The Persian Gulf had always been among the strategic aims of the Ottomans since
Selim I’s Egypt campaign. Much more attention had been devoted particularly with Suleyman
I. The Ottoman Empire had to have sovereignty over the Persian Gulf because
of two important reasons: first it had to retain the newly conquered lands and second to
prove its power as an empire by facing with the Portugese. Moreover, reasons such as
reaching to the Indian ocean and controlling significant trade routes made the Persian
Gulf much more attractive. Suleyman I’s taking control of Baghdat in 1534 after accomplishing
his aims in the West was the first step towards these strategic aims. Similarly, the
control of Basrah by the Ottomans and the establishment of a beylerbeylik there also
paved the way for the opening of the Persian Gulf to the Ottomans. However, it was only
after the Ottomans forced the Portugese out of Qatif and established the Lahsa beylerbeylik
in 1555 that the real control in the Persian Gulf had been established. It is after this
date the Ottomans became an important actor in the region from the coasts of Basrah to
Musqat for centuries. This paper deals with the first period (125 years) of this rule and
makes some evaluations.
Primary Language | Turkish |
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Journal Section | Researches and Studies |
Authors | |
Publication Date | December 25, 2018 |
Acceptance Date | December 25, 2018 |
Published in Issue | Year 2018 |