1509 - Political Events

Political Events

England's Henry VII dies at Richmond, Surrey, April 21 at age 52 after a reign of nearly 24 years. He is succeeded by his athletic, well-educated son, who ascends the throne at age 17 and will reign until 1547 as Henry VIII. A faithful Roman Catholic, the new king creates Margaret Plantagenet Pole, 35, countess of Salisbury and reverses the attainder of her late brother, Edmund of Warwick, who was executed in November 1499. Henry is married June 11 to his late brother Arthur's widow, Catherine of Aragon, now 23, daughter of Ferdinand II (but see 1533). The late king's mother, Margaret Beaufort, duchess of Richmond, dies June 29 at age 66, having developed a reputation for education and piety.

Pope Julius II excommunicates Venice April 27 (see 1508). His League of Cambrai comprising Aragonese, Ferrarese, French, Hungarian, and Savoyard forces triumphs over the Venetians May 14 at Agnadello. Ferrara's Alfonso I d'Este proves his skill in mechanics and artillery design, but although Venice loses some territories on the mainland the city itself is untouched (see 1510).

The Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I joins the League of Cambrai but fails in a siege of Padua, despite valiant efforts by the formidable army (Landsknechte) of mercenary infantrymen organized chiefly by Georg von Frundsberg and armed with pikes and swords.

Florentine forces capture Pisa, ending a long war. Florence's gonfalonier Piero di Tommaso Soderini has created a national militia in place of the mercenaries that have heretofore fought the city-state's battles.

Polish forces under the command of Jan Tarnowski, 21, defeat an army led by the Moldavian prince Bogdan in southeastern Poland.

The Battle of Diu February 2 in the Indian Ocean brings victory to Portugal's Indian viceroy Francisco de Almeida, who destroys a Muslim fleet of Arabs and Egyptians to establish Portuguese control over the spice trade. Portuguese navigator Ruy de Sequeira visits Malacca following the defeat of the Muslim fleet in the Battle of Diu and finds that its natives have been selling cloves to Arab merchants in exchange for copper, quicksilver, vermillion (a rosewood), cambray cloth, cumin, silver, porcelain, and metal bells (see 1511). Afonso de Albuquerque arrives at Cochin to replace Almeida as viceroy, Almeida questions his authority and imprisons him, but he is obliged in November to recognize that Albuquerque's commission is legal and sets sail in December for Lisbon (see 1510).

Spanish forces invade North Africa. Francisco Cardenal Jiménez de Cisneros, 73, and Pedro Navarro, 49, lead a crusade against the Muslim rulers of Oran, Bougie, and Tripoli.