Battle of Colella ( port. Batalha de Coolela ) - a clash on November 7, 1895 between Portuguese troops under the command of Colonel Edward Gallhard and the forces of the Gaza empire in the territory of present Mozambique . The battle took place during the Portuguese campaign for the final subjugation of Mozambique and took place at the Koolel swamp in the province of the empire of Gaza Majacase.
As punishment for the attack on Lawrence Marques , the administrative center of Portuguese East Africa and the refusal to submit to the colonial authorities, the Portuguese colonial administration demanded that Gungunkhana , emperor of Gaza, issue two warlords involved in the attack and also pay tribute of 10 thousand pounds in gold annually, allow Portuguese tax collection and start commercial and military infiltration of the country. But Gungunkhana refused to fulfill this ultimatum, as this would mean a complete loss of his authority and support of his people. Therefore, the Gaza army came under the command of the military leader Maguiguana against the colonialists.
Although many tribal leaders refused to send their warriors to fight the Portuguese, Maguiguana still managed to gather about ten thousand soldiers, armed with about two thousand rifles.
On the morning of November 7, 1895, the two armies met in a valley near the Coolel Swamp. The battle was short and ended tragically for Gungunkhana: he suffered a complete defeat, losing a huge number of people. After this, suppressing the resistance, the Portuguese on November 11 destroyed the sacred place of the Vatu people in Majakeke.
After this battle, many leaders of the tribes living between the rivers Sava , Chengang and Limpopo, hastened to swear allegiance to the Portuguese, realizing the meaninglessness of resistance.
Demoralized by the defeat of Gungunkhan, he fled to the fortified settlement of Chamite, where he was eventually captured by the Portuguese and expelled from the country, first to Lisbon, and then to the Azores, where he died.