How Danish Empire's Glory Found a Foothold on Indian Shores

Anshika Rana

How Danish Empire's Glory Found a Foothold on Indian Shores

The Dansborg Fort, standing on the Indian coastline, is a testament to Danish colonial ambitions. The grand halls, pillared structures, and high ceilings of its architectural features reflect the regal grandeur of the Danish Empire. With a strategic location and a formidable defense against potential enemies, the fort is a central piece of architecture in the region. Its enduring legacy serves as a reminder of the powerful presence of the Danish Empire in India.

Rocky view of Dansborg fort from East, Bay of Bengal; Source: Trip to

The golden sun rises, casting a warm glow on the bay as its waves flow softly to the shore, kissing the feet of the beach before retreating, as if in a tender embrace. The cool sea breeze fills the air with the scent of salt, adding to the peaceful atmosphere. The view from Dansborg Fort, painted in a creamy hue and adorned with grand halls, pillared structures, and high ceilings, radiates a sense of grandeur.

Located in Tranquebar on the coast of Tamil Nadu, India, Dansborg Fort is the second-largest fort of the Danish Empire, surpassed only by Kronborg Fort in Elsinore. But the bay that Dansborg Fort overlooks is located nowhere near Denmark. In fact, it is 10,000 km away on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Dansborg Fort is situated in the small village town of Tranquebar, in Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu, India, about a 3-hour drive from Chennai. The locals call it Tharangambadi. But how did this beautiful structure, the pride of Denmark, find its way to the unassuming village on the Indian coastline?

The fort is enclosed within walls, with the main entrance in the North (though there’s a gate on the East too). On the east side is a two-level building, the lower level of which houses store rooms, a kitchen, barracks, and a jail. The upper level contains three rooms and a kitchen on the left wing (formerly the governor’s residence, now a museum) and one room on the right (formerly the commercial director’s residence, now a store room). A flight of stairs leads to the second floor, which is currently inaccessible. The center of the building is adorned with four hump-shaped domes resting on the central pillar of the hall below.

Adjacent to the main building in the south is a single-story line of rooms that served as barracks, wine rooms, kitchen, and hanging rooms. These rooms have no doors or windows, a testament to Danish desperation, as they’re said to have torn all metal in the fort to make weapons to sell. The Catholic symbols in soldiers’ quarters suggest the army was predominantly Catholic.

As a result, Tranquebar transformed from a quiet fishing village into a fortified European town complete with a city gate, cemetery, churches, and several colonial buildings, but the structure that stands out is the Dansborg Fort. Built in response to the Thanjavur king’s threat to retake the village, Dansborg Fort was meant to protect the town. It was the heart of the town, the residence of the governor, and most of the soldiers. Thus, it was an imposing structure commanding respect in its times.

Denmark's presence in India was short-lived, and after 200 years, they declared bankruptcy and sold Tranquebar to the British for 12.50 lakh rupees in 1845. The sale deed is on display at the Dansborg Museum. Tranquebar's significance declined with the establishment of a railway line in Nagapattinam in 1861, which diverted trade away from Tranquebar, causing it to fade into obscurity.

The Dansborg Fort was left to deteriorate for a century until it was reclaimed after India's independence and used as an inspection bungalow. In 1978, the State Department of Archaeology converted it into a museum. The museum is spread over three rooms on the first floor, which was once the governor's residence. It features exhibits on a variety of topics, including models of European ships, small cannons, Indian pottery, a model of dolphins, pictures of Danish Kings and Tranquebar's governors, and a copy of the treaty between Denmark and Thanjavur. These exhibits provide a glimpse into the rich and complex history of Denmark's colonial presence in India, as well as the broader history of international trade and colonization.

To understand the mystery, we must journey back 300 years to the 17th century when the Coromandel coast was the hub of international trade and European powers were vying for a foothold in the region. In 1616, the Danish joined the race by establishing the Danish East India Company to set sail to the subcontinent. In 1618, an expedition under the command of the Royal Danish Navy, Ove Gjedde, left Denmark. Bravely cutting through the water, it set out to find a profitable port on the Indian coastline.

After the initial failure in Sri Lanka, Ove ultimately secured an agreement with the Nayaka ruler of Thanjavur, Raghunatha. The treaty was signed in 1620 between Raghunatha and Christian IV on a gold leaf, now housed in the Danish Royal Archives museum in Copenhagen. It leased 4 km by 8 km of land covering Tranquebar to the Danish, along with the right to collect revenue of neighboring villages, in exchange for an annual rent of 3111 rupees.

The walls of the fort enclose a well-manicured garden with a well at its center, which was once used to quench the thirst of soldiers. Two posts on either side of the well were used to seat messenger pigeons. One of the notable features of the fort is its limestone plaster which gives it a rustic smooth finish, which keeps the walls cool in warm weather and warm during the cold.