Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History / The Portuguese Fortress of Hormuz: Gateway to the Persian Gulf
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked about a lot of Portuguese strongholds — Goa, Malacca, Diu — but there's one that often gets overlooked, and it was arguably the key to controlling the entire Persian Gulf: Hormuz. Luna: Hormuz — that's the island, right? Near modern-day Iran? Lucas: Exactly. It was a small, arid island at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, but it was incredibly wealthy because it controlled the trade routes coming from India, Persia, and Arabia. The kingdom of Hormuz was a major hub for spices, silks, and especially pearls. Lucas: When Afonso de Albuquerque arrived in the Indian Ocean, he realised that if Portugal could take Hormuz, they could choke off the Red Sea trade and severely weaken the Mamluks and later the Ottomans. So in 1507, just a couple of years after he'd helped take Goa, he set his sights on Hormuz. Luna: Wait — I thought the first attempt at Hormuz was earlier, under someone else? Lucas: Good memory! There was actually a Portuguese fleet that raided Hormuz in 1506, but it was Albuquerque who really made it happen. In 1507, he showed up with seven ships and demanded the king of Hormuz submit to Portuguese authority. The king, whose name was Saif al-Din, initially agreed and allowed the Portuguese to build a fortress. Lucas: But then Albuquerque ran into trouble — his captains mutinied, and he had to leave before the fortress was finished. He sailed back to India, and the Hormuzis promptly tore down what had been built. So it wasn't until 1515, after Albuquerque had firmly established Portuguese control in Goa and Malacca, that he returned to finish the job. Luna: So the second time around, he didn't mess around. Lucas: He came with a massive fleet — 27 ships and over 1,500 men. The king of Hormuz at that point was a young boy, and his regent, a guy named Khwaja Ata, tried to resist. But Albuquerque blockaded the island and bombarded the city until they surrendered. This time, the Portuguese built a proper fortress, the Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Vitória, or Fort of Our Lady of Victory. Lucas: The fortress was massive — it had thick walls, bastions, and a freshwater cistern carved into the rock. It sat right on the northern tip of the island, commanding the approach to the city. And from that base, the Portuguese controlled all trade entering and leaving the Persian Gulf. Luna: So they used the cartaz system there too, like in the Indian Ocean? Lucas: Absolutely. Every ship passing through Hormuz had to buy a cartaz — a safe-conduct pass — and pay duties. It made the Portuguese incredibly rich. The island itself had a cosmopolitan population — Persians, Arabs, Indians, Africans, Jews, and Europeans. It was a real melting pot. Lucas: There's a famous description from a Portuguese traveller, who said Hormuz was so hot that 'the birds died in mid-flight' and the people lived in houses cooled by wind towers. But despite the heat, it was one of the wealthiest places in the empire. Luna: I've heard that the Portuguese even allied with the Safavids at one point — the Persians, right? Lucas: Yes! Initially, there was tension with the Safavids because Hormuz was a Sunni kingdom, and the Safavids were Shia. But Albuquerque actually sent an embassy to Shah Ismail, the founder of the Safavid dynasty, and proposed an alliance against the Mamluks. Shah Ismail was interested — he even sent a gift of a magnificent sword — but the alliance never really solidified. Lucas: Later on, the Portuguese and the Safavids did cooperate against the Ottomans, but it was always a fragile relationship. The Portuguese were worried the Safavids would try to take Hormuz themselves, and the Safavids resented the Portuguese monopoly on trade. Luna: So how did it all end? I know the Portuguese eventually lost Hormuz. Lucas: It fell in 1622, during the Anglo-Persian capture. The English East India Company allied with Shah Abbas I of Persia, and together they besieged the fortress. The Portuguese garrison held out for weeks, but they were outnumbered and eventually surrendered. That was a huge blow to the Estado da Índia. Luna: It must have been a massive strategic loss — no more control over the Persian Gulf. Lucas: Exactly. After Hormuz fell, the Portuguese tried to relocate to Muscat, but they never regained the same dominance. The island itself declined — the new Safavid rulers moved the trade to the mainland port of Bandar Abbas, and Hormuz became a ghost town. Today, the ruins of the fortress are still there, a UNESCO World Heritage site, but it's a quiet reminder of what was once the 'key to the Gulf'. Lucas: If today was actually useful to you, the way these stay ad-free is listener support — you can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It really helps keep these deep dives going. Luna: Yeah, it's a small thing that makes a big difference. Lucas: Anyway, back to Hormuz — one thing I love is that the fortress still has a Portuguese-style church, built by the garrison. It's one of the oldest European buildings in the Persian Gulf. So even though the empire faded, that stone and mortar legacy remains. Luna: It's amazing how these tiny outposts shaped global trade for centuries. Lucas: Absolutely. And Hormuz is a perfect example — a speck on the map, but for a hundred years, it was the chokehold of the East.