The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume X, No. 6 [‎112r] (76/186)

ANCIENT TRADING CENTRES OF THE PERSIAN GULF The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . 615
la 571 a.d. a powerful prince of the dynasty, named Jalanda, equipped a fleet
and seized Hormuz island, which was established as a rendezvous of a piratical
fleet. They were converted to Islam in 621 a.d. by invitation of the Prophet.
Dr. Badger (Hakluyt Society, vol. 44, 1871) gives a translation of an Arab
history of Oman, containing the period between 661 and 1856, by Salih-ibn Razik.
I propose here, however, to touch chiefly on the Portuguese occupation of the
seaboard of Oman. Ihe above Arab author gives only a short space to the period
1154 to 15 .j<, and does not mention the Portuguese conquests; nor is there any
record of the overlordship of Hormuz, which existed at the time of the appearance
of the Christians. He admits a hiatus in the annals from 1154 to 1429, and these
are also said to be obscure up to 1560.* His account of the recapture of the places
from the Portuguese will be referred to later on.
Marco Polo (1260-95) does not mention Maskat by name, Kalatu t (Kalkat)
is mentioned as frequented by numerous ships from India, and as “ subject to
Hormos.” “ Many good horses are exported to India ; the number from this and the
other cities is something astonishing.” The probable reference to Maskat is that
“the Melic of Hormos has a castle which is still stronger than this city (Kalhat),
and has a better command of the entrance of the gulf.” Abulfeda (1273-1331)
also does not mention Maskat by name. Ibn J Batuta (1324-25) went by sea to
Oman, and arrived at the city of Kalhat, “ which is situated at the foot of a
mountain. The inhabitants are Arabs and schismatics, which they keep secret,
because they are subjects to the king of Hormuz, who is of the Sunni sect.” He
mentions the markets and a fine mosque, “ whose walls are covered with coloured
tiles.”
Edmi (1153) mentions in Oman, first Kalhat and Sur, and then Sohar, which
he says is one of the most ancient cities of Oman, and of the richest. Maskat is
mentioned as a populous town.
We may, I think, gather from all this, that in the thirteenth and fourteenth
•centuries Maskat was a less important place than Kalhat.
The first appearance of the Portuguese on the coast of Oman was that of
D’Alboquerque,§ who with six ships left Socotra on August 10, 1507, and sailed
up the coast of Arabia. He anchored, says the chronicle, at Calayate (Kalhat), an
anchorage on the coast, about 25 miles to north-westward of Ras-al-Hadd, and
there got some supplies. It was badly populated, with many old edifices, the sta
beating against it; on the land side was a wall, about the height of a lance, reach
ing to the sea, not a single tree, and all supplies came from the interior. It was
under Hormuz,|| and they fished as far as Ras-al-Hadd, and it was the seat of the
* In Colonel Sir E. C. Ross’s ‘ Annals of Oman ’ (translation of Kishf-al-Glmmraeh.
•Calcutta: 1874), there is a similar hiatus from 1153-1406. Nor is there any mention of
the Portuguese conquests, or of Hormuz.
t Colonel Yule’s ‘ Marco Polo,’ vol. ii. p. 448.
X ‘ Voyage d’ Ibn Batouteh. Trad, de C. Depe'mery et B. R. Sanguinetti.’ Paris :
1895. The translation of Rev. Sam Lee (1829) appears less accurate.
§ The Commentaries ot the great Afonso D’Alboquerque, translated from the
Portuguese edition of 1874 (Hakluyt Society, 1875-84), from which I abstract
largely.
|| Confirmed by Marco Polo, 1271-91 (see ante). Colonel S. B. Miles says the tupren acy
existed since 1270. Colonel Miles was Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in Maskat, and wrote a valuable
report on the Portuguese in Eastirn Arabia in the Administration report for 1884-85,
printed in No. ccvii., 4 Selections from the Records of the Government of India, Foreign
Department ’ (Calcutta : 1885). He does not always quote the authorities he has con
sulted. T have quoted in one or two places from this report.
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