Acehnese invasion of Kedah

The invasion of Kedah in 1619 was launched by Aceh Sultanate to destroy the rival pepper port of Kedah. The Acehnese were victorious, and Kedah was destroyed.

Context
Kedah was a popular pepper port that was often traded by the Portuguese in the fort. The Acehnese sultan, Iskandar Muda, was determined to destroy the port; his determination to destroy the Portuguese hegemony grew year after year, and with the trade incomes, he managed to enlarge his navy alongside the victories he made on other ports such as Johor and Pahang.

The Kedahnese Sultan, Sulaiman Shah II, built a fort called Kuala Kedah with the assistance of the Portuguese. The rectangular-shaped fort served as a trading factory by the Portuguese rather than a military outpost, which certainly became a target for the Acehnese.

Invasion
With an armada of 50 Galleys, the Acehnese attacked Kedah, destroyed the Kota Kuala fort, and began cutting down all the pepper vines, killing the cattle, and ravaging everything in their way. Kedah was no longer available for pepper production. A neighboring kingdom, the Patani Kingdom, sent a force 2,000 to assist Kedah against Aceh. The Acehnese then laid siege to Kedah for three months, The Kedahnese sultan and his family hid behind the city and surrendered to the Acehnese after being convinced that Iskandar Muda would not hurt the sultan because he admired his great stamina and the manner in which he controlled his dependencies. Suliaman had no choice as he lacked water and was badly injured. The crown prince who advised his father against surrendering, was able to flee and evade the Acehnese. The Acehnese destroyed all the fruit trees, killed the surviving cattle, burnt the city, and took 7,000 prisoners to Aceh. The Acehnese made sure that pepper was no longer available to foreigners. Out of 7,000 captives, only 500 survived, as they were deprived of food and necessities.