تقارير إدارية من الخليج العربي ١٨٨٣/١٨٨٤ – ١٩٠٤/١٩٠٥ [ظ‎‎٣‎٥] (٦٠٢/٧٥)

30
ADMINISTEATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL
a trail of blood and flame. For five years the Arabs appear to have been left unmolested by
their new foes, and in the meantime they had leisure to rebuild their towns, and to watch, as they
doubtless did, with interest the proceedings of their ruthless invaders at Hormuz and in
India.
In 1512, Diogo Fernandes deBega, who had been sent to demolish the fort at Socotra
which had been found useless for.the purpose it was intended to serve, came to Hormuz and
Muscat to receive the tribute agreed upon with the King. It had been the intention of
Albuquerque, who had in the meantime become the second Viceroy of India, to return to the
Persian Gulf this year with deBega, but circumstances prevented his doing so until two years
later, when he sailed from Goa with a fleet of 14 sail of the line and 13 smaller vessels. On
the 21st March 1515 he sighted land near Ras-el-Nad, and four days later arrived at Kooriyah.
Here he found an armada from Hormuz on the look-out for pirates, and deciding not to molest
it he moved on to Muscat, where he anchored for two days to take in provisions and water. The
Persian Governor or Agent here at the time was Rais Hamed, a nephew of Rais Noor-ul-Din
one of the oflacers of the King of Hormuz, and Albuquerque was much exercised at observing
his tyrannical behaviour over the people. He appears, however, to have behaved civilly enough
to the Portuguese, having doubtless a lively recollection of what had occurred seven year s
before.
Having completed the conquest of Hormuz, the Viceroy prepared to turn his face
southwards, and appointed his relative, Pedro d^Albuquerque, commandant of the fort with
a strong garrison to overawe the city. It was the last important act of his life, for he
was very ill when he set sail, and as it turned out on his death-bed, and the "terrible Albu
querque, " as he was called, died the day of his arrival off the bar of Goa, his end being hastened
by the news he had received of his supersession and recall by the King.
DeBarros gives a curious and detailed account of the revenue and expenditure of Hormuz
at this time. He says that on the coast of Arabia the chief town was Kilhat, the Governor
and Customs Master at which overruled those in the other towns in the principality. The reve
nue collected and remitted by Kilhat to Hormuz was 19,200 Sheraflns, equal to 5,760 dollars,
which was contributed in the following proportions: Kilhat paid 11,000 Ashrafis, Muscat
4,000, Sohar 1,500, Khor Fakan 1,500, Dibba 500, and Lima 700. The Julfar district, or
Pirate coast, also paid 7,500, and in addition to the above the boats engaged in the pearl fishery,
which were compelled to go to Hormuz to take out passes, contributed 1,500 Ashrafis. The
Oman revenue thus came to 28,200 Ashrafis. The total revenue of Hormuz is said to have
been 198,078 Ashrafis, or $59,423.
The same writer also gives us a glimpse at the political state of Oman at this time, from-
which we learn that the Imam Muhommad possessed undisputed spiritual and temporal power
in all parts, and that the chief cities in Oman proper, which was the most populous district
were Manh, Nezwa, and Behla, each of which was fortified and had its own ^^-independent
King who ruled iu a sort of republic. These chieftains had formed a league to protect them
selves against the Benjaber, a predatory tribe and the most powerful in Arabia, who used to raid
Oman every year at the date season. The Imam had to buy them off from plundering his
territories by an annual tribute.
Intermediate between the above towns and the seaboard were other Sheikhdoms who were
continually at feud with the Persian garrisons, a state of distraction which of course operated
in favour of the Portuguese. Who these Benjaber were that appeared so formidable is an
enigma that remains unsolved.
After the subjection of Hormuz, three places on the Arab coast—Kilhah, Muscat, and
Sohar,—became stations for the Portuguese factors and merchants who were appointed and
controlled from Hormuz. They were sufficiently protected by the visits of the King's ships
from India which touched at these places on their way to Hormuz and Bahrein, and as no vessel
under a native flag was suffered to cross the ocean without a pass, they had practically the
control of all seaborne commerce, and thus commanded the markets. But it does not appear that
any garrisons were yet stationed on the Oman coast. In the year 1519 the first check to the
Portuguese prestige in the gulf occurred at Kilhat, and was due, as such things usually are due
to an unwise meddling in local politics. The King of Hormuz happening to be incensed against
the Governor of Kilhat, Reis Shehab-ul-Dm, and being unable to get him into his power, be
sought the aid of Dom Garcia deContinho, the Portuguese commandant. Dom Garcia accord
ingly directed the Captain-Major or Naval Chief of the squadron, Duarte Mendes DeVascon-
cellos, to arrest Shehab-ul-Dm and bring him to Hormuz. This order, however, Duarte Mendes