Directory

1658 CE

Prince Muhi al-Din Muhammad, one of the sons of India's Mughal, Emperor Shah Jahan, proclaims himself Emperor after Jahan names Muhi's older brother, Dara Shikoh, as regent, and departs from Aurangabad with troops. (February 26 OS) – The peace between Sweden and Denmark-Norway is concluded in Roskilde by the Treaty of Roskilde, under which Denmark is forced to cede significant territory. This leads to Sweden reaching its territorial height during its time as a great power. Šarhūda's Manchu fleet annihilates Onufriy Stepanov's Russian flotilla, on the Amur River.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • February 5 – Prince Muhi al-Din Muhammad, one of the sons of India's Mughal, Emperor Shah Jahan, proclaims himself Emperor after Jahan names Muhi's older brother, Dara Shikoh, as regent, and departs from Aurangabad with troops.source
  • March 8 (February 26 OS) – The peace between Sweden and Denmark-Norway is concluded in Roskilde by the Treaty of Roskilde, under which Denmark is forced to cede significant territory. This leads to Sweden reaching its territorial height during its time as a great power.source
  • July 31 – After Shah Jahan completes the Taj Mahal, his son Aurangzeb deposes him as ruler of the Mughal Empire.source
  • August 14 – The League of the Rhine (Rheinische Allianz) is formed by 50 German princes whose cities are on the Rhine river.source
  • December 20 – Representatives of the Russian Empire and the Swedish Empire sign the Treaty of Valiesar at the Valiesar Estate near Narva, part of modern-day Estonia. In return for ceasing hostilities between the two empires in the Second Northern War, Russia is allowed to keep captured territories in Livonia (part of modern-day Latvia) for a term of three years.source

Conflict & Security

  • January 30 – The "March Across the Belts" (Tåget över Bält), Sweden's use of winter weather to send troops across the waters of the Danish Straits at a time when winter has turned them to ice, begins. Within 17 days, Sweden's King Karl X Gustav leads troops across the ice belts to capture six of Denmark's islands as Swedish territory.source
  • April 15 – In India, the Battle of Dharmat is fought in the modern-day state of Madhya Pradesh between rival claimants to the throne of the Mughal Empire. Prince Muhi al-Din Muhammad, the son of the Emperor Shah Jahan, leads 30,000 men in a triumph over 22,000 troops led by Jaswant Singh of Marwar and Ratan Singh Rathore. Despite heavy losses, with more than 11,000 casualties, Prince Muhi, who has adopted the name Aurangzeb, continues toward Samugarh and Agra and captures the throne at the end of July.source
  • May 29 – Aurangzeb wins the Battle of Samugarh as Indian Mughal regent Dara Shikoh makes a last effort to defend the Mughal capital Agra.source
  • June 14 – Anglo-Spanish War (1654–1660) and Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659): In the Battle of the Dunes, a Spanish force attempting to lift a siege of Dunkirk is defeated by the French and English. England is then given Dunkirk, for its assistance in the victory.source
  • June 25–27 – In the Battle of Rio Nuevo, part of the Anglo-Spanish War, a Spanish invasion force fails to recapture Jamaica from the English.source
  • July 2 – The Siege of Toruń begins in Poland as troops of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and of Austria seek to recapture the city of Toruń from a garrison of the Swedish Army. Within six months, the Swedish occupiers surrender.source
  • July – Šarhūda's Manchu fleet annihilates Onufriy Stepanov's Russian flotilla, on the Amur River.source
  • August 5 – Just six months after winning territory from Denmark-Norway in war and subsequent treaty, Sweden's King Charles X Gustav declares a second war against Denmark. By August 11, the King's troops have surrounded Denmark's capital, Copenhagen, while the Swedish Navy blocks the harbor to prevent the city from being resupplied, and begins bombardment.source
  • September 17 – Portuguese Restoration War: In the Battle of Vilanova, a Spanish army, having crossed the Minho, defeats the Portuguese.source
  • October 7 – The Netherlands enters the Dano-Swedish War to come to the rescue of Denmark, sending a 45-ship fleet from Vlie.source
  • October 29 – The 45-ship fleet of the Netherlands arrives at Denmark and begins its counterattack on Sweden's army and navy with three squadrons.source
  • November 8 (October 29 old style) – The Battle of the Sound takes place between the navies of the Dutch Republic (with 41 warships) and of Sweden (with 45) at the Øresund, a strait between Denmark and Sweden's newly-acquired territory, the former Danish island of Scania. The Dutch Republic is successful at breaking the Swedish Navy's blockade of Copenhagen, and Sweden is forced to retreat, bringing an end to the attempted conquest of Denmark.source
  • December 11 – Abaza Hasan Pasha, an Ottoman provincial governor who is attempting to depose the Grand Vizier, wins a battle at the Turkish city of Ilgin, defeating loyalist forces led by Murtaza Pasha. The victory is the last for the rebels. Two months later (February 16, 1659) Abaza Hasan is assassinated after being invited to peace negotiations by the loyalists.source
  • December 25 – Polish and Danish forces defeat a Swedish Army in the Battle of Kolding in Denmark.source
  • December 30 – The Siege of Toruń ends almost six months after it started, with Poland recapturing the city from Sweden.source
  • Portuguese traders are expelled from Ceylon by Dutch invaders.source

Exploration & Expansion

  • February 6 – Swedish troops of Charles X Gustav of Sweden cross The Great Belt in Denmark, over frozen sea.source
  • The Dutch in the Cape Colony start to import slaves from India and South-East Asia (later from Madagascar).source

Religion & Belief

  • June 3 – Pope Alexander VII appoints François de Laval vicar apostolic of New France.source
  • July 18 – Prince Leopold of the House of Habsburg, son of the late Ferdinand III, is elected as the new Holy Roman Emperor.source

Science & Discovery

  • May 1 – Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial and The Garden of Cyrus are published by Thomas Browne in England.source

Crime & Justice

  • November 6 – The Mexican Inquisition carries out the execution, by public burning, of 14 men convicted of homosexuality, while another 109 arrested are either released or given less harsh sentences.source

Culture & Society

  • April 16 – In Skåneland, a region recently ceded by Denmark to the Swedish Empire, representatives of the nobility of the provinces of Blekinge, Halland and Scania gather at the Scanian city of Malmö to swear their allegiance to King Charles X Gustav of Sweden.source
  • August 1 – The coronation of Leopold I takes place in Frankfurt.source

Births

  • February 18 – Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint-Pierre, French writer (d. 1743)source
  • March 5 – Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, French explorer (d. 1730)source
  • March 23 – Jean-Baptiste Santerre, French painter (d. 1717)source
  • April 11 – James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton, Scottish peer (d. 1712)source
  • April 22 – Giuseppe Torelli, Italian violist, violinist, pedagogue and composer (d. 1709)source
  • May 30 – Sir Henry Furnese, 1st Baronet, English merchant and politician (d. 1712)source
  • July 10 – Luigi Ferdinando Marsili, Italian soldier and naturalist (d. 1730)source
  • July 17 – Diogo de Mendonça Corte-Real, Portuguese politician (d. 1736)source
  • July 25 – Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyll, Scottish privy councillor (d. 1703)source
  • August 11 – Sir Justinian Isham, 4th Baronet, English baronet and Member of Parliament (d. 1730)source
  • September 24 – Sir Robert Anstruther, 1st Baronet, Scottish politician (d. 1737)source
  • October 2 – Nicholas Roosevelt (1658–1742), Dutch-American politician (d. 1742)source
  • October 19 – Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (d. 1704)source
  • November 4 – Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani, Georgian prince, writer, monk and author (d. 1725)source

Deaths

  • January 7 – Theophilus Eaton, English-born Connecticut colonist (b. 1590)source
  • January 13 – Edward Sexby, English Puritan soldier (b. 1616)source
  • January 13 – Edward Sexby, who had plotted against Oliver Cromwell, dies in the Tower of London.source
  • February 19 – Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester (b. 1612)source
  • February 27 – Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1592–1628 and again 1631–1658) (b. 1588)source
  • April 19 – Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, English colonial administrator and admiral (b. 1587)source
  • April 19 – Kirsten Munk, second wife of Christian IV of Denmark (b. 1598)source
  • May 20 – Bartholomew Holzhauser, German priest, visionary and writer of prophecies (b. 1613)source
  • August 5 – Gundakar, Prince of Liechtenstein, court official in Vienna (b. 1580)source
  • October 14 – Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena, Italian noble (b. 1610)source
  • October 23 – Thomas Pride, Parliamentarian general in the English Civil Warsource
  • November 8 – Witte de With, Dutch naval officer (b. 1599)source
  • December 6 – Baltasar Gracián y Morales, Spanish writer (b. 1601)source
  • December 20 – Jean Jannon, French typefounder (b. 1580)source