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The Portuguese in the Arabia Peninsula and in the Persic
Gulf. Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrein,
Iran, Saudi Arabia.
Written by Marco Ramerini
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The Portuguese, shortly afterwards
theirs arrival in the Eastern Seas, decided to prevent
the Arab's trade, with the Ormuz conquest. For his
strategical position dominating the entrance to
the Persic Gulf, Ormuz was one of the two
strategical stronghold on the trade routes between the Arab world and
Asia (the other being Aden near the strait of Bab el Mandab).
The city of Ormuz (Hormuz), was one of the
most important trade centers of the whole East, in its market were
exchanged Persian horses and pearls. The town was placed on a dry and
barren island, near the Persian mainland at the entrance of the Persic
Gulf.
For nearly 150 years Portugal
ruled the Persic Gulf area. Ormuz
was regarded by Albuquerque as the third key
of the Portuguese Empire in Asia (the others two were
Goa and Malacca).
A Portuguese map of the island and the city of Hormuz in
the 17th century.
The remains of the underground water cisterns
of the Portuguese fort in Hormuz.
The first attempt to conquer Ormuz
was done in 1507 by
Afonso de Albuquerque, he at the head of a small Portuguese
fleet of 7 ships and 500 men, proceeded to Ormuz, during the journey, he
stormed and conquered the towns of Kuryat, Muscat and Khor
Fakkan, differently the town of Kalhat and Sohar, expressed their
willingness to become tributary of the King of Portugal.
The Portuguese fleet anchored in front of the town of Ormuz, the
King of the city was prepared for an attack, he could count on
15.000/20.000 armed men. Albuquerque was resolute, he asked to the King
to pay a tribute and become a vassal of Portugal, but the King's reply
was evasive, a simple attempt to protact the negotiations. Albuquerque
after three days of waiting, attacked the city, the King's fleet was
entirely destroyed, seeing the complete defeat of his forces, the King
sent a flag of truce offering to deliver up the city to the Portuguese.
Albuquerque concluded, in September 1507, a treaty with the King of
Hormuz, under which the King had to pay to the King of Portugal a yearly
tribute. After this, Albuquerque and his men began to build the
fortress, the first stone was laid on 24 October 1507, the fort was
named "Nossa Senhora da Victoria".
During the work for the fortress insubordination arose between
the Portuguese, some Portuguese captains, with the help of the King of
Ormuz, rebeled against Albuquerque. In Janaury 1508, after several days
of skirmish with the Ormuz's forces, Albuquerque was forced to abandon
the city.
This was the first attempt to force the Portuguese rule in the
Persic Gulf. The second attempt was made in 1515.
In March 1515, Albuquerque with a force of 27 ships, 1.500
Portuguese and 700 Malabarese soldiers arrived in front of Ormuz, he was
determinated to take the town in the name of the King of Portugal, and
this time he was successful, the fortress was occupied by the Portuguese
on 1 April 1515. The fort was renamed "Nossa Senhora da
Conceiçao".
When the Portuguese arrived, the main ports of the Persic Gulf
and Arabia such as Julfar, Bahrain, Calayate (Qalhat), Mascate, Catifa
(al Qatif), Corfaçao, and the islands of Queixome and Lareca were all
under the jurisdiction of the King of Hormuz. With the fall of Ormuz,
all the cities and ports of the Persian Gulf became tributary of
Portugal. The kings of Hormuz continued as a regional power,
in conjunction with the Portuguese. In this way began the
Portuguese rule in the Persic Gulf which
lasted till the years 1620/1650.
In a document of the year 1515 ("Rendimento da cidade de Oromuz
e seus reinos") are reported the ports that paied tribute to Portugal,
they were:
Aigom and Docer "portos que estam na barra de terra
firme", Brahemim "porto que esta de fora da ilha d'Oromuz na terra
firme", Tezer "lugar na terra firme", Beabom, Borate, Jullfar (Julfar),
Callayate (Qalhat), Horfacam (Khor Fakkan), Caçapo (Khasab), Broqete "na
ilha Qeixa", Lafete "na ilha Qeixa", Qeixa "na ilha Qeixa", Garpez "na
ilha Qeixa", Rodom, Costaque, Chagoa, Callecazei, Lebedia.
The Portuguese forts in the Gulf and in Oman (1500-1650).
The Portuguese forts in Bahrein,
from the "Livro das Plantas das Fortalezas,
Cidades e Povoaçoes do Estado da India Oriental" 1600s.
"A cidade de Ormuz està
situada em hua pequena ilha chamada Gerum que jaz quasi na garganta de
estreito do mar Parseo tam perto da costa da terra de Persia que avera
de hua a outra tres leguoas e dez da outra Arabia e terà em roda pouco
mais de tres leguoas: toda muy esterele e a mayor parte hua mineira de
sal e enxolfre sem naturalmente ter hum ramo ou herva verde.
A cidade em sy é muy magnifica
em edificios, grossa em tracto por ser hua escala onde concorrem todalas
mercadorias orientaes e occidentaes a ella, e as que vem da Persea,
Armenia e Tartaria que lhe jazem ao norte: de maneira que nam tendo a
ilha em sy cousa propria, per carreto tem todalas estimadas do mundo
/...../ a cidade é tam viçosa e abastada, que dizem os moradores della
que o mundo é hum anel e Ormuz hua pedra preciosa engastada nelle"
Joao de Barros, Decada II, L.
II cap. 2
In 1521, the King of Ormuz rebeled against the Portuguese, but
the latter crushed the ribellion and put a new king on the throne.
In 1523, Dom Luis de Menezes occupied Soar, which had revolted,
and after this, he proceeded to Qeshm where a new treaty was done with
the new King and a feitoria was established.
In 1526, Lopo Vaz de Sampayo the Governor of Portuguese India
(1526-1529), reduced to obedience Mascate and Khalat which had revolted.
In 1542/43, the entire Customs duties of Ormuz were assigned to
the King of Portugal.
The years between 1550 and 1560 were years of continue warfare
with the Turks for the supremacy in the Persian Gulf.
In 1550/51, the Portuguese conquered to the Turks the fort of El
Katiff (Al Qatif) in Arabia. In 1551/52, in order to help Ormuz's
defence a fort was built in Mascate. The Turks, were determined to take
revenge and in 1551/52 they attacked Mascate and sacked the town. In
1559, the Turks besieged the Portuguese fort of Bahrein, but after
several months of siege, they were forced to withdraw.
In 1581, Mascate was again destroied by the Turks. In 1582, the
King of Lara (Larack an island near Ormuz), which had revolted, laid
siege to the fortress of Ormuz, but the Portuguese succeeded in drive
off the invaders and their in turn besieged the Lara's fort of Xamel
which was taken by the Portuguese.
Finally, in 1588, the Mascate's fortesses were again rebuilt,
this time also the town was strenghten and in the nearby Matara (Matrah)
a fort was also built.
In 1602, Shah Abbas expelled the Portuguese
from Bahrain.
Tarut Island (near Al Qatif, Saudi Arabia): Portuguese fort (16th
c.).
Ormuz used for its
provisions of water the wells of Comorao, on the
Persian coast, here the Portuguese had a fort, this fort
was conquered by the Persian in 1615 (14?) .
In 1616, Soar, which had revolted, was captured by a Portuguese
fleet and the King was put to death.
In 1619, the Portuguese fortress of Ormuz had
a garrison of 500-700 soldiers.
The fort of Khawr Fakkan (Corfaçao) was built in 1620 by Gaspar
Leite.
On 8 May 1621, Rui Freire de Andrada, the "General do
Mar de Ormuz e costa da Persia e Arabia", began to build a fort in
Queixome (Qeshm), this fort was built to have the controll of the
island's water wells. The building of this fort was regarded as an act
of open hostility by the Shah of Persia, that waged war against the
Portuguese.
In 1622, the Arabs, who had joined with the Persians,
succeeded in capturing Julfar from the Portuguese.
On 11 February 1622, the Portuguese fort of Queixome,
after a feeble resistence, was forced to surrendered to a joined
Persian-English army. On 20 Febraury 1622, the Persian
flotilla of more than 3.000 men with the help of 6 English ships
besieged the Portuguese fortress of Ormuz.
Ormuz was lost by the Portuguese on 3 May 1622. The
entire Portuguese population, about 2.000 persons, were sent to Mascate.
The Portuguese forts in Oman.
During the decade after the fall of Ormuz, the Portuguese, under
the command of Rui Freire de Andrada, tried several times (1623, 1624,
1625, 1627) to regain the fortress, the last attempt in 1631, was a
diplomatic one, but all these attempts failed.
After the loss of Ormuz the Portuguese established their base in
Mascate, and in 1623, a feitoria (trading station) was established also
in Bassora at the mouth of the Eufrate River. In 1623, Rui Freire
reoccupied the fort of Soar, which had been taken in 1622 by the
Persians. In the same year a new base is established in Cassapo (Kashab)
in the Musandam Peninsula.
Kalba (Quelba) was conquered by Gaspar Leite in 1624. The fort
of Mada was conquered in May 1624 by Mateus de Siebra.
In 1624/25, following a treaty with the Persians, a
feitoria and a fortress was established in Congo (Bandar-e Kong), on the
Persian coast of the Persic Gulf.
In 1631, a Portuguese fortress was built in Julfar,
important strategic point in Musandam Peninsula, this town
enjoyed, during Portuguese rule, great prosperity as the regional
trading entrepôt.
In September 1633, Rui Freire de Andrada, the great protagonist
of these years, died, and his body was buried in
the church of St. Agostinho in Mascate.
In 1633/35, treaties of peace were made with the English and the
Persians.
Muscat, Oman (Mascate), Fort Jalali (Fort Sao Joao).
The fortification of Muscat (Mascate) and Matrah (Matara),
from the "Livro das Plantas das
Fortalezas, Cidades e Povoaçoes do Estado da India Oriental" 1600s.
Muscat, Oman (Mascate), Fort Mirani.
My thanks to Peter Rowland for this photo.
Mutrah, Oman (Matrah, Matara), Portuguese fort.
Quriyrat, Oman (Curiate), tower.
The Portuguese rule in the Perian Gulf was nearly more stable
after the loss of Ormuz than before, infact were established several
fortresses and feitorias in a lot of places as Soar, Julfar, Doba,
Libedia, Mada, Khor Fakkan, Caçapo (Khasab), Congo (Kung), Bassora.
In August 1648, the Arabs besieged Mascate and on 31October a
treaty was signed between the two opponents. The terms were as follows:
the Portuguese should raze to the ground the fortress of Kuriyat, Doba
and Matara.
In Janaury 1650, Mascate, the last Portuguese base in Arabia was
taken by the Omanits. By the loss of Mascate, the Portuguese were
deprived of their last stronghold in the vicinity of the Persian Gulf
and this ended the so called "Portuguese period" in the Persian Gulf.
The Portuguese forts in the Straits of Hormuz.
Al Bidiyah, UAE (Libedia ?), tower guard.
Dibba, UAE (Doba), ruins of the fort.
Khasab (Cassapo or Caçapo) fort in the Musandam Peninsula,
Oman. My thanks to
Peter Rowland for these photos.
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