Page 16 - Journal of the Cenral Asian Society (1960)

224 risen ki. (22] 1251 IM-.KSI AN (JUI.F ANI> ITS JKWISII SMTTI.KMKN 225
and commerce. Persian Jews were to be found not only in the
sea-hound Mediterranean commerce and in Constantinople,6*
Baghdad, and Aleppo, but also in the sea-bound Persian-Indian
trade. It is probably not accidental that the Italian traveler
Pietrodi lla Valle met on the boat from India a Jewish merchant
"who had lately dwelt in Ormuz and came to Sindi by sea", who
obviously undertook many commercial journeys. He must have
been well acquainted with the political and economic conditions
of the countries from where he brought his merchandise, and the
Italian traveler calls him "a sagacious person".41
The role of Jews in the oversea trade of the Persian Gulf
area is furthermore well attested by Figueroa. This very keen
observer, in describing the attack of the joint English-Pcrsian
forces against the Portuguese in Ormuz, states that the attack
on Ormuz came so much as a surprise that the Portuguese had
no time "to transfer the enormous quantity of merchandise of
which Ormuz was full and which belonged to rich merchants
such as Banians, Indians, not to speak of those which belonged
to the Portuguese, Arab or Jewish merchants".64 That the Jews
were well-known as a factor in the Orient trade is clearly indi­
cated in a report of A. dc Gouvca who visited Persia on behalf
of Spain and had an interview with Shah Abbas I in Meshhed,
in 1602. The Shah, in assuring this Spanish envoy freedom for
all merchants of all religions, was obviously aware of the presence
Sr
of Jews and their participation in the commerce in Ormuz, since
he promised that "he will see to it that all merchants, Christians,
I
Moors, Jews, and Gentiles (Indians) can freely and unhampered
go to Ormuz".65
64 See 1 kilts I JcrnschwaniV. Tagebuch (1553-1554) in extracts in MGWJ.
p. 109 If. It js wf interest to note that amongst prisoners taken to Malta and
\ ciiicc wen* also Persian Jews. See Cecil Roth: Jews of Malta {Transactions
of the J II istorical Satiety) London 1931, \ol. XII, p. 203 fT.
•> The Travels of Pietro della Valle in India (1622) cd. K. Grey in Hakluyt
Society Tub. London 1891. Vol. II. p. 401.
*4 Figueroa |. p. 465-468. See also C. liavaiii, I. c. p. 79.
** Antoine de Gouvca: Hisloire Orientate des Grands proejes dc l Egjisc
Catholic, Anvers 1609, pp. 716-717; and the same author’s Relation des Crnndes
••iterres el 0htenue< par dm Abbas. Rouen 1646, pp. 56-5*>.
I
In this Orient trade not only Persian Jews but also those
from other countries actively participated. It is to be noted that
at that time Turkish Jews from Brusa in Asia Minor had com­
mercial dealings in silk with Ormuz, and it is even stated that
they were the first to introduce into Turkey the silk worm."’ The
Kesponsa collection of R. Moshe Alshaikh has preserved a very
illuminating report on a certain Yahuda Gabbai from Brusa who
visited Ormuz for business purposes, probably in connection with
the silk trade, and who returned via Shims where he was assasi-
nated because he refused to travel with a caravan on the Sabbath.
In this connection mention ought to be made of particular
difficulties which Jewish merchants encountered in their trade
journeys. The travel and transportation difficulties of the 16th
and 17th centuries prevented the merchant from traveling by
himself. For reasons of security alone a merchant who intended
to embark on a long overland journey through deserts and across
hostile and dangerous territories had to join a caravan, which
guaranteed a gre.it degree of protection and safety. For Jewish
merchants who adhered to the traditional observance of the
Sabbath and who refused to travel on this day the joining of
the caravan presented added difficulties. European travelers to
the Near and Middle East refer repeatedly to this peculiar
problem. "Whenever a large group of Jews crossed the desert
with one of the merchant caravans, they insisted in resting upon
their Sabbath. If they could not bribe a caravan leader 1.0 camp
for most of that day. they w ould pay for the services of a guide or
even of an escorting guard, in order that the> might ride on ahead
of the main body of the caravan the day before, or else rest first,
and then catch up with it again the day after their Sabbath".67
Pedro Teixeira had occasion during his travels to report again
I and again "we had in advance certain Jews of the caravan with
i
an Arab whom in such case the captain used to give them for
escort in return for certain services due at the end of the trip.
These go ahead that they may rest on their Sabbath, when they
,A On Ilrtisn -cc hint ytlopedia Judaica, Ynl. II pp. 1114-1115. Sec also Nie­
buhr, Vol. Ilf. p. 111-145 on BruN*Ts -ilk trade in I7n7.
*? See C. I'. Gr.mi l lir Syrian /'» mt/. New York l'UK, p. S3, p 355.