Hormuz Port

Timeline

1. c. 1500–1515Hormuz Island · Persian GulfIn the early 16th century, Hormuz Port was the most important entrepôt in the Persian Gulf, handling goods ranging from Indian cotton cloth, Southeast Asian spices, and Chinese porcelain to Arab horses and Persian silk. Ruled by the Kingdom of Hormuz, the port levied customs duties on passing ships by virtue of its geographic advantage, and its city hosted Arab, Persian, Indian, and East African merchants, making it one of the wealthiest ports in the world at the time.
2. 1515Hormuz Island · Persian GulfIn 1515, the Portuguese governor Afonso de Albuquerque led a fleet on another expedition, completely occupying Hormuz Island and building a fortress. The Portuguese incorporated Hormuz into the trade empire of Portuguese India, established a customs house, and levied transit duties on all ships passing through the Persian Gulf, using the port as a strategic pivot controlling the northwestern gateway to the Indian Ocean.
3. 1515–1520Hormuz Island and the Persian Gulf · Persian GulfAfter the Portuguese occupation, Hormuz Port continued to operate as the most important trade hub in the Persian Gulf, but commercial profits flowed largely into the Portuguese treasury. Through the cartaz (pass) system, the Portuguese forced Asian merchant vessels to sail under their supervision, monopolizing the taxation of the spice trade. The port became the core node of the Portuguese Indian empire in the western Indian Ocean, directly connecting the Portuguese trade networks of Goa, Malacca, and East Africa.