prepared and appointed Portuguese fleet equipped with heavy were scattered opposite the coast of India, : number of research missions to the spice countries to the feasibility of Portugal entering the spice trade for of those despatched was Joao Perez de Cuavelio who left his colleagues behind in Aden and betook himself to returned to Cairo accompanied by

doi:10.4324/9780203038017-15

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prepared and appointed Portuguese fleet equipped with heavy were scattered opposite the coast of India,

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ABSTRACT

DECLINEINTHEGULF BeforedealingwitheventsinOmanandelsewhere,twofactors shouldbeconsideredwhenassessingtherevolutionthatsubsequentlytookplaceinBahrainagainstthePortuguese.

Inthefirstplace,thepeoplesoftheGulfandEastAfricawere experiencingaperiodofdegenerationintheirsocialandpsychologicalcircumstances.Oneneedonlyreadletterssentbyshaikhsof thetworegionsinwhichtheyglorifyandhonourthePortuguese officialsandtheirmilitaryofficersinanutterlynauseatingand disgustingmanner.Attimes,sucheulogiesruntotwoentirepages: theyareguardiansofthelandandsea,protectorsofthefearful, vanquishersoftheirenemies...andsoon.Thefollowingaresome introductionstotheseletters...