| Conflict: | Battle of Muar River |
| Partof: | Malay-Portuguese conflicts |
| Date: | April 1523 |
| Place: | Muar River, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia |
| Result: | Malaccan victory |
| Combatant1: | Portuguese Empire |
| Combatant2: | Sultanate of Malacca Pahang Sultanate |
| Commander1: | Jorge de Albuquerque |
| Commander2: | Unnamed Laksamana |
| Strength1: | Unknown |
| Strength2: | 80 vessels |
| Casualties1: | 65 men killed 3 ships lost |
| Casualties2: | Unknown |
The Battle of Muar River took place in 1523 between the allied Malaccan-Pahang navy and the Portuguese navy. The battle ended in favor of the Malayans, as they defeated the Portuguese in the Muar River.
In 1521, having defeated a Portuguese attempt to capture and destroy the Sultan of Malacca Mahmud Shah's base, attacks on Portuguese shipping increased from that time onwards,[1] which laid a heavy burden on Portuguese operations. In April 1523, the Malaccans, allied with the Pahang Sultanate[2] launched a raid against the Portuguese and occupied Malacca with a large navy of 80 vessels led by the Laksamana.[3]
Once the Malayans established themselves in the Muar River,[4] a lone Portuguese vessel sailing from Malacca spotted the large Malayan navy about 10 leagues away and quickly returned to Malacca to inform its captain Jorge de Albuquerque; who decided to face them in the sea and send ships there, however, the Portuguese encountered a heavy storm which forced them head to the Muar River.
The storm was powerful enough that it forced three Portuguese ships – separated from the rest – to go far into the river where they met the Malayan camp, where they were surrounded and attacked with all 65 Portuguese on board being killed.[5] The rest of the Portuguese navy withdrew to Malacca, and the Malayans, satisfied with their victory returned to Bintan.