Sumbhajee Angria

Sumbhajee Angria
Biographical information
Gender	Male
Ethnic group	Indian
Eye color	Brown
Hair color	Gray
Born	Early 1670s
Family	Sumbhajee's father (father) Parvati (second wife) Sumbhajee's first wife (wife) Toolajee (brother) Mannajee (brother)
Title(s)	Pirate Lord of the Indian Ocean Sri Terror of the Arabian Sea Hindu Priest
Also known as	Sambhajee A Hindu
Bounty	2,800 guineas for his capture or death
Statistics
Weapon(s) owned	Pistol Sword Knife
Ship(s) captained or crewed	Otter
Battles	Attack on Sri Sumbhajee's palace Battle of Calypso's maelstrom
Affiliation	Sumbhajee's pirates Brethren Court
Behind the scenes
First appearance	At World's End (video game)
Latest appearance	At World's End
Portrayer	Marshall Manesh

"Oh, hey. I mean, all hail how does it go again?"
"HAIL THE GREAT AND WONDROUS SRI SUMBHAJEE, PIRATE LORD OF THE INDIAN OCEAN AND TERROR OF THE ARABIAN SEA!"
"Yeah. That."

―Mannajee and Askay

Sumbhajee Angria was the Pirate Lord of the Indian Ocean and Terror of the Arabian Sea. Residing in a palace on an island off the coast of India, Sumbhajee used the honorific "Sri" and was known as a Hindu Priest. Sri Sumbhajee was one of many who assembled at Shipwreck Cove for the meeting of the Fourth Brethren Court. He also invaded the East India Trading Company's ships, before they entered India.

Biography

Early life

Sumbhajee Angria's wanted poster.

"I never thought I'd get to go to India. Where does this Pirate Lord live?"
"Around, er, these parts."
"What our dear captain means is near Bombay. Sri Sumbhajee has been tormenting the ships going in and out of this port for years."

―Carolina, Jack Sparrow, and Hector Barbossa

Not much is known about Sri Sumbhajee Angria's early life, except that he was originally a Hindu priest, but left to gain his fortune as a pirate.

At some point in time, Sri Sumbhajee became a member of the Brethren Court after the Pirate Lord of the Indian Ocean passed one of the Nine Pieces of Eight to Sumbhajee. As a Pirate Lord, he 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.

The Company placed a bounty on Sumbhajee's 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.

The Shadow Gold

"Sri Sumbhajee welcomes you to India. He invites you to stay in his palace while you are here."

―Askay to Jack Sparrow

On one occasion, the infamous adventurer Jack Sparrow stole Sumbhajee's ruby. Some time later, Sumbhajee came into possession of one of the vials of Shadow Gold, a mystical elixir which was said to have strange powers. When Jack came with his crew for the vial, Sumbhajee demanded the ruby. Though Jack gave him the ruby, Sumbhajee wasn't ready to give up the Shadow Gold so easily.

Losing his piece of eight

"Capitane Sparrow, my Piece of Eight has gone missing!"

―Sri Sumbhajee to Jack Sparrow

In the 1720s, Sumbhajee answered the summons sent out by Hector Barbossa, and traveled to Shipwreck Cove, 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. Jack Sparrow would later arrive to Shipwreck Cove, and was sent by Captain Edward 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.

The Brethren Conclave

"Sri Sumbhajee proclaims this all to be folly! Hang the Code! Who gives a—"

―Askay speaking for Sumbhajee

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 Shipwreck 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.

Pirate Victory

Sumbhajee onboard the Otter

"And so, we shall go to war!"

―Sri Sumbhajee to the Brethren Court

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 gazed over the sea with dark forboding. Soon after this the skies darkened and a storm formed around the fleet and a massive maelstrom 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. His further fate is unknown.

Personality and traits

"Sri Sumbhajee once had many brothers, but not all of them knew how to show proper respect."
"Now there are only two."

―Askay and Pusasn

A serene and priestly Hindu, Sri Sumbhajee Angria was the Pirate Lord of the Indian Ocean. Opposed to the East India Company and Calypso, he was also against the outdated laws of the Pirate Code as of the Fourth Brethren Court. He was as deep as the ocean depths he sent his enemies down to. He was also very wise and intelligent, earning both the respect and trust of fellow Pirate Lord, Capitaine Chevalle. He also had people to speak for him, both due to his own superiority complex, and his high-pitched voice. Sumbhajee's very high falsetto voice was one reason why he rarely talked himself, using his assistants to talk for him during official meetings. Sumbhajee also had a long grey beard that tingled when bad things were about to happen or when untrustworthy people were near.

Sri Sumbhajee behaved like a real king, emphasizing his position with rich clothes and precious rings. As a symbol of power, a golden ornament with an opal was pinned to his turban. He had both a green and red turban that he wore at all times. Sumbhajee wore curled-toe slippers and long green, red, and golden brown robes.

Equipment and skills

"They do say he knows everything. They say he has supernatural powers."

―Billy Turner on Sri Sumbhajee

Sumbhajee possessed both a pistol and a sword. He also had one of the Nine Pieces of Eight, as did all the Pirate Lords. His piece was a snuff box fashioned from a calf-horn on a string, which he kept on his person at all times. It was destroyed with the other pieces of eight during the freeing of Calypso.

Behind the scenes

Sumbhajee's Jolly Roger.

Sri Sumbhajee Angria first appeared media relating to the 2007 film Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, notably the trailer. He was first identified by name and detailed in the reference book Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide. The first full appearance of Sri Sumbhajee in T.T. Sutherland's junior novelization and the video game adaptation for At World's End. Marshall Manesh portrayed Sumbhajee in the film, and the video game adaptation. The name "Sumbhajee Angria" was first seen in the official Pirates website in 2007, though was mistakenly named "Sumbhadjee" in the 2010 update of the website.

In Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's screenplay for At World's End, Sri Sumbhajee had more lines spoken, inquiring, quipping, declaring and decrying through Akshay and Pusan. The character's name was also spelled "Sambhajee" at some points, including dialogue. Some parts were retained in the film's junior novelization.

Sri Sumbhajee was probably based on the real-world pirate Sambhaji Angre, the son of the notorious Maratha admiral Kanhoji Angre. However, Sri Sumbhajee and Sambhaji Angre cannot be the same person because the timeline established by the 2017 film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales sets the events of At World's End around 1729, a year when Kanhoji died and the young Sambhaji succeeded him, while in At World's End Sri Sumbhajee is portrayed as an old man and a Hindu priest. The novel Legends of the Brethren Court: The Turning Tide, which is set approximately thirteen years before the events of At World's End, reveals that Sri Sumbhajee's unnamed father died of old age seven years earlier, which makes him dead for twenty years by the time of At World's End. The novel also reveals that Sri Sumbhajee was already raiding the ships of the East India Company on his own for fifteen years which sets the beginning of his pirate career around 1701/1702, the same years when Kanhoji Angre was starting his own naval career in real-world history.

Appearances

• Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean (Mentioned only)
• Legends of the Brethren Court: Rising in the East (Mentioned only)
• Legends of the Brethren Court: The Turning Tide
• Legends of the Brethren Court: Wild Waters (Mentioned only)
• Legends of the Brethren Court: Day of the Shadow
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (junior novelization) (First appearance)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (comic)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: The Movie Storybook
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Penguin Readers)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: The Journey to World's End Storybook with Compass
• LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)

Sources

• DisneyPirates.com (First identified as Sumbhajee Angria and )
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Legends of the Brethren Court
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide
• The Pirates' Guidelines

Notes and references

Sumbhajee's crew
Captain: Sumbhajee Angria Otter Askay – Pusasn
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Members of the Brethren Court
First Court Pirate Kings First Pirate King Pirate Lords First Pirate Lord of the Atlantic Ocean Aides: Davy Jones Second Court Pirate Lords Henry Morgan – Bartholomew – Grandmama Third Court Pirate Lords Sao Feng's father Others: Tartaglia Court of Inquiry Pirate Lords Ching – Boris Palachnik – Rafael – Edward Teague – Eduardo Villanueva Aides: Davy Jones Keeper of the Code: Edward Teague Others: Hector Barbossa – Jack Sparrow – Ragetti – Melinda – Esmeralda Prison Dog Fourth Court Pirate Kings Elizabeth Swann Pirate Lords Ammand – Sumbhajee Angria – Hector Barbossa – Chevalle Ching – Jocard – Jack Sparrow – Eduardo Villanueva Aides: Askay – Pusasn – Ragetti – Joshamee Gibbs Keeper of the Code: Edward Teague Others: Sao Feng – Pintel –Prison Dog – Carriers of the Code
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