| Battle of Baçente | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theEthiopian–Adal War andSomali-Portuguese conflicts | |||||||
 Engraving ofCristóvão da Gama charging against the Adalite army by António dos Santosc. 1840 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Portuguese Empire | Adal Sultanate | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Cristóvão da Gama | Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 400 Portuguesemusketeers | “1,500” archers and "buckler men" | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 8 killed,[1] "several" wounded[1] | Heavy casualties, "reportedly all killed" Nine horses and multiple mules | ||||||
TheBattle of Baçente was fought on February 2, 1542, when aPortuguese army underCristóvão da Gama took ahillfort held byAdalite forces in northernEthiopia. The Portuguese suffered minimal casualties, while the defenders were reportedly all killed.
QueenSeble Wongel (likely justifiably) advised against this attack, arguing that Gama should wait until her son theEmperorGelawdewos could march north fromShewa and join the Portuguese due toAhmed Gragn having known of them.[1] However, Gama was concerned that if he marched around this Muslim-held strongpoint, the local peasantry would be disappointed and stop providing supplies for his troops.[3]
After a probing attack to learn the defenders' defences, which Queen Sabla Wengel initially mistook for a defeat, Gama ordered an attack from three sides directions on the following day. The defenders were annihilated, with negligible losses to the Portuguese. Nine horses and a number of mules were captured, which afterwards proved useful. "As a feat of arms, this capture of notable."[1] A mosque, which had originally been a church before the hillfort was occupied byImamAhmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi's men, was reconsecrated as a church, and dedicated to "Our Lady of Victory", and mass was celebrated there the next day. The expeditionary force spent the rest of February there, recovering from the battle.[4]
R.S. Whiteway identified the Portuguese "Baçente" as referring toAmba Senayt inHaramat.[2][verification needed]
