rich tribute. He then prompted the Portuguese to conquer
Goa, the main port for the horse trade. The city had been conquered from Vijayanagar by the Bahmani Sultans in 1469, and passed to Bijapur. In late 1509, the remains of the Mamluk fleet defeated in the battle of Diu had taken refuge there.
After the conquest of
Goa, Timoji was put in command of the Indian troops loyal to the Portuguese. However, he soon was relieved of his command due to his refusal to follow orders. The command of the Indian troops was given to a pretender to the throne of Honavar, and Timoji returned to piracy. He was made prisoner after a raid, and died by opium poisoning.soon after being taken to the
Vijayanagar capital.
Further Information
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