Spanish occupation of Jolo (1638)

Battle of Jolo (1638)
Part of Spanish–Moro conflict
DateJanuary 4, 1638–April 14, 1646
Location
Result

First Stage (January–May, 1638): Spanish Victory

  • Spaniards set up garrison at Jolo.[1]
  • Sultan and his court flee to Dungun, Tawi-Tawi.[1]

Second Stage (1640): Tactical Spanish Victory, Strategic Sulu Victory
Third Stage (1644–46): Sulu Victory

Belligerents

 Spanish Empire

Sulu Sultanate
Minor Support:
Dutch Republic Dutch Republic
Commanders and leaders
Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera Sultan Muwallil Wasit
Pangiran Salikula
Sultan Nasir ud-Din
Strength
About 2,000 troops
~1,500 Cebuano auxiliaries
500 Spanish troops
80 Ships
4,000 troops from Jolo, Borneo, Makassar
1 Kuta (Fort)
Unknown number of Dutch Navy vessels
Casualties and losses
Unknown (heavy) Unknown (heavy)

The Spanish occupation of Jolo or Battle of Jolo was a military expedition in the 1630s to pacify the Moro of the Sulu Sultanate. The expedition, personally led by Sebastian de Corcuera, the then Governor-General of the Spanish East Indies was a follow-up expedition to the earlier successful campaigns against the Maguindanao Sultanate under Sultan Qudarat. It was initially successful, partly due to an epidemic within the Sultan Wasit's fort early in the campaign, resulting in the Sulu forces retreating to Tawi-Tawi.

The occupation of Jolo also saw the installment of a short-lived Spanish garrison in the town. Later on, Sultan Wasit and Sultan Nasir ud-Din, who many believe to be Sultan Qudarat, began a series of expeditions against the Spaniards, successfully diminishing the garrison until they were called back to Manila in defense against a rumored attack by Chinese pirate Koxinga. After the occupation, a short period of peace followed, with no significant attacks made on Mindanao or Sulu. Corcuera's occupation was the first prolonged Spanish occupation of Jolo from 1638 to 1645.

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