ABSTRACT

Moreimportantly,asearlyasthe1770s,andespeciallyinthe 1790s,MasqatboughtEuropean-typevessels.Withthesetheycould sailtheopenseatoIndiaandeitherbuydirectlyorhireouttheir shipstocarrythecargoesdestinedfortheportsofsouthernIranand Bru:tra.(Thiswasquickerandmorelucrativethanthetraditional coastingmethod,wherebyMasqatidhowsmadetheirway,portby port,toIndia,buyingandsellingastheywentalong.)

ABritishreportsubmittedin1800estimatedthatthevalueof alltradeintheGulfwas1crore,60lakhsofrupees,or16,000,000 rupees,whichatthattimewereworthclosetotwomillionpounds sterling.20Thiswasaconsiderable,althoughnotanextraordinary, amount.WesimplydonotknowwhatportionofthisfelltotheAl Khalifahmerchants.TheBritishthoughtthatBal_lrain'ssharewas small.21ButitshouldberememberedthattheAlKhalifahcontrolled Zubarahaswell,andthatporthadforsometimebeenactiveinthe tradeofeasternArabia.Itwasestimatedthatthevalueofgoodsfrom IndiaimportedatBal_lrain'andtheadjacentpartsoftheArabian shore'amountedtotenlakhs,or1,000,000rupees,balancedbyan exportofanequalvalueofpearls.22AsImentionedbefore,bythe endofthecentury,Bal_lrainimerchantshadatleastsomeships capableofsailingdirectlytoIndianports,notablySurat,wherethey purchasedpiecegoods,basemetals,andthespicesandsugarthat originatedfromDutchJava.TheBal_lrainissoldtheseitemsallalong easternArabia,andatBru:tra,wheretheywereindirectcompetition withMasqatimerchants.23Attimeswhenthenorthwardcaravan routefromal-I:Iasawasclosed,asitwasin1801-02duetothe Wahhabiincursionsinto'Iraq,theAlKhalifahsoldvirtuallyalltheir IndiangoodsatB~ra,whichfurtherannoyedthe'Umanis. 24

Thefigureoftenlakhsofrupeesmayhavebeenonlyan educatedguess,butitisworthwhilenotingthatthisamountwas one-tenththeestimate,fromthesamesource,forthevalueoftrade atMasqat.Thecompetition,therefore,wasnotgreat,butitwas noticeableanditwasnew;somewhatsurprisingly,itwascoming fromapartoftheGulfthathadharboursinferiortoeitherMasqator

~uJ::iarandthathadfarfewervessels.Thisnewcompetition,coupled withtheabilityofBal_lrainisvesselstoevadeprotectionpaymentsat Masqat,wasthebasicmotivationfortheseriesofattacksbetween 1799and1802.