Qalhat-Hurmuz: Its Place in the History and Economy of the Western Indian Ocean in the Later Middle Ages
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Abstract
This article aims at shedding light on the late medieval trading system in the western part of the Indian Ocean between the Gulf and the east coast of Africa, in order to offer new evidence on the so-called “Shirazi question”. I will dispute the alleged early tenth/eleventh century date of the (possibly fictitious) “Shirazi migration” to East Africa by examining the background of the socio-economic and political changes which took place between the tenth and the fifteenth century. The trade network in which Hormuz – including Qalhat – played an important part is well documented by a homogenous pottery assemblage, which combines finds from the Makran/Baluchistan coast, the Gulf, Hormuz-Qalhat, Tiwi and farther south with many places on and off the coast of East Africa. This is important for our suggestion that the Shirazi-legend should be placed in the Hormuz-Qalhat period between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries. A quantity analysis of the recorded sites between the Lamu region in the north and the Kilwa region in the south testifies to a constant rise of settlement activity or settlement expansion between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, reaching a peak in the fourteenth century (43 out of 116 examined places) and the fifteenth century (53 out of 116 examined places). Taking these facts together, we shall turn again to the grey area between legend and historical fact.
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Qalhat-Hurmuz: Its Place in the History and Economy of the Western Indian Ocean in the Later Middle Ages
In: Studi MagrebiniSearch for other papers by Abdulrahman al-Salimi in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
This article aims at shedding light on the late medieval trading system in the western part of the Indian Ocean between the Gulf and the east coast of Africa, in order to offer new evidence on the so-called “Shirazi question”. I will dispute the alleged early tenth/eleventh century date of the (possibly fictitious) “Shirazi migration” to East Africa by examining the background of the socio-economic and political changes which took place between the tenth and the fifteenth century. The trade network in which Hormuz – including Qalhat – played an important part is well documented by a homogenous pottery assemblage, which combines finds from the Makran/Baluchistan coast, the Gulf, Hormuz-Qalhat, Tiwi and farther south with many places on and off the coast of East Africa. This is important for our suggestion that the Shirazi-legend should be placed in the Hormuz-Qalhat period between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries. A quantity analysis of the recorded sites between the Lamu region in the north and the Kilwa region in the south testifies to a constant rise of settlement activity or settlement expansion between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, reaching a peak in the fourteenth century (43 out of 116 examined places) and the fifteenth century (53 out of 116 examined places). Taking these facts together, we shall turn again to the grey area between legend and historical fact.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 973 | 294 | 25 |
| Full Text Views | 48 | 12 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 92 | 20 | 1 |
