Page 18 - Journal of the Cenral Asian Society (1960)

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220 FI SC UK L [18]
Th6vcnot (1663-1666), the French traveler, provides us with
some hints as to their numerical strength, stating that the Jews
arc even more numerous in Lar than in Shiraz; they have a
quarter to themselves near the hill on which the castle stands.46
When Tavernier (1668) visited Lar, he got the impression in
view of the size of the Jewish community there, that "the store
of the Jewish nation that have passed into Persia settled in
Isfahan and Lar”.17 Also the frequent reference in the chronicle
of Babai ibn Lutf to the Jews of Lar allow us to draw the
conclusion that Lar was indeed an economic and, as we shall see
further, a cultural and political center in the 17th century.41
It was at that time also that Muscat, which was the leading
port in the Gulf of Oman and commanded the entrance into the
Persian Gulf, renewed its Jewish settlement. Figueroa, who
visited the place in 1617 found there "about fifteen or twenty
Jewish families all poor and miserable”.4’ Being one of the
hottest cities in the world, Muscat was not visited by many
Europeans. But records, though scanty, attest the continuous
existence of a Jewish settlement there as late as the 19th century.
Niebuhr found in 1765 a small colony of Jews, the head of which
he called "Sheikh of the Jews”.5®
About 1820 "few Jews and no Christians” arc stated to have
V
been in Muscat. But the Muscat Jewish community seemed to V great varietx of attractive merchandise exhibited by the Jews in
have received an influx of Jewish settlers in the early part of
the 19th century from Baghdad, according to Wellsted,51 as a
result of the oppression of the Baghdadian Jews by the Ottoman
Pasha Daud. The famous Jewish traveler Rabbi David d’Beth
Hillel found in 1828, probably before the new wave of immigrants
Lar; cf. Hasan i Rumli: A Chronicle of the early Sefavids, ed. and transl. by
C. N. Seddon. 1934, p. xiv.
* Jean de Thevcnot: Relation d'un voyage, Paris 1674, p. 411.
11 I. B. Tavernier: Les six voyages Paris 1681. Vol. II, p. 137. See also
Bernier: Travels in the Mogul Empire (1656-1668) p. 431. "It is certain that
many Jews are settled in Persia at Lara . . ."
«* \V. Bacher 1. c. pp. 48, 93, 98. Lar and bander Abbas are always men­
tioned together in the chronicle.
" L'Ambassade .... 1. c. pp. 19, 55.
*• Description de TArabic, 1774, Vol. II, p. 85.
*' J. R. Wellsted: Travels in Arabia, (London 1838), Vol. I. p. 15, pp. 21-22. some few retail intoxicating liquors."
[!<>l PERSIAN GULF AND ITS JEWISH SETTLEMENTS 221
from Baghdad, only four Jewish families and a small synagogue.
He speaks very highly of the Sultan of Muscat, who "is a very
excellent, fine, and charitable man to all the nations, particularly
to the Israelites, whom he calls 'Vlad Sara' fthe children of
Sara)".*1
6
The Economic Structure
It seems that the Jews of the Persian Gulf region shared the
occupational stratification with the rest of their co-religionists
in Persia. Like the Jews in other parts of Persia, they too were
active in main branches of trade and handicraft. They were
millers, weavers, dyers, tailors, shop-keepers, goldsmiths, agents
in small businesses, and brokers but they were not active in
money-lending, a profession engaged in by Indians. The manu­
facturing of wine, not being permitted to the Mohammedans,
was one of their monopolies, in Shiraz as well as in Muscat and
elsewhere.'This was not only a source of income but also a
steady source of trouble and conflict. In the trade with drugs
and spices, with antiquities and jewelry, and with textiles of
all sorts. Persian Jews had attained fame and prominence. The
See Travel> R David d'belli Hillel. Madras 18.^2. pp. 110— 116. See ihe pres­
ent writer*- -ludy: "Tl*e Jews of Kurdistan.” above Note 4. There was also a
|ewi>h roinmuniiy in Sohar in the territory of Oman. In 1848 benjamin II met
hi Ma-c.ttt only one Jew . H.tji Ezekiel, originally from baghdad, who for ele\cn
vears had functioned a> English consul there. He i« "the only Jew in Makati
with the exception of his black household whom he has converted to Most*
ism”. Benjamin II met some Jews in the places adjacent to Muscat amongst
which Sohar is mentioned, (benjamin II: Eight years . . . p. 179.)
;J MI our ^Mirces give ample evidence of this economic structure of Persian
Jews. See Fryer 1. c. Vol. II. p. 247. Raphael du Mans: Eslal de la Perse
1600 ed. Schefer, Paris I8Q0. pp. 193-194. Cornelius de Bruin: Travels into
.1 fusewv, I'mia (17.17). London 1890, Mil. II. p. 4ft. "There arc about 700
poor Jewish families in Shiraz; they inhabit a particular quarter and are wine
dressers for the generality". Figueroa I. c. p. 19; Tavernier 1. c. p. 304/305.
Wellsted I. c. p. 22. "Their avocations in Maskat are various, many being
employed in the fabrication of silver ornaments, other in shroffing money ami