Baloch–Portuguese conflicts

In the 1500s, under the leadership of Afonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese seized Hormuz and began campaigns against perceived threats along the Makran Coast.^[1]

The Makran Coast was home to economically significant ports, but also drew Portuguese attention due to the presence of Nautaques, groups labeled as pirates, who disrupted maritime trade.^[2]

In the early 16th century, during their voyages to India, the Portuguese launched their initial raids on the Makran Coast in 1505 under Afonso de Albuquerque, targeting settlements they accused of harboring pirates.^[1] By 1506, under the reign of King Manuel and the Viceroyalty of Francisco de Almeida, they had established control over several locations along the coast, with records indicating the conquest of various ports and towns in the region.^[3]

The Nautaques were often involved in persistent piracy, particularly after the 1550s. Despite efforts to suppress these pirate activities, including the king of Hormuz paying protection money to the Nautaques and sending naval expeditions with the help of Portugal, the Baloch forces continued their attacks. In 1515, Shah Ismail I of Persia sought Portuguese naval support to eradicate the Nautaques, but the joint operation was unsuccessful.^[4]

In 1547, Captain Manuel de Lima reported an attack on a Portuguese ship by the Nautaques, who captured the vessel, killed the crew, and looted its cargo. They also had attacked a Muslim vessel and had wounded those that resisted them.^[5]

In 1549, a Portuguese fleet under the command of Luís Figueira, at the request of the rulers of lower Sind, raided Baloch settlements along the Makran coast. During the campaign, one Portuguese ship ran aground, and the local inhabitants attacked, killing all the Portuguese on board and capturing the ship along with its artillery. Another Portuguese ship was lost on a sandbank, though its crew managed to escape.^[6]

An Ottoman fleet, commanded by Admiral Seydi Ali Reis and dispatched by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, aimed to punish the Portuguese and safeguard Hajj pilgrim ships. Malik Jalal, the ruler of Makran, and his administration supported the Ottoman fleet with material aid, facilities, and ships.^[7] Seydi Ali's mission would end in a failure.^[8]

In 1581, the Portuguese sent their first punitive expedition.^[9] Under Dom Luís de Almeida,^[10][11] the Portuguese attacked and devastated the coastal towns of Gwadar, Pasni, Tiz, and Kalmat.^[2][10][11] The attack of 1581, which left a mark on the memory of the people of Balochistan for centuries to come, was probably the most brutal and atrocious. It was likely a punitive action against the coastal population who were providing help and provisions to Ottoman Turkish fleets.^[7] The Portuguese were then evacuated from the coasts of Makran in a decisive battle.^[12]

In Balochi literature the ballads recount a series of land skirmishes and naval engagements, where in the final battle, Hammal Kalmati (or Hammal Jîhand) was defeated, captured, and deported to either Goa or Portugal. The Portuguese persuaded Hammal to adopt European customs and marry within their culture, which he refused. Efforts to secure his release failed, and he ultimately died captive.^[13][14] It is believed that after Hammal's capture, the Portuguese began ransacking the coastal towns of Makran. Pasni, Gwadar and Tiz were all again looted and burnt down in 1581.^[14]

The other expeditions, taking place in 1585 and 1586, resulted in failure, particularly the 1585 expedition, led by Pedro Homem Pereira, ended in disaster.^[9]

In 1583, forces led by the Malik of Makran successfully repelled a Portuguese raid on Pasni.^[2]

Prior to the attacks, Abbas I had welcomed Portuguese diplomatic overtures, however, Safavid forces continued to put pressure on the Portuguese. In 1615, Safavid forces, using 300 terradas with the help of the Niquelus and Nautaques, launched attacks on Portuguese vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.^[15][16]

In 1619, Rui Freire was sent to the Persian Gulf by Lisbon to reinforce Portuguese control over their territories, eliminate the Niquelus as well as coastal settlements on either side of the Persian Gulf and expel the English from Jask.^[17] On one of these expeditions, the Nautaques were practically exterminated.^[18]

Between 1649 and 1688, the Baloch, in cooperation with the Ottomans during the reign of Imam Al-Yarabi Maltan bin Saif of Oman, expelled the Portuguese from Muscat, Matrah and Mombasa, which European historians mention Baloch control under the leadership of Al-Yaraba.^[12]

The fall of Hormuz marked the end of Portuguese full dominance in the Persian Gulf and the start of English presence that lasted 300 years.