The double capture of the Danish frigate Tranquebar in 1763

Abstract

This article discusses the capture of a single ship in 1763, which involved an unusually complicated sequence of events that illuminates the distinction between piracy and privateering. The vessel in question was the frigate Tranquebar, which belonged to the Danish Asiatic Company – a trading company that, in the years 1732–1772, had a monopoly over Danish shipping in Asia. The episode involving the Danish frigate, which ended up in Portuguese hands after its capture by Maratha ships, raises questions about the nature of piracy and prize law in the context of international relations between maritime powers in times of change.