Portuguese Oman refers to the period during which the northern coastal cities of Oman were under Portuguese rule, between 1507 and 1656.
The coastal region was conquered by Portuguese forces under the command of Afonso de Albuquerque in 1507, and remained under Portuguese control until they were expelled by the Ya'rubids.
In the early 16th century, the northern coast of Oman was a province of the Kingdom of Hormuz, ruled by its governors.
In 1507, the Portuguese captain-major of the seas of Arabia Afonso de Albuquerque conquered the coastal cities of Oman with a six ship squadron and about 500 men, imposing the payment of a tribute in exchange for autonomous rule. [1] [2] [3] [4] In 1515, as Governor of India Albuquerque captured the city of Hormuz itself, by the entrance of the Persian Gulf, and erected on it the Fort of Our Lady of the Conception. Hormuz and its provinces were thus reduced to a Portuguese protectorate, and since then, Portuguese merchants and military garrisons were established on Oman, most importantly Muscat, due to its sheltered deep-water harbour.
The sheikh of Muscat Râshid b. Ahmad Muscatî supported the Portuguese, and in turn the Portuguese protected him from Omani rivalries, namely the wâzir of Qalhât, Ra’îs Shebabdîn, excessive taxation from Hormuz, and Banu Jabr raids from the interior. [5] Muscat became increasingly important to the logistics of Portuguese armadas operating in the Persian Gulf. [5] In 1521, Hormuz revolted against Portugal, and sheikh Rashid was ordered to massacre all Portuguese in Muscat, but he refused. [5] He was appointed vizier of Hormuz in 1529, and succeeded upon his death in 1534 by his son Ahmad. [5]
In 1523, Sohar rebelled, but it was pacified by Dom Luís de Menezes, while Muscat and Qalhat rebelled in 1526 but were likewise pacified. [6]
Muscat was raided by Ottoman fleets in 1546, 1551, and again in 1581. The Portuguese fortified the city in their aftermath, concluding the forts Almirante (Al-Mirani) and São João (Jalali) in 1588. [7] A fort was erected at Khor Fakkan in 1621. [8]
In 1622, Hormuz was captured by Safavid Persia with the aid of the English East India Company. The Kingdom of Hormuz was dissolved and the Portuguese relocated their forces to Oman, which was placed under the direct rule of a Portuguese captain-general, seated in Muscat. From Oman the Portuguese not only developed the trade in the region but conducted attacks on the Persian coast and English or Dutch navigation in the Gulf.
Julfar was captured by the Yarubids in 1633. [9] Sohar followed in 1643. [10] Muscat was besieged by the Yarubids in 1648, and peace treaty negotiated with the Portuguese, but the city was again attacked two years later and fell. In 1656 the Portuguese evacuated Khasab, thus putting an end to Portuguese rule in the region.
Basic exports of Oman in the 16th century included cereals such as barley and wheat, fresh fruit and oils, coffee, incense and aloe gum, dates, raisins, salt and dried fish. [5] Cairo production, producted from coconut fibers and used in naval rigging was meaningful. [5] Some small scale naval industry took place at Muscat. [5] Nomadic bedouins moved flocks of goats and sheep from remote areas to the coatline cities. Camel caravans moved from Oman across the Arabian peninsula and towards the Iranian plateau. [5] Arabian horses exported through Oman, mainly conveyed to Hormuz, the regional sorting centre for horses, were considered among the best in the world. [5] Muscat specialized in producing a specialized horse bedding to ensure the animals safe journey, called "herb of Muscat" or "Mecca straw". [5] The horse trade was extremely profitable, each animal being sold from the equivalent of 1000 to 2000 ducats, and profits estimated at 300 and 500%. [5] They were only embarked in Muscat, Qalhat and Khorfakkan. [5] From the coastal cities, rice, sugar and spices were imported mainly from India into the hinterland. [5]
Along the Omani coast the Portuguese erected forts and installed garrisons to defend the territory from incursions from pirates, the Persians and local Arab tribes from the interior.
Muscat is the capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was 1.72 million as of September 2022. The metropolitan area spans approximately 3,500 km2 (1,400 sq mi) and includes six provinces called wilayats, making it the largest city in the Arabian Peninsula by area. Known since the early 1st century AD as an important trading port between the west and the east, Muscat was ruled by various indigenous tribes as well as foreign powers such as the Persians, the Portuguese Empire and the Ottoman Empire at various points in its history. A regional military power in the 18th century, Muscat's influence extended as far as East Africa and Zanzibar. As an important port-town in the Gulf of Oman, Muscat attracted foreign traders and settlers such as the Persians, Balochs and Sindhis. Since the accession of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan of Oman in 1970, Muscat has experienced rapid infrastructural development that has led to the growth of a vibrant economy and a multi-ethnic society. Muscat is termed as a Beta - Global City by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.
The Kingdom of Ormus was located in the eastern side of the Persian Gulf and extended as far as Bahrain in the west at its zenith. The Kingdom was established in 11th century initially as a dependency of the Kerman Seljuk Sultanate, and later as an autonomous tributary of the Salghurids and the Ilkhanate of Iran. In its last phase Ormus became a client state of the Portuguese Empire in the East. Most of its territory was eventually annexed by the Safavid Empire in the 17th century.
Sohar is the capital and largest city of the Al Batinah North Governorate in Oman. An ancient capital of the country that once served as an important Islamic port town on the Gulf of Oman, Sohar has also been credited as the mythical birthplace of Sinbad the Sailor. It was historically known as Mazūn (مَزُوْن).
Al-Seeb, As Seeb or As Sib is a coastal fishing province, located several kilometres northwest of Muscat, in northeastern Oman. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 470,878.
João da Nova was a Galician-born explorer in the service of Portugal. He is credited as the discoverer of Ascension and Saint Helena islands.
The Fort of Our Lady of the Conception, also known as the Portuguese Castle, is a red stone fortress on Hormuz Island, Iran. It is one of the last surviving monuments of Portuguese colonial rule in the Persian Gulf. Ormuz was an important maritime city and a small kingdom near the entrance to the Persian Gulf. The original site of the city was on the north shore of the Gulf, about 30 miles east of the current Bandar Abbas. Around 1300, apparently in response to attacks from the Tartars, it moved to the small island of Gerun, which can be identified as the Organa of Nearcho, about 12 miles west and 5 miles from the coast.
This article is a comprehensive list of all the actual possessions of the Portuguese Empire.
The Capture of Hormuz was a combined Anglo-Persian expedition that successfully captured the Portuguese garrison at Hormuz Island after a ten-week siege, thus opening up Persian trade with England in the Persian Gulf. Before the capture of Hormuz, the Portuguese had held the Castle of Hormuz for more than a century, since 1507 when Afonso de Albuquerque established it in the capture of Hormuz, giving them full control of the trade between India and Europe through the Persian Gulf. According to Stephen Neill, the capture of Hormuz entirely changed the balance of power and trade.
The Portuguese conquest of Hormuz in 1507 occurred when the Portuguese Afonso de Albuquerque attacked Hormuz Island to establish the Fortress of Hormuz. This conquest gave the Portuguese full control of the trade between India and Europe passing through the Persian Gulf.
The Portuguese conquest of Goa occurred when the governor Afonso de Albuquerque captured the city in 1510 from the Adil Shahis. Old Goa became the capital of the Portuguese India which included territories such as Fort Manuel of Cochin, Bom Bahia, Damaon & Chaul. It was not among the places Albuquerque was supposed to conquer. He did so after he was offered the support and guidance of Timoji and his troops.
The Portuguese–Safavid wars were a series of wars between the Portuguese Empire and Safavid Iran from 1507 to 1725. The Portuguese were also supported by Kingdom of Hormuz, its vassal, and Safavids had the help of the Kingdom of England on the other side.
Vicente Sodré was a 16th-century Anglo Portuguese knight of Order of Christ and the captain of the first Portuguese naval patrol in the Indian Ocean. He was an uncle of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama.
The capture of Muscat occurred in 1552, when an Ottoman fleet under Piri Reis attacked Old Muscat, in modern Oman, and plundered the town from the Portuguese. These events followed the important Ottoman defeat in the third siege of Diu in 1546, which put a stop to their attempts in India, but also the successful capture of Aden in 1548, which allowed the Ottomans to resist the Portuguese in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean.
Al Jalali Fort, or Ash Sharqiya Fort, is a fort in the harbor of Old Muscat, Oman. The fort was built by the Portuguese under Philip I of Portugal in the 1580s on an earlier Omani fortress to protect the harbor after Muscat had twice been sacked by Ottoman forces. It fell to Omani forces in 1650. During the civil wars between 1718 and 1747, the fort was twice captured by Persians who had been invited to assist one of the rival Imams. The fort was extensively rebuilt later.
The Yarubid dynasty were rulers of Oman between 1624 and 1742, holding the title of Imam. They expelled the Portuguese from coastal strongholds in Muscat and united the country. They improved agriculture, expanded trade and built up Oman into a major maritime power. Their forces expelled the Portuguese from East Africa and established long-lasting settlements on Zanzibar, Mombasa and other parts of the coast. The dynasty lost power during a succession struggle that started in 1712 and fell after a prolonged period of civil war.
Nasir bin Murshid was the founder of the Yaruba dynasty of Imams of Oman, a member of the Ibadi sect. He ruled from 1624 to 1649. He took power during a chaotic period when the former dynasty had collapsed and the interior of the country was lawless, while the Portuguese held the main coastal ports. In a series of campaigns he established his authority over the Omani tribes.
Sultan bin Murshid was one of the rival Imams during the civil wars in Oman in the final years of the Yaruba dynasty. He was elected Imam in 1742 in place of Saif bin Sultan II. His predecessor called on the Persians for assistance. In mid-1743 Sultan bin Murshid died while defending the town of Sohar against the Persian force.
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In 1633, the Omanis attacked the fortress at Sohar. The Omanis besieged the fortress in 1633 and after a long siege the fort fell in 1643.
The siege of Muscat occurred in 1650, when an Omani army under Sultan bin Saif attacked the Portuguese fort of Muscat and captured the town from the Portuguese, ending the long Portuguese occupation of Muscat.