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Joxa, 1924)
NOTES ON PIRAOY IN EASTERN WATERS
Arakanese and Portuguese. 810. In 1661 the Arakanese pirates seized the treasures of Shah Shuja, son of Shah Jahan and Governor of Bengal, who having rebelled against his father and taken refuge with the King of Arakan, had been forced by the latter to flee from his kingdom and had been killed in his flight," whether by the King's troops or the pirates is uncertain (Stewart, p. 281). Ac. cording to Hamilton (II. 5), certain Portuguese banditti, who were among his followers, formed a kind of settlement at the mouth of Rogues' River, 12 miles above Saugor, and committed piracies on the trade of the Hugli.
811. Gautier Schouten (II, 63—7) tells us that when he was at Pipli with the Dutch fleet in January 1663, twelve well-armed Arakanese vessels put in there. They were full of slaves whom they had taken, on their way through the passage of the Sunderbunds, in the towns and villages of which they had made a great booty of gold, silver and precious stones. These and the slaves they offered for sale to the Dutch, saying that the latter might visit them freely at Thieves' Island [? Rogues' River) if they wished to make purchases. “The Arakanese " says Schouten" are so cruel that they keep their prisoners tied hand and foot in their galleys, and even put a rope round their necks so that they cannot turn round or move. They keep them thus, half choked, lying on their backs under the rowers' benches, in 8 condition which is quite unbearable, and they suffer an inexpressible martyrdom." The Ara. kanese took only the young and strong, as the old people and children were unsaleable. They sold their prisoners to Moors, Christians and Hindus "to A cruel slavery, which however is preferable to lying in their galleys amidst their own ordure." Their galleys were long and narrow, built chiefly for swiftness, had no sails but as many as 38 or 40 oars. They were generally commanded by Portuguese captains who had handsome cabins. They paid tribute to the King of Arakan (see para. 180 above) in return for his protection, and from this he drew a large revenue. The Governor of Pipli was terrified of them, and as none of his people dared go near their ships, he was forced to send a Portuguese priest as his ambassador. He had good reason to be frightened, for though this visit of the pirates had been long expected, there was nothing to oppose them but a mud fort with ridiculously thin walls and a miserable armament. To avert an attack he was compelled to allow them to trade freely for their slaves and booty, they, in return for this privilege, giving him one tenth of the money they received. Schouten (II, 141-3) saw these pirates again at Jellasore in January 1664, but in this year Bengal at last received a Governor sensible and capable of his duty. Shaista Khan immediately set about preparations to deal with the pirates. He persuaded the Dutch Governor of Batavia to co-operate with him and, informing the pirates that the Dutch were about to attack them, offered his protection if they would submit without fighting. Some, under a certain Captain Moor joined him (Mukherji, Campos, pp. 164-166). Dilawar Khan (? Dilal Raja. See Imperial Gazetteer; or Dilal Khan,, Campos, p. 157) of Sandwip was defeated and made prisoner, Sandwip taken in December 1665, and the Arakanese fleet destroyed (Calcutta Review, LIII 71-73). Having got the Portuguese into his power, Shaista Khan, says Bernier, treated them "not as he should but as they deserved” (Pinkerton, VIII, 126). Many of the pirates were carried inland and settled in the interior of the Dacca District, where small Christian communities of their descendants are still to be found.
N.B.-Manuooi's account of these matters (II. 117–8) is very inaccurate.
69 It was also said that Shah Shuja escaped from Arakan and took refuge in the Loland of Bulu, where his tomb was to be seen over hundred years later (Orme, Hist. Frag.. P. 49).
'03 I suppose that this is not a name but the Portuguese equivalent for Captain-Major.
