Myth or unresearched Pirate - Sumbhajee Angria

Hi everyone,

Believe it or Not!

Sumbhajee Angria was the Pirate Lord of the Indian Ocean, and was known as a Hindu Priest in a part of India, presumably Bombay.
He also used the honorific "Sri". He was one of the pirates who assembled at Shipwreck Cove following the rescue of Jack Sparrow from
Davy Jones' Locker. He also observed the battle of Calypso's maelstrom.

Sri Sumbhajee was the Pirate Lord of the Indian Ocean, and disrupted trade between Europe and India by plundering rich merchant ships,
particularly those belonging to the East India Trading Company. He owned many vessels, his favorite being the Otter, due to its ability to
slip in and out of ports quickly, without being noticed by Company ships. He was widely feared due to the belief that he had supernatural powers.
Prior to becoming a pirate, Sri Sumbhajee was a Hindu priest, but obviously left to gain his fortune.

The Company placed a bounty on his head, dead or alive, for crimes including piracy in the Indian Ocean, levying his own taxes, blockading the
port of Bombay, and creating his own currency. The bounty was unusually low for his direct actions against the Company, and was only worth 2,800 guineas.

Sumbhajee answered the summons sent out by Hector Barbossa, and traveled to Shipwreck City, to attend the fourth meeting of the Brethren Court.
The night before the meeting, however, Sumbhajee went to the Cutlass Tavern and became drunk. While in his drunken stupor, a pirate thug named
"Stupid" Barnaby stole Sri Sumbhajee's piece of eight, and made off toward his base in the slums. The next day, Jack Sparrow came to Shipwreck Cove,
and was sent by Captain Teague to help him out. He then related to Sparrow that he had been robbed and sent him to the Cutlass Tavern to investigate.
Sparrow identified and found the thief and then later returned to Sumbhajee victorious, having bested Barnaby in a duel, with the piece in hand.
With his piece returned, Sumbhajee went to the Pirate Hall to attend the meeting.

During the meeting, Sri Sumbhajee remained silent, only using his aides to speak his mind, whispering in their ears or signaling to them.
Sumbhajee supported Elizabeth Swann's idea of going to war with the East India Trading Company, but did not think electing a Pirate King to declare war,
as the code dictated, was necessary, possibly because he knew that the Pirate Lords always voted for themselves. He signaled to Askay, who relayed his
message against the code. Askay was then shot for his insolence by Captain Teague, Keeper of the Code. Sumbhajee then complied, and participated in
the vote, using his other aide, Pusasn, to inform the Brethren that he was voting for himself. Elizabeth Swann won however, and she then declared war on
the East India Trading Company. Sumbhajee broke his silence at this point saying (in an extremely high voice), "And so, we shall go to war!"

The Brethren then exited the hall anxiously, but were confronted by soldiers of the East India Trading Company, led by Black Coats who had infiltrated the
city on behalf of Lord Cutler Beckett, the Governor of the East India Trading Company. Sumbhajee and Ammand the Corsair were trapped in the Tavern Square,
and were able to defeat their enemies with the assistance of Jack Sparrow. Sumbhajee then made it to the Otter, and departed with the rest of the fleet.
Sumbhajee onboard the OtterDarth StefanAdded by Darth Stefan Unfortunately the Brethren's small fleet were confronted by Beckett's entire armada lay before them.
Realizing it was too late to retreat, King Swann, Jack Sparrow, and Hector Barbossa attempted to parley with the Company. No agreement was reached however,
and the battle was iminent. King Swann ordered the fleet to raise the colours, and Sri Sumbhajee ordered his flag to be raised and gaized over the sea with dark
forboding. Soon after this the skies darkened and a storm formed around the fleet and a massive maealstom formed in between the two fleets, perhaps as
Sumbhajee had percieved. Sri Sumbhajee and his crew watched as Hector Barbossa's ship, the Black Pearl, entered maelstrom to fight the Flying Dutchman.
After the battle, Sumbhajee and his crew celebrated the Brethren's victory, as the armada broke apart following the deaths of Davy Jones and Lord Beckett.


So that is how the story goes, The Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's end.

The question remains, was he a real life person. You be the judge.

Here is a Newspaper article from 1733 mentioning the famous Indian Pirate Sumbhajee Angria.

CS

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