Conflicts & Resolutions · War

Dutch–Portuguese War

1598–1663 · 16th century

The Dutch–Portuguese War was a largely colonial conflict fought from 1598 to 1663 between the Dutch Republic and the Portuguese Empire, which shared its king with Spain until 1640. The Dutch East and West India Companies seized Portuguese bases in Asia, including Malacca (1641) and Ceylon, and took Elmina and much of north-eastern Brazil. Portugal recovered Brazil and Angola, and the Treaty of The Hague (1661) confirmed the division.

Dutch–Portuguese War
Image: Victor Meirelles · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Battles and settlements

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Dutch–Portuguese War. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dutch-portuguese-war
MLA
“Dutch–Portuguese War.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dutch-portuguese-war. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Dutch–Portuguese War.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dutch-portuguese-war.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Dutch–Portuguese War’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/dutch-portuguese-war (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻