Page 201 - PERSIAN 3 1883_1890

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RESIDENCY AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR 1684-85.
the inhabitants and sacked the town, set it on fire, much to the surprise and indignation of
their General, Dorn Luias, who, being on board hia vessel, had not been kept informed of what
bad occurred.
The Arabs, who had not been present at, or partakers in, the plunder, were not unnaturally
enraged with Dorn Luiz for what they considered a breach of faith on his part, but bo made
wbat reparation he could by giving up to them the captives aud some of the loot; and finally
having declared Sohar independent of Ilormuz, ho appointed Sheikh Iluscin-bin-Saecd
Governor on behalf of Portugal uuder a convention. After leaving a Portuguese scrivouer aa
Political Agent to note the revenues and expenses of the place, Dorn T*uiz weighed with hia
fleet and set sail for Hormuz. In 1526 another revolt occurred at Muscat and Kilhat, both
of which wero at this time still subordinate to Hormuz.
These disturbances were due, it is said, like the former ones, to the oppression and exactions
of the Portuguese, and chiefly of Diogo dcMello, the then comrnaudant of Hormuz. The
provisional Viceroy at Goa, Lopo Vaz deSampayo, accordingly proceeded to the Gulf in May
1527 with five ships, and by promising to redress wrongs and to punish Captain deMello, suc­
ceeded in pacifying the coast without having recourse to coercion. Dom Lopo took the
opportunity of increasing the garrison at Mu«=.cat and of ordering the erection of the huge
pile of buildings to be used as a factory, and which, as usual in those day*», comprised the Gov­
ernors* residence, soldiers* barracks, warehouses, aud chapel. This factory appears to have been
completed about four years later. In later days it has served as a residence for the Scyyids or
I/ards of Oman, and though now somewhat-dilapidated, is still a fine building, and one of the
chief monuments of the Portuguese occupation on this coast. Among the Arabs it retains the
name of Gareza, a corruption of the Portuguese “ Kgreja, ** a church.
Dom Nnno da Cunha, who succeeded Loj>o Vaz de Sampayo as tenth Viceroy, made a tour
of the Portuguese possessions toon after his assumption of office, and on his way to Hormuz
anchored at Rilhat on the 10th May 1529, where lie met Captain Aires do S. da Magalhfies
who had been despatched from India with a fusta and two brigantines to cruise against the
pirates.
The factor of Kilhat at this time was Gomes Ferreira, servant of the Duke of Braganza,
and he appears to have caused a go<»d deal of ill-feeling against the Portuguese among the
Arabs by his arbitrary conduct aud extortion. They therefore seized the opportunity to lay
their complaints before the Governor General, who thereupon issued a manifesto that he had
come to repress grievances and would enquire into disputes, the result being that several
Portuguese officials who had wronged the natives were degraded and removed to Hormuz.
This policy of justice an 1 integrity on da Canha's part gave great satisfaction to the people
and had a very salutary eftoct in reducing the insolence of the Portuguese officers and improv­
ing their relations with the people, but unfortunately the good done wa« but transitory.
Nine days later daCunhu was at Muscat where he was also engaged in patting affairs
in order. The Governor, Sheikh Rashid, at once implored his protection against Reis Shereef,
the King’s Wazir at Hormuz, who had tried to murder him in revenge for the death of his
brother, Reis Delamir Shah. DaCunha, who had been informed of Rashid's former services,
promised him his protection and subsequently took him with him to Hormuz, where he obtained
his appointment as Wazir in place of Reis Shcreef, who was despatched to Lisbon in irons to
answer for his alleged crimes before the King.
The enrrent of affairs on the Arab and Persian coasts appears to have flowed on now for
some years with tranquillity, during which period Sohar and Kilhat, and perhaps other places,
were occupied, fortified, and garrisoned.
The systom adopted Ly the Portuguese in these places was to retain their political supre­
macy by holding the citadel or fort which overawed and commanded the town, but they did not
interfere with the internal administration, and the people were left to govern themselves in all
respects as they pleased, even iu the towns which had Portuguese garrisons.
For some forty years the all-powerfnl Tories had striven 'spasmodically to destroy the
growing power and commerce of Portugal in the East, but they do not appear to have extended
thoir operations to the Persian Gnlf until the year 1546, when four Turkish galliots, after destroy­
ing Kcshccn and Dhofar, anchored at Muscat and bombardod the town. After throwing oast-
iron shot of a prodigious size into the place and causing torrible consternation, bat not mnoh
damage, they sailed away again without venturing to land their men. Some days later a
vessel arrived from Dhofar bringing envoys from the ruler of that plaoe to complain of the
aarkish proceedings in having battered their town and built a castlo there, and to implore iht