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3.3 Hormuz moves to Gerun 14c.

The original city of Hormuz was situated on the mainland in the province of Mogostan of the kingdom of Kirman. It was destroyed, date uncertain, either by one of the princes of the Seljuk dynasty that reigned in Kirman, or by the Mongols. At this time (c. 1301) the inhabitants moved to the neighbouring island of Jerun.^[1] An account was written by Túrun Sháh who reigned on the island from 1347 to 1378 states that the kingdom of Hormuz was originally on the mainland and had been founded by Arabs who had come over from Arabia but gives no date. It was during the reign of Mir Bahdin Ayaz Seyfin, fifteenth king of Hormuz (c. 1301), that Tartars, descendents of Jenghis Khan, raided the kingdom of Kerman and from there to that of Hormuz. The wealth of Hormuz attracted raids so often that the inhabitants sought refuge off the mainland and initially moved to the island of Kishm. Mir Bahdin then visited the island of Jerun and obtained it from Neyn, King of Keys, to whom all the islands in the area belonged. Mir Bahdin was the fifteenth king of old Hormuz and first of the new Hormuz.^[2] Abbé T G F Raynal gives the following account of Hormuz in his history:

 

Hormúz became the capital of an empire which comprehended a considerable part of Arabia on one side, and Persia on the other. At the time of the arrival of the foreign merchants, it afforded a more splendid and agreeable scene than any city in the East. Persons from all parts of the globe exchanged their commodities and transacted their business with an air of politeness and attention, which are seldom seen in other places of trade.The streets were covered with mats and in some places with carpet, and the linen awnings which were suspended from the tops of the houses, prevented any inconvenience from the heat of the sun. India cabinets ornamented with gilded vases, or china filled with flowering shrubs or aromatic plants adorned their apartments. Camels laden with water were stationed in the public squares. Persian wines, perfumes, and all the delicacies of the table were furnished in great abundance, and they had the music of the East in its highest perfection … In short, universal opulence, an extensive commerce, politeness in the men and gallantry in the women, united all their attractions to make this city the seat of pleasure.^[3]

 

·       Friar Odorico da Pordenone

Friar Odorico da Pordenone, a Franciscan friar also known as Oderic, began his famous journey to China in either 1314 or 1318. Travelling overland through Kerman in Persia he embarked at Hormuz in 1321^[4], and spent four years in China.^[5] Oderic having passed through Chaldea writes in his journal on approaching and entering Hormuz:

 

From thence I came into lower India, which the Tartars overran & wasted. And in this countrey the people eat dates for the most part, whereof 42 li are there sold for lesse than a groat. I passed further also many dayes journey unto the Ocean Sea & the first lande where I arrived, is called Ormes, being well fortified, and having great store of merchandize and treasure therein. Here also they use a kinde of Bark or shippe called Jase, being compact together onely with hempe. And I went on board into one of them, wherein I could not finde any yron at all, and in the space of 28 days I arrived at the city of Thana, wherein foure of our friers were martyred for the faith of Christ.^[6]

 

·       John Mandeville

There is some dispute that Sir John Mandeville, otherwise known as John of Burgundy, ever travelled abroad but he did write a book in which there is an account of Hormuz allbeit that many say he borrowed heavily from the work by Odoric. Mandeville is said to have started his travels from St Albans, England on Michaelmas Day 1322. This is his account of Hormuz:

 

Men travel through India by way of many countries to the Great Sea Ocean. Then they come to the isle of Chermes (Ormuz), whither merchants of Venice, Genoa and many other countries come to buy merchandise. But it is so hot there that the men have their testicles hanging down to their thighs because of the violent heat, which weakens their bodies. Men of that country who know what to do bind them up and use certain cooling astringent ointments to hold them up - other wise they could not live. In this land and in Ethiopia and many other lands men and women frequently go to the rivers and lie in them all naked from under (mid-morning) of the day until it be past noon, because of the great heat of the sun. Women there are not ashamed if men see them naked. much ugliness can be seen there. In this isle there are ships made without nails or strappings of iron, because of the rocks adamant in the sea, which would attract ships to themselves. there are so many of these rocks in those parts that if any ship in which there was any kind of iron passed that way, it would be drawn to the rocks by the power of the adamant, and would never get away again.

From this island men go by sea to the isle of Cana (Thana), where there is great plenty of wine and corn. Once it was a very big island, with a good harbour; but the largest part of it has been washed away by the sea. The King of that isle was once so great and powerful that he fought Alexander the Great. The people of that isle have a variety of religions: some worship the sun instead of God, some fire, some snakes, some trees, some the first thing they come across in the morning, and some worship simulacres and some idols.^[7]

And also merchants can get all they need in the isle of Cathay - spices, golden cloth, and other rich things; and they are reluctant to go to Pentoxere because of the long way and the dangers of the sea. For there are many places in that sea great rocks of the stone called adamant, which of its nature draws iron to itself. And because no ships that have iron nails in them can sail that way because of these rocks, which would attract the ships to them, men dare not sail there. The ships of that part of the world are all made of wood with no iron. I was once in the sea, and I saw what looked like an island of trees and growing bushes; and the seamen told me that it was all great ships that the rock of adamant had attracted and caught there, and that all these trees and bushes had grown from the things that were in the ships. So because of these dangers and others like them, and because of the distance, they go to Cathay. And yet Cathay is not so near that those who set out from Venice or Genoa or other places in Lombardy do not spend eleven or twelve months travelling by land and sea before they arrive in Cathay. The land of Prester John is many days’ journey further. Merchants who do go there through the land of Persia and come to a city called Hermes (Ormuz), because a philosopher called Hermes founded it. Then they cross an arm of the sea and come to another city called Soboth or Colach (Cambaye); there they get all kinds of goods, and as plenty of parrots as there is of larks in our country.^[8]

 

·       Ibn Battuta

The great Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta born at Tangier on 25 February 1304, passed through Hormuz on at least two occasions. His account of Hormuz whether it be on his 1331? or 1347 visit is still worth recalling:

 

I travelled next from the land of 'Oman to the land of Hurmuz. Hurmuz is a city on the sea-coast, and is also called Mughistan. Opposite it in the sea is New Hurmuz, and between them is a sea passage of three farsakhs. We came to New Hurmuz, which is an island whose city is called Jarawn.

It is a fine large city, with magnificent bazaars, as it is the port of India and Sind, from which the wares of India are exported to the two 'Iraqs, Fars and Khurasan. It is in this city that the sultan resides, and the island in which it is situated is a day's march in size. Most of it is salt marshes and hills of salt, namely the darabi salt; from this they manufacture ornamental vessels and pedestals on which they place lamps. Their food is fish and dried dates exported to them from al-Basra and 'Oman. They say in their tongue Khurma wamahi luti padishdni, which means 'Dates and fish are a royal dish'. On this island water is an article of price; it has water-springs and artificial cisterns in which rain-water is collected, at some distance from the city. The inhabitants go there with waterskins, which they fill and carry on their backs to the sea [shore], load them on boats, and bring them to the city. I saw | a remarkable thing [there]—near the gate of the cathedral mosque, between it and the bazaar, the head of a fis has large as a hillock and with eyes like doors, and you would see persons going in by one eye and coming out by the other.

I met in this city the pious shaikh and follower of the Sufi path Abu'l-Hasan al-Aqsarani, from the land of al-Rum by origin, who received me hospitably, visited me, and presented me with a robe. He gave me also the 'girdle of companionship', which is used for tying up the ends of one's robes; it supports one who is sitting and serves as something to lean on. Most of the Persian poor brethren wear this girdle.

At a distance of six miles from this city is a place of visitation called by the name of al-Khidr and Ilyas (on both of whom be peace). It is related that they used to pray there, and there have been obtained at it blessings and evidentiary miracles. There is at the same place a hospice inhabited by a shaikh, who maintains the service [of food] at it for wayfarers. We stayed with him for a day, and from there went to visit a pious man who lives as a recluse at the end of this island. He has carved out for his habitation a cave, in which is a hermitage, a sitting-room, and a small chamber in which he keeps a slave-girl. He has slaves outside the cave, who tend cattle and sheep of his. This man was one of the principal merchants, then he went on pilgrimage to the [Holy] House, renounced all attachments, and devoted himself to religious exercises at this spot, having transferred his wealth to one of his brethern to use in trading for him. We spent one night with him, when he treated us with exceeding hospitality (God be pleased with him), and the marks of goodness and of pious exercises were plainly visible on him.

Account of the Sultan of Hurmuz. He is the sultan Qutb al-Din Tamahtan [Tahamtan] b. Turan-Shah, one of the most generous of princes, exceedingly humble, and of excellent character. It is his custom to visit in person every jurist or pious man or sharif who comes to his court, and to give to each one his due. When we entered his island, we found him occupied in preparations for war with the sons of his brother Nizam al-Dm, and on every night he would make ready for battle. Meanwhile the island was in the grip of famine. We were met by his vizier, Shams al-Din Muhammad b. 'Ali, his qadl 'Imad al-Din al-Shawankari, and a number of distinguished persons, who presented their excuses on the ground of their present situation of engagement in war. We stayed with them for sixteen days, and when we were about to leave I said to one of my associates 'How can we go away without seeing this sultan?' So we went to the vizier's residence, which was in the neighbourhood of the hospice where I lodged, and I said to him 'I wish to salute the king.' He replied 'In the name of God,' took me by the hand and went with me to his residence, which was on the shore, with ships of war drawn up on the beach beside it. And lo and behold, [there was] an old man, wearing long cloaks, both skimpy and dirty, with a turban on his head, and a kerchief for a waist girdle; the vizier saluted him and I saluted him too, not knowing that he was the king. At his side was his sister's son, 'Ali Shah b. Jalal al-Din al-Kiji, with whom I was already acquainted, so I began to converse with him, not knowing the king. When the vizier informed me of the fact, I was covered with confusion before him, because of addressing my conversation to his sister's son instead of to him, and I made my excuses to him. The king then rose and went into his residence, followed by the amirs, viziers, and officers of state;I entered along with the vizier and we found him sitting on his throne, wearing the same clothes without any change, and with a rosary in his hand made of pearls such as eyes have never seen, because the pearl fisheries are under his authority. One of the amirs sat down at his side, and I sat down at the side of that amir. The king asked me about myself and my arrival, and about the kings that I had met, and I answered him on these matters. Food was served, and those present ate, but he did not eat with them; after a time he rose and I said farewell to him and went away.

The reason for the war between him and his brother's sons is that once upon a time he sailed from his new city for a pleasure outing in Old Hurmuz and its gardens, the distance between them by sea being three farsakhs, as we have already mentioned. His brother Nizam al-DIn revolted against him and proclaimed himself king, and the people of the island, as well as the troops, gave him their oath of allegiance. Qutb al-Din, fearing for his life, sailed to the city of Qalhat (which has been mentioned above, and is included in his dominions); he stayed there for some months, equipped ships, and came to the island, but its people fought against him on his brother's side and put him to flight. He returned to Qalhat and renewed his attack several times, but could find no stratagem [to succeed] until he sent an emissary to one of his brother's wives, whereupon she poisoned his brother and he died. He now came to the island and entered it, while his brother's sons fled with the treasuries, moneys and troops to the island of Qais, where the pearl fisheries are. They set about intercepting the merchants of India and Sind who were making for the island and raiding his coastal territories, with the result that the greater part of them have been devastated. We travelled next from the city of Jarawn ...^[9]

 

The Abbé Raynal gives us another view of the newly established city of Hormuz:

 

Hormuz became the capital of an empire which comprehended a considerable part of Arabia on one side, and Persia on the other. At the time of the arrival of foreign merchants, it afforded a more splendid and agreeable scene than any city in the East. Persons from all parts of the globe exchanged their commodities and transacted their business with an air of politeness and attention, which are seldom seen in other places of trade. The streets were covered with mats and in some places with carpets, and the linen awnings which were suspended from the tops of the houses, prevented any inconvenience from the heat of the sun. Indian cabinets inlaid with gilded vases or china filled with flowering shrubs, or aromatic plants, adorned their apartments. Camels laden with water were stationed in the public squares. Persian wines, perfumes, and all the delicacies of the table were furnished in the greatest abundance, and they had the music of the East in its highest perfection. In short, universal opulence, and extensive commerce, politeness in the men and gallantry in the women, united all their attentions to make this city the seat of pleasure.^[10]