The
Pirates
of Malabar,
by John Biddulph 
===========
== *Introduction
by FWP*
== *Views
of
the Malabar Coast*
== *Author's
preface*
*Chapter I: The Rise of European Piracy in the East*
Portuguese pirates--| From the Gulf of Cambay on down the Malabar Coast, c.1700's-1850's: ports (with forts) | |
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MAPS of the
Malabar
Coast during this period; *maps
of the Gulf of Cambay region* |
 |
Nieuhoff's early depictions of Malabarians, 1703 |
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On a promontory in southern Gujarat was the Portuguese fort of DIU |
 |
SURAT had been the Mughals' chief port, but it was gradually supplanted by colonial-period ports to the south of it (including, over time, Bombay) |
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South of Surat was the Portuguese fort of DAMAN |
|
BAY* |
Bombay, on the "good bay" that the British had acquired from the Portuguese, was growing rapidly, protected by its Bassein Fort |
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Just a bit south of Bombay was the
Siddis' island fort of JANJIRA, which lived on
piracy and was never conquered by any Indian or colonial power |
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Then, as we move further southward, came DABUL |
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Next the small fort that Bellin calls "Andarajapour," that seems to be RAJAPUR |
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Then came GERIAH, at the heart of what was sometimes called the "Pirate Coast"; for a vivid account see *The Pirates of Malabar* |
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The small port of VENGURLA was an early Dutch settlement (1638) |
|
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Next came the Portuguese stronghold of Goa |
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Just to the south of it was ONORE (modern Honavar), an English fort besieged by Tipu Sultan in 1784 |
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BARCELORE was one of the smaller port towns |
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MANGALORE came next |
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A bit further to the south was CANANORE |
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TELLICHERRY was an early English spice trading center, from 1638 until 1794 |
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Next came the small French fort of MAHÉ |
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Then there was CALICUT (modern Kozhikode), a longstanding and important trading center, though by this time on the decline |
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Then came CRANGANORE [Kodungallor]; near it once lay *Muziris*, an important Roman trading port |
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COCHIN was, like Goa, Daman, and Diu, an early Portuguese trading center |
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QUILON was one of the last links in the chain, before Cape Comorin |
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Finally came ANJENGO, another early English trading center like Tellicherry (1684) |
