'Extracts from Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia by J G Lorimer CIE, Indian Civil Service' [‎8v] (21/180)

6
HISTORY OF TRUCIAL 'OMAN*
[pp. 630-755]
Relations of
the Portu
guese with
the coast
of 'Oman
between
Khor Quwai
and Ras-al-
Khaimah.
1600-1750.
Proceedings
of the Ras-
al-Khaimah
Arabs on
the Persian
coast. 1600-
1750.
The Qawasim One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima.
at home and
abroad,
1750-1800.
The history of the region at the present day known as Trucial 'Oman before
the middle of the J8th century is almost entirely lost.
PERIOD PRECEDING THE RISE OF PIRACY,
1600-1778.
In February 1625, after his defeat off Bandar 'Abbas by the English and the
Dutch, the Portuguese commander Ruy Freire de Andrade retired with some of his
vessels to an anchorage—probably Khor Quwai—on the opposite Arabian coast,
and there established a temporary base; and about the same time the Portuguese
authorities seem to have had in view the establishment of a station at Khasab.
Eventually Kung became the chief if not the only Portuguese settlement in the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. proper, though, from a mandate of the King of Portugal dated 1649,
for the strengthening of the " fortress of Cassapo," it might perhaps be inferred that
a post was also maintained at Khasab. About 1631, in pursuance of measures for
recovering Hormnz from the Persians by force, the Portuguese built a fort " in
Julfar," i.e., near Ras-al-Khaimah; and this may have been the post, just
mentioned, which is conjectured to have existed at Khasab.
It does not appear that the Arabs of the 'Oman coast were much in evidence
in the neighbourhood of Bandar 'Abbas, or anywhere upon the Persian side of
the Gulf, before the Afghan invasion of Persia which began in 1720. In the
confusion following the overthrow of the Safavi dynasty Shaikh Rashid, probably
the ruler of Ras-al-Khaimah, seized Basidu on the island of Qishm and there
established a settlement of which the trade seriously affected the customs receipts
at Bandar 'Abbas, then shared by the Persians and the English. This led to an
English naval expedition in April 1727 against Shaikh Rashid, conducted by
Mr. W, H. Draper, the East India Company's Agent at Bandar 'Abbas; the ships
employed were the " Britannia " frigate, the " Bengal " galley, and two Trankis;
and the outcome was the recovery from the Shaikh of " the share of customs due
to the East India Company." In 1737, when a Persian force landed at Khor
Fakkan and began to overrun the territories of the Imam of 'Oman, the Arabs of
Ras-al-Khaimah appear to have made submission to the Persian commander; but
in 1741, the Persian occupation of the Imamate still continuing, the Arabs came
under suspicion of intending plunder of Bandar 'Abbas, in concert with the Imam,
after seizing an island in the vicinity.
Very little is known of the internal condition even towards the end of the
18th century of the region now styled Trucial 'Oman; but it seems clear that
neither the Portuguese nor the Persians then retained any hold upon the country,
and that the influence of the Qasimi Shaikh, whose capital at this time was
Ras-al-Khaimah town, greatly predominated over that of his neighbours. The
subjects of the Qasimi, to whatever tribes they might belong, were generally spoken
of as Qawasim One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. ; and it seems possible that, abroad, the name was applied to almost
* The chief general authorities for the history of Trucial 'Oman are Bombay Selections,
XXIV, 1856; Mr. J. A. Saldanha's Precis of Correspondence regarding the Affairs of the Persian
Gulf, 1801-53, printed in 1906, supplementing the last in various important respects; Mr. J. A.
Saldanha's Precis of Correspondence regarding the Trucial Chiefs, 1854-1905, also published in
1906; and the annual Administration Reports of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Political Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. . Buckingham
in his Travels in Assyria, Media and Persia, 1829, gives a valuable and independent account of the
piracies of the Qawasim One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. ; and Low's History of the Indian Navy, 1877, contains full information
relative to all British naval or combined land and sea operations affecting Trucial 'Oman. Some
additional facts relating to the Qasimi pirates will be found in Morier's Journey through Persia, 1812,
and in Mignan's Winter Journey, 1839.
For early times (1600-1800) the authorities are, generally, those cited in the footnote to the
title of Chapter First of this volume.
For revision of the recent history of the tract, and for much supplementary information
regarding the same, the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. is indebted to Major P. Z. Cox, Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , who
was assisted in his enquiries by Khan Bahadur 'Abdul LatTf, Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Agent at Sharjah.
Interesting extracts from the Regimental Records of the 65th Foot were kindly supplied by
Captain T. D. Parkinson, Adjutant, 1st York and Lancaster Regiment; and the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. is also
indebted to Major H. G. Purdon and to Captain J. B. Wall (?) Adjutant, of the Loyal North
Lancashire Regiment.