Persian Gulf Trade

Timeline

1. 1541–1548Island of Hormuz · Persian GulfPortugal established a fortress at Hormuz and controlled passage through the strait, levying tariffs and monopolizing some spice and silk transshipment. In the 1540s its merchant ships sailed between Goa, Bahrain, and Basra, incorporating the Persian Gulf into the Portuguese Indian Ocean trade system.
2. 1542–1550Basra · IraqThe Ottomans participated in Gulf trade through Iraqi ports such as Basra, competing with the Safavid-controlled southern Persian ports for trade routes and tariff revenue. Though the two empires were at war on land, they maintained a degree of trade circulation through intermediaries and local agreements, with spices and silk shipped via multiple routes to the Mediterranean and Europe.