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a reply had been receied from Bombay, the Chief at Gombroon preented ships from
ssiling to Basidore, including the Shaih's on ship sailing from Malabar on route to
its on po٤12 on receiing instructions from Bombay to use naal force carefull,y
the Chief ordered the Bittia and to more ships to blocade the shai'hs port
The blocade, hich lasted for more than months een though the port as
thought to be an easy target, resisted until, surprisingly‫ﺭ‬2‫ ﺃ‬Mia Ali, the persian
commande,r urged the Chief to brea the blocade because it as seriously
distrupling shiping in the Gulf and because it threatened to unify the rAabs of the

‫ﻣﻭ‬I‫ﺞ‬4 Mira Ali fu.rther indiceated that persian ohfficials ere een totprotect
trading acitity of the port. The Company's aciton as taen ithout any
consideration of to letters from the Shaih expressing good ill and offering
assistance and cooperaiton. Endeaouring to promote trade itihn his jurisdiction, he
requested a reduction in the cost of naal passes imposed by the English Agency on
indigenous shipping.1 Though the Shaih had laid a good foundaiton for
negotiaitons the Conpany's response as based on self interest rather than reason.

The accusaiton of piracy against the omanies, ho throughout the seenteenth and
early eighteenth cenutries ere fighting the portug‫ﻫ‬ese, as long associated ith the
Haalla Arabs. Some light is thron on Company assumpitons by an eent in the
summer of 12, hen an omani ship defected from the imam's authoriyt to the
Haalla ports. The ship as immediately accused of piracy by the Company and
orders ere sent to the Bengnl and the Bittin to find he.r But to out of four
members present as the factory's council refusd to authorise the orders on the
grounds that no eidence of piracy existed. They arg‫ﻫ‬ed that, though hte ship had
ahd opporutinites throughout the season to caputre rich ships heading up the Gulf,
no acts of piracy had been committed. The to members ere suspended from
counrtil and the orders ere modified so that the Haalla Shaih of Kung ould
hae to conifrm to the captain that an act of piracy had been coimmtted by the
ship.l9 Another example as the case of Shaih Ahmed Meddana ni 11. The
Beglairbeg had requested help from English ships to blocade the Shaih's cost hile
he attaced him on land. hTe Cihef had proided a sloop for that purpose and the
blocade as effecite and resulted in the Shaih's surrender to the persians. The
decision to help the persians as jusitifed by the Agent as a precauiton agaisnt piracy
and rebellion. Later in the same report, hoee,r the Agent explained that the
Beglairbeg‫ﻫ‬s motie as the seiure of Afghan ealth acquired by Shaih Meddana
rfom Afghan refugees in 12 1

hTe realiyt as that piracy had hardly been pracitsed agaisnt English ships by the
rAabs, hether Haalla or Omain. Hoee,r in 12, the Birttania as attacde at
laft and some members of the cre reported murdea.19 Te attac did not seem to
hae any piratical inteniton and too place ihle the Birttania as trying to force
some Haalla ships to pay the compan'ys naal 'pass'. The incident as immediately
settled through the intereniton of the poerufl Shaih Jubara of Barhain ho
promised to pay reparaiton of eighyt Tomands and gae assruances of firendly

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