The Holy Sail (33 page)

Attar knew that Albuquerque was keen to keep things in Hormuz safe for him and his sailors. He was also desperate for trade to quickly recover, because his fleet was financed through taxes collected from merchants. If trade ground to a halt, his fleet would be under-funded, and this was something he would not be able to weather after the recent wave of mutinies.

‘I need money, Vizier. I want to raise taxes on trade.'

Attar frowned and shook his head in disapproval. ‘As you know, Governor, trade in Hormuz depends on the services we provide to the merchants. They come here because we are a safe kingdom and have warehouses where they store their goods, and offer many services that other ports do not have. This is why they come here to trade, and so far, they have paid their taxes gladly.' Attar tried to restrain himself. He was boiling inside because he felt that Albuquerque's decisions were irrational, his only logic being to hoard the money that he so worshipped. ‘Imposing more taxes in the absence of security will drive away the merchants. The city and the port will suffer and people will leave.'

Attar pointed at the sea, and addressed Albuquerque like a lazy pupil. ‘The harbourmaster you appointed was collecting money from merchants as tax, but did not note the sums in the records. The merchants were paying them willingly, and yet many of them had their goods confiscated after they left the port because they did not have the
official receipts. The corruption blighting us comes from your officers, Governor. They love money more than they love their mothers.'

Attar stood up and went to the window, trying to see the harbour. ‘Have you seen the port recently, Governor? The number of ships at the port is hardly more than a quarter of the number we used to have at this time of the year. The ships have been driven away. Do you not see this?'

Albuquerque approached Attar and said in a threatening tone, ‘Listen to me, Vizier. I need money and I need it now. My men are fleeing this cursed island because I don't have enough cash to entice them to stay. Do you hear me?'

Attar toned down his voice, trying to appeal to Albuquerque's reason. ‘I am only an adviser, but I am telling you with the utmost sincerity that your decision to raise taxes is in neither the kingdom's interests nor your own. Do you plan to raid all the cities along the coast for money? All these places depend on trade too. If the merchants become wary, they will go somewhere else. I have seen with my own eyes the demise of trade in our ports. It's not like it was before. Many merchants now prefer to stay home because the income is not worth the risk.'

Albuquerque kept his eyes fixed on Attar but did not say anything. An awkward silence ensued, and lasted for a few moments until movement outside Albuquerque's office interrupted it.

Miguel knocked on the door gently, trying to get Albuquerque's attention. ‘A messenger from Shah Ismail is on the island. He requests your audience, my lord.'

Albuquerque did not take his eyes off Attar. ‘When did he arrive?'

‘A few hours ago, my lord. He has come from the Persian mainland.'

‘Very well, let him enter. We need someone like the shah to be on our side. I've heard a lot about his wealth and power. He's the only king who can stand up to the Ottomans. If we can make a deal with him, he could open up for us the trade route from Basra to Baghdad, and from there the route to Syria. We would be able to cut the distances very short. Let him in.

‘You may go, I don't need you now,' Albuquerque told the vizier.

Attar left in a hurry, running away from a discussion he felt was futile. A few moments later, the Persian messenger entered followed by his dragoman and servants carrying large chests.

The messenger wore luxurious Persian garments and rings on his fingers adorned with large gemstones. He knelt before the Portuguese conquistador in an exaggerated fashion, then read out a written text extolling Shah Ismail, his dynasty and his heroic deeds, followed by praise for the king of Portugal and his conquests. When he finished, he folded the paper and gave it to one of his servants, then ordered them to open the chests and showcase their contents to Albuquerque.

The chests were stacked with expensive silk, pottery, precious stones and gilded swords and daggers.

Albuquerque was very pleased and asked the messenger to sit.

The messenger adjusted his seating position and took out a handkerchief. He used it to wipe his neck and face, complaining to Albuquerque about the heat. The Persian envoy then put his hand in his belt and said, ‘Master Albuquerque, there has been much correspondence between Shah Ismail and the king of Portugal to coordinate an attack on the Ottoman Empire, a bane for both of our great kings. The rapprochement has achieved ample results. Great King Manuel was even able to convince the Pope in the past few months of the need to attack the Ottomans from the west, while we attack them simultaneously from the east.'

The messenger paused to wipe his face again, then continued. ‘The plan could have worked, but it hit many snags. The European kings did not agree on what form this alliance should take. Some were hesitant because of problems at home. Another problem was that we could not find allies in the region to help us with the plan, by bringing us intelligence from inside the Ottoman Empire and exposing its weaknesses. Shah Ismail subsequently decided to send an emissary to Qansouh al-Ghawri, sultan of Egypt, to convince him to join the alliance against the Ottomans. Sultan al-Ghawri's armies in Syria continue to engage in skirmishes with the Ottoman forces there. The emissary is en route, and if successful Ghawri would be a formidable ally. Our alliance would comprise three powers: you, Ghawri and us, and the Ottomans would stand no chance.'

The messenger paused again, this time wiping the sweat off his head after removing his turban. ‘Shah Ismail is willing to cooperate with you as the representative of the king of Portugal, to defeat the Ottoman Empire. I do not hide
from you the fact that Shah Ismail is planning to subjugate Mecca and Medina, to gain the religious legitimacy derived from protecting holy places and become the caliph of the Muslims. If this happens, the king of Portugal would gain many territories and concessions in this region and would have a share of its incredible riches in perpetuity.'

Albuquerque stood up and paced the hall back and forth, pondering what the Persian messenger had told him. He realised now that there were communications between Persia and Portugal, and that news of his activities would henceforth be conveyed to King Manuel through the Persian court, without Albuquerque being able to influence or even learn the content of the reports. Before this day, he had been the only source of information of the kind received from the region, but now, it seemed, there was another.

There was no time to think the matter over. In the end he decided to reply courteously, as Albuquerque appreciated the importance of the relationship between the two sides. ‘Master messenger, I doubt this alliance would work. I heard that Sultan al-Ghawri was enraged by our move to seize the spice trade. His country is suffering greatly, and spice caravans no longer come to Tripoli and Alexandria. Everything is stagnant, and the Egyptians now have a shortage of gold that they used to get from their Venetian partners.'

Albuquerque stopped and waited for the interpreter to finish relaying what he said, before he continued. ‘Sultan al-Ghawri has sent threats to the Pope saying that if the Portuguese do not take their hands off the spice trade, he would destroy the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.'

The Persian messenger addressed the interpreter, who then asked Albuquerque, ‘My master is asking, what is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre?'

Albuquerque's crocodile gaze returned. ‘It is a church in Palestine that is sacred to us Catholics. But that doesn't matter now. What matters is that I told King Manuel that I have a plan that will put an end to the sultanate of Egypt, after we bring Sultan al-Ghawri to his knees and stop him in his tracks.'

‘May I know more about this plan, Your Grace?' the messenger pleaded.

‘I'm busy these days planning to go to India to reverse the disgraceful defeat of the Portuguese armada and destroy the Mamluk fleet there. After that, I shall sail to the Red Sea and the port of Yanbu. We will make our landing there and proceed to Medina where their prophet is buried, open his grave and take his body with us. We will use it as leverage with the Mamluk sultan in exchange for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. And we won't stop there. We will bring many Christians to the kingdom of Prester John, and with their help, we will dig a canal from the Nile to the Red Sea. We will divert the Nile away from Egypt until everyone there dies of thirst and hunger. Then we will resettle it in the name of the king of Portugal.' Albuquerque paused and fiddled with his beard. ‘This plan is still secret. I know you will share it with Shah Ismail, but I don't mind. We are allies now.'

Shah Ismail's messenger rubbed his hands together. ‘The delegation we sent to Sultan al-Ghawri is on its way there. We won't be able to catch up with it before it arrives. I
don't know whether our plan to bring him into the alliance contradicts your plan.'

Albuquerque was still stroking his beard. He looked outside the window and replied, ‘No, let your emissaries go. Both plans work to our advantage. If Ghawri is not cajoled by the shah's offer, our plan will then come into play.' Albuquerque smiled as though remembering a joke. ‘I serve Great King Manuel. I will do everything he asks me to do. Let us exchange ambassadors; I will send a consul to the shah's court, and I hope the shah will send a consul to Hormuz as well.'

Albuquerque stood up and walked to the window overlooking the sea. ‘I'll move to India within days to strike Ghawri's fleet. It's clear that all communication between the Mamluk fleet and the sultan of Egypt has broken down because of the sheer distance between them. I won't wait to see whether Ghawri decides to join the alliance or not; his fleet has decimated a Portuguese armada and I must avenge Portugal to preserve her prestige and might.' He paused. ‘If we want to control maritime trade, we must eliminate all resistance against us in these seas.'

The messenger replied reverentially, ‘Master Albuquerque, our ambassador to the Zamorin has told us of the reason the Portuguese fleet was defeated. Do you care to hear it? It might spare you a similar defeat if you are bent on fighting them there.'

‘Of course, messenger. What would that reason be?'

The Persian messenger told Albuquerque the details of Hussein's plan to defeat the Portuguese armada in Diu. He cautioned him not to be lured into Hussein's trap again, and to think more resourcefully if he wanted to defeat the
Mamluks. Then he added, ‘I am at your disposal, Your Grace. Shah Ismail asked me to be in your service. We shall give you all the support you request, but if I may, sir, my lord the shah has another request.'

The messenger did not wait for permission to continue. ‘We ask that your fleet assist us in moving our forces from the east coast of the Gulf to the west coast. We need to maintain a permanent presence there, but we don't have the necessary ships and the experience to build them.'

‘Why does the shah want to put his forces there?'

The messenger replied coolly, ‘Not far from here lies Bahrain, a luscious island with fertile soil and abundant water. We wish to annex it to our kingdom. With your help, this may just be possible. Also, by being there we would be close to the holy sites. Our army could move on them if the shah orders it.'

Albuquerque had heard of Bahrain before, and had been planning to raid it. But he had other priorities now; eliminating the troublesome Mamluk fleet in India had to be done quickly and without delay, before any other undertaking. Albuquerque wondered whether the Persian request was a warning to him that the Safavid shah considered Bahrain his property and that he therefore had to back off the island.

Albuquerque now wanted to end the meeting quickly. ‘I will think about it, messenger. I am busy with planning the assault on India. I will consider your request as soon as I return.'

 

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29
 
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Diu, India

The Portuguese armada led by Albuquerque moved on the city of Diu. Following a signal from the flagship, several caravels split from the flotilla and headed to the open sea, while the rest continued their way to the bay. Albuquerque heeded the advice of Shah Ismail's messenger when he visited him in Hormuz; he did not want to repeat the previous fleet's error.

Hussein and Bin Rahhal came in their flagship to meet Albuquerque in battle, and the two sides opened fire. Hussein gave a signal to his men to ignite the flames over the towers. Mamluk ships hiding at sea came and joined the battle, trying to flank the Portuguese fleet. Suddenly, the Portuguese ships that had split from the armada appeared and engaged the Mamluk ships. Two battles ensued, one at the entrance of the bay and one further out at sea.

Hussein ordered his crew to intercept both flotillas of the Portuguese armada, as his plan to encircle the attackers had failed. The defending ships emerged out of the bay of Diu followed by Bin Rahhal's smaller ships, which carried fighters but no cannons. Malik Ayaz remained in the city to defend it in the event of a Portuguese surprise landing.

The battle between the warring ships raged throughout the day. With the sun beginning to set, Albuquerque noticed that the Mamluk fleet was not putting up the same kind of resistance as earlier, and ordered his captains
to pursue the retreating ships and seize the opportunity to sink them. After sundown, the Mamluk sailors jumped ship. Bin Rahhal's boats tried to rescue as many as they could, while avoiding the non-stop barrage of Portuguese cannonballs.

Bin Rahhal realised that it was only a matter of time before the entire Mamluk fleet was destroyed. In the distance, he saw some of the ships trying to approach the Portuguese caravels to engage them in direct combat, but the Portuguese ships soon turned their guns and fired on them. The boats sank quickly with everyone aboard.