1650 - Political Events

Political Events

James Graham, marquis of Montrose, returns from the Continent to avenge last year's execution of Charles I but loses most of his small Scottish army when its ship is wrecked in the passage from Orkney to Caithness. He pushes on with the remnants to the border of Ross-shire but fails to rouse the clans. Surprised and routed at Carbiesdale, his forces are cut to pieces April 27 at Invercharron, and although Montrose escapes he nearly starves to death in the wilds of Sutherland before being betrayed. He falls into the hands of Neil McLeod of Assynt, who turns him over to David Leslie; taken to Edinburgh, he is sentenced to death by Parliament and hanged in Edinburgh's High Street May 21 at age 37, protesting to the end that he is a true Covenanter and a loyal subject.

Puritan William Prynne goes to prison in June for refusing to pay taxes to the Commonwealth government, which he considers unconstitutional and lacking in moral authority; he will be confined until February 1653.

Charles II returns from the Continent, landing in Scotland June 24. He signs the National Covenant and is proclaimed king, but his army of 16,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, and 30 guns under the command of David Leslie is defeated September 3 at the Battle of Dunbar by Oliver Cromwell, who just 1 month earlier wrote to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, "I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken." Sir Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Baron Fairfax of Cameron (he inherited his father's title 2 years ago) has resigned as commander in chief in protest against Cromwell's proposed invasion of Scotland, and Cromwell has only 7,500 infantry, 3,500 cavalry, and some guns, but Leslie has ordered most of his musketeers to extinguish their matches as an economy move, and when Cromwell launches his attack at first light the Covenanters are unprepared; only one in six is ready to fire. Covenanter casualties total 3,000 killed, 10,000 taken prisoner, and Cromwell, whose lossses are minimal, captures all 60 Covenanter guns.

Charles II is crowned at Scone despite the disaster at Dunbar and prepares to march on England (see 1652). Edinburgh Castle surrenders to Cromwell December 19.

France's Cardinal Mazarin has the Great Condé arrested January 14 along with his 20-year-old brother Armand de Bourbon, Prince de Conti, and his brother-in-law Henri II d'Orléans, duc de Longueville (see 1649). A cousin of the king, Condé had supported Mazarin against the Parlement in the Fronde uprising, but he has been frustrated in his personal ambitions for power. Longueville quits the rebel cause, having lost patience with the arrogance of the Condé and his own wife's adulterous affairs. Marshal Turenne is persuaded to lead an armed rebellion. Archduke Leopold sends an army from the Spanish Netherlands to aid Turenne, French peasants rise against Leopold's army, he withdraws, and Turenne's Frondeurs give way December 15 at the Battle of Blanc-Champ (or Rethel) as French government forces prevail (but see 1651).

Willem II of Orange dies of smallpox at Alkdaar November 6 at age 24, having failed to renew his country's war with Spain. His son and heir is born November 14.

Persia's Abbas II retakes Kandahar, but Mughal emperors will besiege the city repeatedly.

China's Qing dynasty regent Dorgon dies while hunting near the Great Wall at Kharahotu December 31 at age 38, having subdued most of China for the young Qing emperor (see 1648). He is posthumously proclaimed emperor, but he leaves no male heirs. His enemies will soon return to power, and Shunzhi (Shun-chih), now 12, will reign until his death in 1661 (see 1651).

Nzinga, queen of Ndongo and Matambma, makes peace with the Portuguese after 30 years of warfare in which tens of thousands have died and hundreds of thousands taken into slavery (see 1648). She agrees to cease hostilities in October and give the Portuguese 130 slaves in order to obtain the release of her sister Mukumbu (see 1663).