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Capture of Tranquebar
	Part of the English Wars
	; Tranquebar, by Peter Anker
Date	12 May 1801
Location	Tranquebar, (modern-day Tharangambadi, India)11°1′45″N 79°50′58″E / 11.02917°N 79.84944°E
Result	British victory
Territorial; changes	Tranquebar occupied by the British
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Denmark-Norway
Commanders and leaders
Richard Wellesley	Peter Anker
Units involved
HMS Braave; HMS Albatross	Dansborg garrison
Strength
2 ships; 200 men; 60 cannons	3 ships; 76 Europeans; 300 Sepoys
Casualties and losses
Unknown	3 ships seized

The Capture of Tranquebar (Danish: Overtagelsen af Trankebar) or the Surrender of Tranquebar (Danish: Overgivelsen af Trankebar) was a British takeover of the capital of Danish India, Tranquebar. The capture was quick and successful, with the Dano-Norwegian governor, Peter Anker, surrendering with the arrival of the British.

Background

During the French Revolutionary Wars in 1800 and early-1801 rising tensions rose between Denmark–Norway and the United Kingdom. The Danish colony of Tranquebar subsequently received intelligence of the rising tensions between the two nations, and Danish merchants therefore sold their ships in order for them not to end up in British hands.^[1] Governor of Tranquebar, Peter Anker, realized that a defense on a hypothetical British attack would by hopeless, and he therefore had already begun preparing for a capitulation.^[2]

Capture

In May 1801 the English Governor-General of India, Richard Wellesley, got orders from Britain to occupy the Danish colonies,^[3] and on the 12 May two English ships with 200 men anchored on the coast of Tranquebar.^[1]^[3] Concurrently a force from Madras marched to Tranquebar to besiege the city.^[2]^[3] According to Peter Anker, the British forces were too strong to stand a change against, especially considering the poor conditions the fortifications had. When the British encouraged Anker to surrender, he therefore quickly consented and sent his Instrument of Surrender to the British command.^[2]^[3]

On the same day, the British occupied Fort Dansborg and hoisted the Union Jack there. The three Danish ships in the harbour were seized.^[2]

Aftermath

Despite the Danish instrument of surrender being favourable to the Danes, the British still accepted.^[2] According to the capitulation Danish laws were acknowledged, and all public cases would be settled by the Danes, migrants would preserve their protection and the Danish officers should have the same wages as British.^[2] Only a British inspector would be installed to keep track of the economy.^[3]

Some months after the surrender Anker received orders from Copenhagen to make the colony ready for an English attack, and to protect it to the utmost, yet Anker had already issued a surrender.^[2] On the 17 August 1802 Tranquebar was given back to Denmark-Norway.^[2]^[3]