Axel Juel

Axel Clausen Juel (alternatively spelled Juul; 7 July 1655 – 20 January 1720) was a Danish captain and governor of Danish India from 8 October 1681 to 9 July 1686.

Axel Juel was born in Nørre Vosborg, Denmark–Norway, on 7 July 1655, to Lieutenant Colonel Claus Eriksen Juel and Sophie Gyldenstierne. He was the nephew of Niels Juel and Jens Juel, both of whom served as directors of the Danish East India Company.

Axel Juel was accepted into the service of the Dano-Norwegian navy in 1671 and was appointed captain in 1679. It is presumed that Juel was onboard the Oldenburg during its voyage to the East Indies from 1672 to 1675. Juel was appointed commander of the Danish Fort Dansborg on September 27, 1681, and became governor of Tranquebar in October the same year. Juel became increasingly unpopular during his governorship due to his corrupt and tyrannical attributes. Eventually, the Danish East India Company got word of the conditions in the colony and sent Wolf Henrik von Kalnein to investigate Juel's rule. Subsequently, Juel was arrested and sent to Denmark in January 1687, where a major lawsuit concluded that he was to pay 3,000 rigsdaler for his actions.

Juel would spend the rest of his life residing in an estate in Strammelse on Tåsinge, marrying Sophie Amalie Parsberg. Juel died on 20 January 1720 and was buried under Landet Church.