Abstract:
In the National Archives of the Torre do Tombo in Lisbon, the Persian documents of 16th-17th centuries are selected and
preserved, in general, under a large category, called before “Cartas Orientais” or “Documentos arábigos” and, currently, “Documentos
Orientais”. This collection forms a part of the funds of the “Manuscritos da Casa dos Tratados”. Some of these documents pertain to the
Portuguese, in continuation of their policy of expansion in the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf in early 16th century who had reached
the island of Hormuz, situated at 6 km from the Iranian coast. This great transit market of the Persian Gulf had then a population of
approximately 40.000. Called until the 13th century “Jarun”, the island of Hormuz belonged to Iran and the rich “kingdom” of this island
had for centuries depended on the central government of Iran. As for its kings, called in Persian sources volât-e Hormuz, they were
until then the vassals of the Persian monarch. But, with the arrival of Portuguese, they became subordinates to Portugal. This paper
deals with some of the documents from National Archives of the Torre do Tombo that deal with interaction of the kingdom of Hormuz
and the Portugese.
Machine summary:
1. Studies undertaken on the collection For the first time, at the end of the 18th century, a selection of around fifty of the documents in Arabic language of the "Documentos Orientais" of the Torre do Tombo was published with Portuguese translation, by Fr. João de Sousa in a volume of 190 pages.
I, n°11 Type of the document: letter Sender: Khāja 'Atā', the vizier of Hormuz (1505-12) Recipient: Afonso de Albuquerque, the commander of the Portuguese warships in the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf, the future governor of India (1509-15) Date: [Jamādi al-awwal 914 / August-September 1508] Length: 47 cm.
Number of lines: 37 (text), 12 (border) Ink: black Paper: «nokhodi» (buff), back is restored and pasted, a small part is torn and some words lack Back of the document: one line in Portuguese and the note of Aubin Aubin's note: «N° 36 Persan du roi d'Ormuz date entre 1533 et 1536» Summary: While making recommendation about the Portuguese captain of Hormuz António da Silveira de Meneses, Sheikh Kamāl al-Din Rāshed Ibn Ahmad Masqati who was just appointed vizier of Hormuz, explains the economic situation in Hormuz and promises to make more profit for Portugal at Hormuz, more than it was made during the time of Ra'is Sharaf.