_ 354 _ They were removed from their total control of the kingdom, where, between them, they had been receiving more than two hundred thousand xerafins which figured in the King’s accounts, as well as spending as much again which did not figure in the accounts. Of the two hundred thousand xerafins of which he was severe, the King actually received only less than half, and this was still enough for the King to spend on his kingdom as he wished. Thus, Afonso de Albuquerque not only freed these Kings of ormuz from the tyranny of their governors, but also made them masters of what was theirs. Before we proceed, it is appropriate to give a special account of the fate of the Kingdom of Ormuz and of its revenues. For if we understand how great those revenues were, how appalling the earlier corruption, and how small the tribute imposed on the King by Afonso de Albuquerque, we can see that the King of Ormuz, in being a vassal of the King Dom Manuel, was not subjected to oppression, but received assistance. If the corruption of those governors of his had continued, or if Afonso de Albuquerque had delayed in delivering the King from it, nothing would have remained of the house of Gordunsha, the first founder of the Kingdom of ormuz. From what we saw of one of the ledgers recording the revenues and expenditure of this kingdom, the revenues
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTg0NzAy