BIBI FATIMA AND THE KING’S SONS
First published in Sharjah 2018. First published in 2018 in Arabic as “Bibi Fatimat Wa'Abna' Almalik” by: Al Qasimi Publications. Copyright © 2018 by Sultan bin Muhammad al-Qasimi. The moral right of the author has been asserted. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, Without written permission from the Publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. * Al Qasimi Publications Dr Sultan Al Qasimi centre P.O.Box: 43344 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Tel.: 00971 6 5589549 Fax: 00971 6 5589056 Email: alqasimi.publs@gmail.com ............................................ Printing Permission: National Media Council, Abu Dhabi, LAE, No. MC 03-01-8595339, Date: 21-10-2018. Printing: Digital World Printing Press, Sharjah, UAE Age Classification : E * ISBN: 978-9948-39-977-3
5 Foreword This is the story of an ambitious woman who clings to the faltering rule of the kings of Hormuz under the Portuguese occupation. The novel offers a detailed description of social life in Hormuz, while touching upon the military, political and economic situation prevailing at the time. The Author
7 Contents Chapter One: Hormuz 9 Chapter Two: King Ferug Shah 19 Chapter Three: Prince Feroz Shah 31 Chapter Four: Bibi Fatima 47 Chapter Five: Prince Turan Shah 65 Chapter Six: Prince Muhammad Shah 83
9 Chapter One Hormuz
11 At the entrance to the Arabian Gulf, there is a 45-mile long area between the Arabian Peninsula and Persia. Some small islands may be found there as well. The main island, and by far the largest amongst them, is Hormuz which used to be known in the past as Gerun. Hormuz stands in 27° N. latitude; nine miles from the Persian coast, thirty miles from the Arabian coast, and it is just over nine miles in radius. It is an extremely barren land; nothing green grows there, hardly ever. The only things of benefit there are the rock-salt and Sulphur mines. It also has three perennial springs, but no other sources of drinking water. In spite of these extreme conditions, all kinds of supplies are available in abundance: game, fresh and dried fruit found anywhere in the world, as well as fruit that are totally different from European ones. They all come from Persia in large quantities. The city of Hormuz is located in the island
12 with two excellent ports close by: the eastern and western; one commercial and the other military. Opposite the city, but in the same spot, there stands the fortress against the sea. It has two entrances: one opens to the city and the other to the sea. This meant that entering and exiting the fortress was possible from land while allowing access to it from the sea as well. In addition to the military port, there is also a large gunpowder factory, where the Portuguese army throughout the Indian Ocean get its supplies. The city of Hormuz is the most renowned commercial centre and marine port in the world. It is a meeting point for trade that exceeds all the east and west markets put together. It also has a large port for all kinds of horses shipped from Arabia and Persia to India. The city provides the Portuguese and the Muslim Kings of India with what they need. As a result, the importance of the Hormuz Fortress to the Portuguese kings who possess it cannot be underestimated. Its loss would cause the greatest of damages imaginable to the Portuguese. In the city, there live around 200 married Portuguese, many local inhabitants and residents, around 7000 people. This is in addition to the
13 Portuguese merchants who come and go, as well as the Portuguese soldiers stationed there. As for the Muslim and Indian population, their numbers were about 40,000; not to mention the Persians, the Turks, the Mongols and the various other traders that bring their goods for trade and leave. The king of Portugal owns the Customs House in Hormuz. It was given as a gift to the kings of Portugal in accordance with two decrees issued by the kings of Hormuz. Previously, the customs house used to be rented out. However, after the kings of Hormuz were defeated repeatedly by the Portuguese, particularly since Afonso D. Albuquerque in 1514 suppressed their revolt, the Portuguese took it over. In addition to falling subordinate to the Kings of Portugal and the fact that there is a Portuguese fortress there, the kings of Hormuz were not allowed to have arms. As a result, they could not keep the sea open to merchants bringing their goods over and pay customs on them. Perhaps, the main reason for customs collection is the fact that the sea needs to be open for trade activities and a strong fleet is needed to control piracy on land and sea. After the Portuguese kings took over Hormuz, the custom tolls became “rightfully” theirs, since
14 they were obliged to protect the sea and keep it open for business. Such burden was lifted of the shoulders of the local kings of Hormuz who revolted against the Portuguese, but were then forced militarily to give allegiance and be obedient to Portugal yet again. Hormuz has the biggest port in the entire east. Italian Venetians, Greeks, Armenians and Jews are seen there all the time. Most of the days of the week are marked as holidays for one or another of the groups of residents: for Christians, it is Sunday; for pagan Hindus, it is Tuesday; for Muslims, it is Friday, and for Jews, their Sabbath is Saturday. The population of Hormuz city comprise people from all nations. If you happen to go one day to visit a friend, you would see that he lives in a house where there reside Christians, Jews and pagans; all living religiously independent from the others. In spite of their religious differences, they all keep good neighbourly relations as they talk to and visit one another socially with no restrictions. On the island, there are Christian churches, Muslim mosques including the Grand Mosque with
15 its high minarets, Jewish synagogues as well as pagan pagodas. To the west of Hormuz is the land of Persia. To the east is Arabia. From both lands come all that Hormuz needs: abundant quantities of corn, water, wood, and many varieties of fruit. More than 400 boats spread across the port and found there all the time provide secured means of transport. The boats have different names based upon size, place of manufacture, kind, etc. In the Hormuz Fortress there exist 70 large cannon pieces; all bronze. The Fortress is surrounded by a moat, making it difficult to be taken over easily. It is constantly guarded by more than 500 soldiers. There are always ships in the port coming from all over India, and bringing all kinds of products. Among them are textiles and medicines. They all get shipped from there to Persia, Arabia, Turkey and even Europe. Everything may be found there in abundance: meat, fish, bread, canned food such as jams, dried fruit, etc. They get sent to India in large quantities. The Hormuz trade is by the far the largest and
16 greatest for the whole of India. Large numbers of horses are sent annually from Persia and Arabia to India. These are beautiful pure-bred Arabian horses given very special care by the Muslims in particular and are used by Muslims, Hindus and Christians all over India. They mainly come from Muscat, and Bahrain. The Arabian horses are known for their agility and immaculate origins. Large quantities of silk come from Persia together with all different kinds of carpets, medicinal herbs, diverse goods and monies. What the Persians get in return are the various types of textiles, porcelain, tin, sugar, indigo dye, and medicines. From Basra comes money in the form of silver coins and alloy, camel hair textiles, all other kinds of woven materials, saffron, paper and fabric. Also, via Basra, the Italian Venetians bring glassware, small jewelry and many other products from which the King may collect some customs. Hormuz also exported many kinds of goods to Basra, Syria, Mesopotamia, Turkey and Armenia.
17 Such goods included garlic shipments, royal sceptres, cinnamon, cardamom, textiles, porcelain and Indigo dye. All shipped in large quantities. As such Hormuz became the destination for all goods going to India from anywhere then finding their way to anywhere in the world. Even black pepper, 1 which was banned many times, used to come through the Strait of Hormuz in large amounts to be sold in the markets of Arabia. This was also the case for many other products which were exported to various parts of the world. In spite of the fact that the Island of Hormuz was rugged and barren, it had all kinds of goods and products in abundance, to the point that it became known as the Centre of the World. The locals as well as the neighboring Persians used to say: “If the world were a ring, Hormuz would be its jewel”. In addition to the huge and diverse trade activities that Hormuz enjoyed, it also was a large store for all kinds of medicinal drugs, natural cosmetics, etc. The best medicinal herbs worldwide used to come from Persia, in addition to many kinds of perfumes and the best antidotes in the world whose price was 1. Black pepper was used in Europe to preserve meat. Trading in pepper used to be a Portuguese monopoly.
18 three times what came from Malaga. The currencies used in all the territories under the authority of the Kingdom of Hormuz are: 1- Lari: a silver coin of the Kingdom of Lar; it looked like woven wires and it held the seal of the Lar Kingdom; 2- Reis: the smallest Portuguese brass coin; 3- Cruzado: a gold Portuguese coin; each Cruzado is equivalent to 400 Reis. 4- Pardo: a gold coin of East India. The visitor to Hormuz gets amazed by it and its people, whose salt comes from the mountain, wood from the sea, and whose bricks that float on water. This is owing to the fact that the mountains of Hormuz are abundant in salt while the wood comes from the mangrove trees which grow in shallow brackish sea beds. As for the building bricks, they are brought from the island of Qishm where the coral is brought up from the bottom of the sea and becomes spongy when dried and as a result they float on the water.
19 Chapter Two King Ferug Shah
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21 It is early 1588, and Hormuz city looks stunning with its multi-storeyed buildings, narrow alleys which are busy with residents who are a mix of races, as one can tell by their national costumes. It is cold in contrast to the absolutely unbearable heat of summer which begins in May till September. More than others, the Muslim woman is the most to suffer in such weather conditions, since she covers her face with a niqaband her veil covers her head and goes down to hide her neck and breast area. We now head to the King’s Palace. Close by, we see the schools and instructors who provide religious education as well as the students. Opposite to the Palace is the wazir’s house. In front of the Palace, there are guards with rifles which are not in abundance, since rifles cannot be possessed by anyone but the Portuguese. We enter the Palace through the large exquisitely engraved gate in order to get to the large court where the King’smajlis is. There, we could see the king sitting
22 on his large throne. To his right and left are seats for the local dignitaries as well as the Portuguese and Hormuzian administrators. The king is Ferug Shah bin Muhammad Shah (known as Abunasser Shah) bin Turan Shah bin Salgor Shah. Salgor Shah was infamous among the locals as he had capitulated to the demands of the Portuguese and demolished all the houses of his followers and close supporters near the Portuguese fortress, as well as some of his luxurious palaces nearby in order that the fortress might not be affected in any way owing to the proximity of those buildings. Turan Shah succeeded his father Salgor Shah for a short while. When he passed away in 1536, disputes over the right of succession started. Turan Shah had two sons: the eldest was Muhammad Shah (Abunasser Shah) and the other was Shaikh Jawid. For one year Muhammad Shah ruled Hormuz, then died. His brother, Shaikh Jawid, was supposed to succeed him. However, Ferug Shah -son of Muhammad Shah- managed to seize power and banished his uncle, Shaikh Jawid who, in turn, raised the issue to the Portuguese authorities and demanded the rule as rightfully his, as well as making requests
23 to receive his inheritance left to him by his father. Enraged, Ferug threatened to kill him and refused to hand him any inheritance, claiming that the monies that Shaikh Jawid wanted were not his father’s, rather they were State property. As a result, Shaikh Jawid ended by living in misery and destitution in Goa where the PortugueseVice-regent resided. At the end of November 1587, Shaikh Jawid died and his son pursued his father’s claims against the king of Hormuz in the Appeal Court, Goa. Ferug Shah sat in hismajlispreoccupied with what the court might rule. To his right, his wazir Rais Nuruddin, sat and next to him was his brother and aide, Sharafuddin who used to take his place when he is not there. Nuruddin had given his sister, Latifa, in marriage to Ferug Shah, an as a condition of his approval to the marriage, he agreed with him that if Latifa were to have a son, he would become his heir to the throne of Hormuz. Queen Latifa did have two sons from Ferug Shah: the eldest was Prince Muhammad Shah bin Abunasser Shah, and the other Prince Turan Shah. However, Ferug Shah had another son called Feroz,
24 from a concubine. Feroz’s status was an issue of dispute, as one time Ferug Shah would recognize him, but other times he would not. As for Rais Nuruddin, he was married to Shah Zinan, the widow of Rais Murad Daylamitia (of the Daylamites), the Judge of Bahrain. He came from the line of the kings of Lar. In her previous marriage, Shah Zinan had a daughter, Halima, who was now 15 years old, and a posthumous son, Murad bin Murad whom they nicknamed Daylamitia and was now 14. From Rais Nuruddin, Shah Zinan had a beautiful daughter who was now 4 years old. Her name was Fatima, but her parents called her Habiba Nuruddin; others called her Habiba Fatima, while foreigners call her Bibi Fatima, a name by which she became known. To the left of king Ferug Shah sat the commander and actual ruler of Hormuz, Matias de Albuquerque. He used to chat with the young people attempting to convince them to relinquish their religion and become Christians. He always invited them to his house and offered them food. His daily work was not the running of the affairs of the island, but rather converting Muslims to Christianity. He
25 was successful in doing so with the son of Shaikh Jawid who converted after the death of his father in 1587, and took another name, Dom Jeronimo Joede. This happened in Goa. Here in Hormuz, Matias de Albuquerque was endeavouring to convert 15year old Halima and her younger brother, Murad Daylamitia to Christianity. He even promised the young man, Murad, that if he converted, he would make himwazir of Hormuz, and become in charge of the financial records, thefindag . Halima and Murad showed interest in what Matias de Albuquerque was offering and started receiving lessons on the Christian faith. A few days before, Matias de Albuquerque had spoken to Rais Nuruddin, the wazir of Hormuz, and asked him for Halima’s hand in marriage to the Christian son of Shaikh Jawid. At the time, no one knew of his conversion. Rais Nuruddin, however, refused politely and said that would anger the king of Hormuz. Into themajlisof King Ferug walked a young man, Niamatullah, with his untidy outfit, thick beard and scary looks. He was the king’s nephew and a staunch enemy to Matias deAlbuquerque. He owned an Islamic school and led a national front against the
26 missionary activities of Matias de Albuquerque. He approached the king, kissed his hand and then took his seat next to that of Rais Nuruddin. He was breathing heavily and his heart was about to jump out of his chest. He had something he wanted to say and was getting impatient about it. Just before coming to the king’s majlis, he had bumped into Halima as she ran out of Rais Nuruddin’s house chasing her little sister, Fatima. Halima had lifted herniqabup and was showing her beautiful face. As they almost collided, Halima took a step backward while looking at Niamatullah waiting for him to move out of the way in order to catch her little sister. But Niamatullah stood his ground, and Halima ended by slamming the door in his face. In the king’s majlis , Niamatullah spoke softly to Nuruddin. The king then asked Nuruddin about their whispering. “Your Majesty, your nephew, Prince Niamatullah, is asking for my daughter Halima’s hand in marriage,” Nuruddin said. “Let it be, with the blessings of Allah,” the king said. Upon hearing this, Matias de Albuquerque
27 stood up in anger and said repeatedly “This cannot be; this cannot be,” then stormed out of the court. King Ferug Shah, his wazir and everyone in the majlis became very displeased at such indecorous behavior. As a result, the king decided that the marriage take place immediately. The Imam of the Grand Mosque was called in and the marriage ceremonies were conducted. Acting as Halima’s proxy, Rais Nuruddinmarried her off to Niamatullah. Halima then found herself forced into this marriage by the king, her step-father wazir Nuruddin, and her relatives. She resigned to their will, but in her marriage with Niamatullah, she never made it easy for him to live with her, and the marriage was never consummated. One day, Halima told Niamatullah that she wanted to visit her mother. She told her mother that she never wanted to live with or see Niamatullah ever again. As a result, she stayed at her mother’s, neither married, nor divorced. Then, she made contacts with someone who was the son of a Portuguese man. He had been born in Hormuz and taught her how to read in write in Portuguese. She told him that she could no longer stand to see Niamatullah or continue to live with him. She asked him to inform the Christian
28 monks of her predicament and that she wanted to convert to Christianity to be freed from the bond of marriage to Niamatullah. The man agreed to help her and contacted the people in charge of the Hormuz Monastery. The news was reported to Matias de Albuquerque who could not believe his ears and rushed immediately to the royal palace to speak to the king of Hormuz. He told the king about Halima’s situation and that the king of Portugal, who accepted no injustice against anyone under his rule had also been informed of what happened. “If you are unable to rule Hormuz with justice, there is someone else who can do so; the case of the son of Shaikh Jawid has not been settled yet,” Matias de Albuquerque said threateningly. Upon hearing this, King Ferug Shah approved Halima’s divorce from Niamatullah. The monks then decided that Halima and her brother Daylamitia should leave Hormuz to Goa. Owing to the complexity of the situation, they had to wait until Matias de Albuquerque was about to leave as commander of Hormuz to return to Goa.
29 Arrangement were made to the effect that Halima would leave from Rais Nuruddin’s house at night to the house of a rich Portuguese man. That would facilitate her move afterwards to the military ship which was prepared to sail with Matias de Albuquerque on board. In spite of the fact that this was an extremely difficult operation, it was successful and Halima together with her brother accompanied Matias de Albuquerque on board of MSNossa Senhora de Conceicao. In Goa, Daylamitia the son converted to Christianity at the hands of Matias de Albuquerque. He also took the name of Afonso in memory of Afonso de Albuquerque who had successfully conquered Hormuz. As for Halima, she took the name Filippe, after Felipe, the King of Portugal. She the married Antonio de Azevedo, who was given Hormuz Fortress to rule as decreed by the King of Portugal. On her way back by ship to Hormuz with her husband and brother, Halima passed away, and was buried at sea to become fish food. Afonso Daylamitia returned to Hormuz and
30 waited to be appointed wazir and be in charge of the customs financial records when he became of age as he previously promised.
31 Chapter Three Prince Feroz Shah
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33 In 1591, three years after the unfortunate Halima-Murad-Niamatullah episode, Latifa, wife of king Ferug Shah and sister of wazir Nuruddin, passed away. Not long afterwards, Nurruddin himself also died. This meant that the post of Hormuz wazir had now become vacant. Afonoso Daylamitia bin Murad who was now a Christian convert, had been promised this position. However, the king of Hormuz had set a condition before approving such an appointment: he wanted to marry Zinan Shah (known as SayyidatuNisa ), Afonso’s mother; a proposal she accepted even before her son could have a say about it. As a result of her marriage to king Ferug Shah, Sayyidatu-Nisa took her seven-year old daughter Fatima, and her son, Afonso Daylamitia, being the new wazir, and moved to live in the king’s palace with the king’s sons: 14-year old Muhammad Shah and his 13-year old brother, Turan Shah. There, in the palace, they had their private quarters.
34 Sayyidatu-Nisa was in her glory; she sat on her special throne with her daughter Fatima next to her. She had her ownmajlis , wore a crown and the finest most expensive clothes. She received the upper class ladies of the Hormuz society as well as the island’s visitors. She was covering all those exhorbitant expenses from the revenues of the customs house that her son collected. She claimed her wealth came from her inheritance after both her former husbands Nuruddin and Murad had passed away. She gave gifts to all her visitors, and as a result, hermajliswas always well-attended. When she sat on her throne, she filled it with her body and flamboyant dresses. And, she was stunning to look at; all her guests, for as long as they were there, could not keep their eyes off her. In spite of the fact that she was 33 years of age, she looked like a young woman. After the death of Nuruddin, many men flocked to her, asking for her hand in marriage. In the palace, Fatima grew up and was called Bibi Fatima. She was raised with her cousin Muhammad Shah. They became playmates. She would wear her mother’s crown, and he would wear his father’s crown, and they would both pretend to be king and queen. They were in love with each other and it looked like their marriage was a matter of time.
35 By early 1598, it was obvious that king Ferug Shah was getting too old to do much. He even became unable to come out to his majlis . Wazir Afonso Daylamitia was taking good care of him since he lived in the palace with his mother, being the king’s wife. Realizing that he was getting too old, Ferug Shah decided to give up his crown as king of Hormuz to his son, Muhammad Shah, whose mother was Latifa, sister of the late wazir Nuruddin. To secure an easy transition, king Ferug wrote a letter dated 14th April 1598 to the Viceroy in India, D. Francisco da Gama. He said: “I am thankful to your Excellency that you remember my son, Prince Muhammad Shah. I believe he is a man who will do all he should as a good vassal. I hold total faith in him, and I beg of Your Excellency to approve his appointment in my place in accordance with the desire of my people. The Portuguese residents of the city like him very much, too. He has all the necessary qualities for this post. As for me, I am too old and feeble and wish
36 to spend the rest of time in peace and free myself to the worship of Allah. Therefore, I ask your Excellency to approve my request. I pray that Allah protect you and give you long life”, Dated: 14th April, 1598 at Hormuz. On 16th April 1598, however, Feroz Shah also wrote a letter to the Viceroy in India. He said: “I beg of your Excellency to allow me to inform you of the matters of the State here. Your envoy saw with his own eyes how things are here. Perhaps, he would have a more informed view of the situation; even better than what I may write. I am certain of Your Excellency’s justice and the trust that you will treat me with, as if you were my father. I pray to Allah to grant Your Excellency long life in order that the State may prosper and that your Excellency be granted many victories. Allah is the One who is Able to do so … etc”. Hormuz, 16th April, 1598.
37 Your Prince of Hormuz, Feroz Shah Signing his letter with “Prince of Hormuz” was a clear act of defiance of his father’s will. A third letter was also sent by Turan Shah in late April 1598 to the Viceroy in India. It came after Muhammad Shah gave up his claim to succeed his father. The letter said: “Hormuz, …April 1598 From: Prince Turan Shah To: Dom Francisco da Gama, Viceroy in India My Lord, I came to know from the letter that Your Excellency had sent to my father that you are in good health. May Allah keep you always as such for the prosperity of the State, and in order that I feel happy that you are so. I knew from your letter that you had given advice to my father, since he needed more rest and was not in a condition to run the
38 affairs of the State, which are currently weighing heavily on its shoulders. But, under your service, things will become easier and all matters will be arranged in better ways. As this opportunity has availed itself, I would like to remind your Excellency of myself requesting that you may kindly allow me to tell you more about myself: I am a legitimate son of King Ferug Shah and Latifa, Queen of this kingdom. I am the youngest son. Before my father married Latifa, sister of Rais Nuruddin, he had agreed with Nuruddin as stated in government documents that in the case of the birth of a son, he should inherit the throne of the kingdom. Both Muhammad Shah bin Abunasser and I are legitimate sons who were born in a lawful marriage in accordance with our laws. Moreover, my father graciously granted me honour through his decree regarding my position in the State. All I ask is Your Excellency’s grace and assistance through providing me with the
39 support to confirm my position, as it is true and just. I am certain that Your Excellency will do so for me. I intend to send someone to Your Excellency at the time of themonsoons; someone who can request such from your Excellency in person. He will bring with him the aforementioned documents in order that you may approve them since my father is already too old and cannot be trusted with anything. All things are in the Hand of Allah, and I may find myself later in trouble with my brothers. This is why I dared to write these lines toYour Excellency requesting that you may send me your approval, and I will always remain at your service and will do so as a duty upon me. Your Lordship … etc”. (…) April 1598. Prince Turan Shah. * D. Antonio de Lima was appointed Commander of the island of Hormuz.
40 When he arrived in Hormuz, he found that the main reason for the unstable conditions there was the dispute that arose between Feroz Shah and Turan Shah over the succession to the throne, both being sons of king Ferug Shah. Their conflict had grave consequences in Hormuz itself. D. Antonio de Lima did not last long in Hormuz as on 28th December 1598 he passed away as a result of illness, it was said. He was succeeded by D. Luis de Gama, appointed as the military Commander of Hormuz Fortress by his brother D. Francisco da Gama, Viceroy in India. In early 1599, the Viceroy in India sent a message to the military commander of Hormuz since the fortress commander had not arrived then. He informed him that if the issue of the king of Hormuz succession was brought up that he was to refer the running of the State to the eldest son of king Ferug Shah. He also stated clearly that such commission should continue until such time as the Viceroy in India duly made a determination regarding that case The Viceroy in India also wrote another message to Afonso Daylamitia, wazir of Hormuz,
41 instructing him to give his sister, Bibi Fatima, in marriage to the succeeding king, Feroz Shah; and that he was to defuse the situation should his sister and mother react negatively. * Afonso Daylamitia rushed out of the customs house to the king’s palace with the two letters in his hand.Arriving at the Palace, he headed for his mother who was entertaining her guests in her majlis . He called her to the door leading to the living quarters and read to her, in a low voice, the letter sent to the king regarding handing the throne to Feroz Shah. Shocked by what she heard, Sayyidatu-Nisa screamed: “What a disaster! What a disaster!”. All the women-guests rushed to the door when they heard her scream. Afonso Daylamitia, then, softly read to her the other message while the women eavesdropped. Now, in a complete state of shock, SayyidatuNisa started to shout:
42 “The slave is to marry my daughter?! A debased slave in the palace is to be the husband of Bibi Fatima, the granddaughter of Khosrau?! He was my glorious grandfather! How could this be? Her father is Nuruddin, grandson of al-Hassan son of Imam Ali and Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah! I named my daughter after her!! How could the granddaughter of Muhammad, Prophet of Allah marry a slave?! This is not going to happen! Never!” Then, they both rushed to king Ferug Shah to inform him of the letters. In the meantime, the women of themajlis who heard all that was said rushed out of the palace, and in no time the roads of Hormuz were busy with veiled women running from one house to another, and doors opening and closing. The news spread like a house on fire. The whole city knew what happened. In the palace itself, the dispute between the brothers got so aggressive that they physically fought against each other. Following this,
43 Prince Turan Shah travelled to Goa to present his protest to the Viceroy in India, while Muhammad Shah travelled to his uncle, Rais Badruddin, the Chief Judge of Magestan. * The news arrived in Goa, and the Viceroy in India learnt that the situation in Hormuz had dramatically deteriorated. All the fortresses under the king of Hormuz were by then in danger of attack by the Arabs in the Arabia peninsula as well as the Persians in the adjacent territories. This situation could potentially have drastic consequences for India which was under the rule of the King of Portugal. The Military Commander in Hormuz related the news to the Viceroy in India, who in turn presented it to the Council of Chief Commanders. They examined the situation and concluded the following: “The military commander in Hormuz must force the king of Hormuz to provide the fortresses with all the food supplies and other needs as necessary; the king
44 should be watched carefully and closely; his properties and possessions must be seized to ensure that the fortresses receive the supplies they require. In addition, all necessary tasks and businesses must continue as usual. But, his kingdom is not to be taken away from him since there are no reasons or justifications enough for such a step. The Viceroy in India must write to the king of Hormuz to convince him to allow his eldest son to rule after him. The king has also to try to marry his son to the wazir’s daughter since this may lead to defusing the situation and settle things in a better way. Whether such marriage is conducted or otherwise, the king of Hormuz must let his son rule the country on his behalf since his son has the required skills and capabilities. The military commander must hand him (the son) the rule of the country and the father (king of Hormuz) must declare
45 that he is stepping down. cc- Military Command in Hormuz for implementation” cc- King of Hormuz cc- Wazir Afonso Daylamitia Consequently, Feroz Shah took over after his father, Ferug Shah, announced that he was to step down for his eldest son, who would continue to be his deputy until he (the king) passed away. Feroz Shah seized all powers in the country except for the customs house and its revenues.
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47 Chapter Four Bibi Fatima
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49 By early 1601, the entire government of Hormuz was in Feroz Shah’s hand. The only thing out of his control was his marriage to Bibi Fatima which turned to be a tug of war between him and Sayyidatu-Nisa. One day, when Feroz Shah was walking out of the Portuguese fortress after a meeting with the military commander, he saw -opposite the fortress gate- the open door of the house of Rais Badruddin, Chief Judge of Magestan. He went over, knocked on the door and was welcomed by Rais Badruddin who ushered him to hismajlis . “The Portuguese are under a terrible strain; their powers have weakened and the Arabian tribes are attacking our territories on the Gulf coasts and the on the coast of Oman,” Feroz said. “On the Persian side, our stations are also threatened by the Persian forces. How is the situation where you are in Magestan?” He asked.
50 “Your Highness knows the mountain area close to the Persian coast opposite Hormuz; it extends all the way to the borders of Kerman where the Magestan Tezreg fortress is. This area has the only road leading to Kerman and the northern regions. Most of the income comes from the services provided to the caravans and taxes collected therefrom. If this area were to fall into the wrong hands, the government of Hormuz would be deprived of those revenues. In actual fact, I had come here to request from you strengthening the fortresses and towers there as well as supplying them with men and arms,” Rais Badruddin said. “Are we threatened by Lar”, Feroz Shah asked. “Lar itself is under threat from the Persian forces,” Badruddin responded. “It will not dare attempt to invade Magestan especially after we had taught them an unforgettable lesson.” “You were there when Magestan was retrieved. Tell me how this happened so that
51 we may take necessary precautions,” Feroz Shah said. Rais Badruddin started telling Feroz Shah the details of how it all happened. He said: “I was with my brother, wazir Nuruddin, your father and the Portuguese troops. After the eldest son of the king of Lar occupied that region in 1582, news arrived that his father had passed away and that his younger brother seized power in Lar. He immediately returned to Lar with his conquering troops to take Lar back from his brother. However, he left behind a garrison in Tezreg fortress and another garrison in Shemel. The Portuguese forces which were accompanied by the king of Hormuz, Ferug Shah, managed to retrieve the fortress of Tezreg, but could not do the same with Shemel. So, they lay siege to it for a long time without any results. We came to know that there were Larian spies who penetrated the Shemel people, and those were supplying the Shemel fortress with foodstuff, using baskets tied to ropes which they dangled down from the top of the fortress. As the high palm trees
52 were very close to the fortress, those activities were not detected on time. Eventually, one of the chiefs there mediated between the warring parties. He proposed to the king of Hormuz that the Larians would leave the fortress unarmed provided that the king of Hormuz pledges their protection from the time that they leave the fortress until they reach the crossroad leading to the Lar Kingdom. This was agreed; but when the Larians got down to the valley, at the beginning of the road from Shemel, the Shemel locals attacked them killing them all”. This enraged the mediating chief who mounted his horse and rushed at full speed to the Portuguese camp on the plateau near the fortress, while shouting “Goncalo2 , Jeronimo3 .” These were the names of Portuguese officers in charge of this campaign. He went through the commander’s tent from one side with his horse and came out of the other speeding like a bullet where the tents of the 2. D. Goncalo de Menezes was the Commander of Hormuz fortress. 3. D. Jeronimo de Mascarenhas was the General Commander.
53 soldiers were located. But as soon as the soldiers saw him, they attacked him with their swords and left his body in pieces. The king was angry at what the Shemel locals did. They responded saying that those Larian soldiers had violated their honour when they first came to Shemel”. Rais Badruddin then changed the subject and said, “I have come here to inform your father, the king, that his son, Muhammad Shah, had asked me for my daughter’s hand in marriage. I told him that I must speak to your father, the king, first. Would you allow me to go and meet your father?” “I, too, have come to ask you that I may marry your niece, Bibi Fatima, as per the order of the Viceroy in India,” Feroz Shah said. “I heard about this,” Rais Badruddin said. “I have no objections to this request, but I must seek the approval of the king as well as the girl.” “Let us then go to the palace,” Feroz answered.
54 Those left in the palace were old king Ferug Shah with his wife, Sayyidatu-Nisa, and their daughter Bibi Fatima and their son, wazir Afonso Daylamitia. They also had some servants in one side of the palace near the kitchen area. Feroz Shah and Rais Badruddin arrived in the palace and asked Sayyidatu-Nisa if they could see king Ferug Shah. She allowed them so. In the king’s presence, Rais Badruddin asked him how he was and then told him of Muhammad Shah’s proposal to marry his daughter. Ferug Shah responded approvingly. Then Rais Badruddin told the king of Feroz Sha’s proposal to marry Bibi Fatima. The king said that Rais Badruddin should go and ask her himself if she accepted Feroz’s proposal. Rais Badruddin left to speak to Bibi Fatima. He called her over and told her of Feroz’s wish to marry her. She gave no answer, either positively or negatively. Instead, she withdrew to tell her mother of what she had been asked. Rais Badruddin returned to the king who asked him about what Bibi Fatima said.
55 “She was silent,” Badruddin responded. “Silence gives consent,” the king said. “Let them be married.” Bibi Fatima was then married off to the son of the king of Hormuz, Feroz Shah. Although it was expected that a son would succeed his father as king, Feroz Shah was the son of bond woman. His rights compared to the rest of the king’s sons were somehow of a special nature. In some strange way, they possessed what their father had possessed, that is, they owned Feroz’s mother since their father had not granted her her freedom. At the same time, Bibi Fatima was the daughter of the king’s brother-in-law and the sister of the high-ranking wazir in whose hands was all the government powers including the judiciary, implementation of justice and control of the finances to the highest degree. Feroz Shah insisted on consummating his marriage to Bibi Fatima who kept procrastinating and pretending to be unwell. Eventually, it was decided that she should move to her husband’s within only one week. Bibi Fatima reacted swiftly. She sent a number
56 of messages to the Priest through the young man who was her Portuguese language instructor. In her messages, she begged him to instruct her regarding what she could do to achieve her purpose. She also reported the situation to the military commander. Naturally, she was aware of all the risks involved in order to accomplish her objective. She also understood that the Priest was doing all he could to help her. In her correspondence with the military commander she had used the same means of communication, and wrote that she was being neglected and that the responsibility fell upon his own shoulders since her life was in danger as well as her eternal salvation. She said the situation was desperate and it was important that her request as a Muslim woman seeking help be answered, and that one would really have to have a very strong reason not to take a risk in such a momentous situation like hers. The military commander responded saying that if such was the case he needed a sign from her regarding the veracity of her claims. He said he would be in an open area outside the city at a certain hour and he needed her confirmation when he was
57 on his way. He said he could reach a desirable conclusion if she was to confirm what she said, and that the sign he wanted for such confirmation was that she sent him her dress. Bibi Fatima sent him one of her silk Bajoo outfits which was worn in those areas like a shirttype. It was clear that no delays could be afforded to respond to such justifiable requests for help. Bibi Fatima was living in one of the apartments in the royal palace together with her brother and mother. There were also other people. For someone like her living in such a place, one could imagine the kind of problems that could result if her plan was to be discovered. First, she pretended to be sick and in need of rest in order that she could recover from an illness which was totally different from what her mother thought it to be. The military commander called Alvaro de Avelar, the general commander of the fleet, and informed him that he needed to keep some criminals as prisoners in a place where he himself had to be there with 50 soldiers, and that he should be ready to
58 come over to help in case something were to happen. Using the same story, he instructed thehajibto wait in another place. He also called for Simao Ferreira, the interpreter, who was a man of wide powers and fame among all nations. He asked him to wait in a third place. He held a secret party for him and then instructed him to watch the gate of the wazir’s house where Bibi Fatima might come out, and to open it if need be. They discussed the situation and agreed that Simao Ferreira was to go to wazir Afonso Daylamitia, Bibi Fatima’s brother, on behalf of the military commander and instruct him to conduct negotiations with some Persian traders who had just arrived as well as with others who had returned from Hajj . The idea was that the gates of the port would remain open. The military commander warned Simao Ferreira that should he hear some noise or disturbance, he was to tell the wazir on his behalf that no disturbance should occur otherwise he would be reprimanded for mutiny. Then soldiers and arms were placed in the fortress. This was followed by sending an order to the navy commander regarding the procedure to follow in case of any incident that might occur.
59 At night, the military commander left, lightly armed, with the Priest and the young man, who was a decoy. With the young man as their guide, they entered through the gate of the wazir’s house. At the time, he was too busy with the port issues. They went upstairs until they reached the entrance to a room. They stayed in the dark while the young man gave Bibi Fatima a message. As soon as she got the message she came out alone looking for them where they were hiding. She was in shock as she approached the military commander. She touched his hand to confirm that he had one finger missing, this being the thing to confirm his true identity. It was him. She realized that her wishes would soon come true. “Let the Lord, God, do with me what He pleases,” she said. Before the Priest, she reiterated the same confessions, then they all went downstairs. Arriving at the gate, the military commander and thehajibtoo charge of the situation. They took her to the house of Simao de Costa, the Treasury supervisor, a man of great respect and power in the city. He lived near the fortress.
60 At the port, the locals were making noise as they waited for the disembarkation of arriving pilgrims. The soldiers approaching the port also made some loud noises. They were to prevent the pilgrims from getting off the ship. The military commander told the wazir to calm his people down in order that he could discuss the situation the following day. The wazir was pleased and things calmed down. … The military commander withdrew to the fortress leaving Bibi Fatima maximally guarded where she had been brought earlier. Bibi Fatima herself was very pleased of her escape. Early the next morning, the king together with around 5000 of Hormuz locals were at the gate of Rais Badruddin’s house which overlooked the open court in front of the fortress gate. From there, the king sent a bitter complaint to the military commander about Bibi Fatima’s kidnapping and requested that his daughter-in-law be returned and that His Majesty disapproved of what occurred. The military commander sent an envoy with a message to tell all the Arabs who are not related to the family or in the service of the king that they had to remain in their houses under the threat of death
61 in case of disobedience. He informed them that the Muslim lady, Bibi Fatima, was ready to receive a delegation and that he had given his permission not only to the Muslim clerics to come, but also to Bibi Fatima’s mother and the wazir, Afonso Daylamitia. Upon hearing this, the Priest shouted in Portuguese addressing the Portuguese crowd in the fortress: “This is the greatness of our true and pure faith. The issue can be discussed with no deception or bribery tarnishing it, rather we can address it freely and confidently in broad daylight, in the open and in a public place. This religion of ours has attracted this free and noble woman, and God’s glory would be even greater, as our enemy would be in total confusion at the end of the battle.” The military commander then instructed Fatima to explain through the interpreter and in the presence of all attending whether she had been convinced through deceptive means or coercion to change her faith. “I was not influenced by deception or coercion; I voluntarily desired to leave the Islamic Faith and embrace Christianity,” Bibi Fatima said.
62 TheMuslim clerics were in shock and a number of them stood up shouting and cursing. Bibi Fatima’s mother as well as her friends and maids, were all in tears feeling sorry for her. But Bibi Fatima kept calm and composed while standing her grounds like a solid rock. The military commander accompanied a number of Local dignitaries together with some major chiefs to the fortress to visit wazir Daylamitia, Bibi’s brother. There, he showed then the message Bibi Fatima had sent him as well as her outfit which she had sent as a sign to the veracity of her claims. The military commander then ordered that Bibi Fatima be Christened. The widows of the fortress were then beautifully decorated and so were the roads they walked through and arches of triumph. The fortress and fleet cannons were fired, all kinds of musical instruments were played and games with military music and celebrations ensued in jubilation. Bibi Fatima’s conversion was celebrated as if she were the promised one. The military commander with a group of Portuguese then took her in her festive gown to the ship that sailed with her to Goa, India.
63 Hormuz and neighbouring territories talked much about the granddaughter of the Prophet of Allah, who turned Christian. The news went as far as the court of Shah Abbas in Isfahan. As for Feroz Shah, he was furious. To avenge himself, he removed Afonso Daylamitia from his post as wazir and customs director telling him that he was the cause of what happened. In his place, he appointed Rais Sharafuddin, brother of Rais Nuruddin, who was his aide. Afonso Daylamitia objected to the military commander who advised him to raise the issue with the Viceroy in Goa. In Goa, Daylamitia complained to theViceroy who, in turn, advised him to head for Portugal and to speak to the king of Portugal about the situation. Daylamitia sailed immediately to Portugal. In Lisbon, the king of Portugal received Daylamitia well and then sent him a decree acknowledging the fairness of his claims. However, he honourably sent him to one of India’s fortresses to be in charge of it. Daylamitia began sailing from Lisbon to India. Arriving at Cape of Good Hope, Daylamitia died. He was buried at sea and became foodstuff for the fish.
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65 Chapter Five Prince Turan Shah
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67 In spring 1601, the talk of the town was the granddaughter of the Prophet of Allah relinquishing Islam and becoming a Christian. Prince Feroz Shah had no other option but to divorce Bibi Fatima. He then married the daughter of his wazir, Rais Sharafuddin. As for Sayyidatu-Nisa, she had nothing left for her in Hormuz except her bed-bound husband, the old king. Before Feroz Shah could turn against her and seize all her wealth and jewelry, claiming that it was all the property of the State stolen by her son from the customs revenue as he used to say, she decided to act pre-emptively. She knew that if the old king passed away and Feroz Shah seized absolute power as king, he would punish her for what she had spread about him among the people. Therefore, she gathered all her money and jewelry and left to the fortress at night. There, she said to the commander: “I wish to become a Christian, and I request that I may receive protection against Prince
68 Feroz Shah for he wants to retaliate against me. I also want to go to live with my daughter there. It so happened that a Portuguese ship was leaving at dawn. They put her on board and with the early rising sun, Sayyidatu-Nisa made her way with her money and jewelry to the open sea heading for Goa. As the son rose, the news spread like a house on fire that the king’s wife had become Christian and fled to Goa. The locals away from the palace were saying “Queen Latifa, the daughter of nobility, the granddaughter of the Prophet of Allah became Christian!! How could that be?!” The news was in everyone’s mouth. “She is the sister of Rais Nuruddin, former wazir of Hormuz. She is the sister of Badruddin, Chief Judge of Magestan. And she is the sister of Rais Sharafuddin, current wazir of Hormuz. What an utter shame!”
69 People’s sharp tongues leave no one unscathed. As a result, Rais Sharafuddin, wazir of Hormuz, had to stand in the Grand Mosque after the Jumu’ah prayers on Friday to explain to the people the truth of the matter and that his sister, queen Latifa, had passed away many years ago. It was then that the issue was put to rest. Arriving at Goa, Sayyidatu-Nisa was met by her daughter, Bibi Fatima, who was so pleased to see her mother again. Prince Turan Shah, son of king Ferug Shah who had claims to the throne also welcomed her arrival. As Bibi Fatima and Turan Shah were living in extreme poverty, SayyidatuNisa spent lavishly on them after she married them to each other in accordance with the Islamic faith. To this arrangement, the Archbishop of Goa objected and was in rage. Bibi Fatima had then to explain that her conversion to Christianity was only a pretend in order that she could get out of the marriage that was forced upon her previously. As the year 1601 was coming to a close, Feroz Shah took his mother, the bond woman, to his father’s room, and asked him to grant her her
70 freedom from the bond of slavery. This, the father did. Then, Feroz Shah asked his father to marry her as a free woman. This, he did, too. Not long afterwards, king Ferug Shah passed away after he had ruled the kingdom of Hormuz for 36 years. His succession became an issue of dispute again between Feroz Shah who took over the rule of Hormuz and Turan Shah who had claims to the throne which he brought before the authorities in Goa. In February 1602, the Viceroy in India, Arias de Saldanha, interfered and ruled in favour of Feroz, being the eldest son. However, he was to be a governor only, until the dispute was settled once and for all. In 1606, the Archbishop of Goa who, at the time was the Ruler of India in the absence of the Viceroy in India, D. Martin Afonso de Castro, was eagerly waiting for such an opportunity. As the Viceroy was away, he ordered the arrest of Turan Shah and put him in prison charging him with sodomy. For a whole year afterwards owing to the absence of evidence to support this charge, the Archbishop of Goa, Acting Viceroy in India, exercised his authority to force upon the court judges
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