Battle of Jarte
| Battle of Jarte | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Ethiopian–Adal War, Ottoman–Portuguese conflicts (1538–57) and Somali–Portuguese conflicts | |||||||
The battle of the Portuguese against Ahmed Gragn, painted by Hailu Woldeyes c. 1935 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
|
Portuguese Empire Ethiopian Empire | Adal Sultanate | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Cristóvão da Gama Seble Wongel | Ahmad ibn Ibrahim | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
400 Portuguese arquebusiers 200 Ethiopian auxiliaries |
15,000 infantry 1,500–2,000 cavalry 200 Turkish arquebusiers | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
11 killed 50 wounded |
300 killed 4 "principal captains" 40 horsemen 30+ Turks | ||||||
The Battle of Jarte was fought from 4 to 16 April 1542 between the forces of Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi and the Ethiopian Empire assisted by a Portuguese expeditionary force led by Cristóvão da Gama. The Abyssinians and Portuguese were victorious, with Ahmad Gurey wounded by the outnumbered Christian force, and the Adalites forced to retreat.