Arab Cutlasses of the Pirate Coast

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Peter Hudson

... PIRACY IN INDIAN WATERS IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY RUBY MALONI*
... Satish Chandra has argued that the corsairs could only succeed where their ships could outmanoeuvre or outgun an ordinary ship. In this context K.N. Chaudhuri's reference to " a clear naval Portuguese superiority over Asian ships" has to be re-examined. The Vasco da Gama period in Asian history, as Steensgaard names it, was not a uniform period of European naval superiority. Asian naval techniques and strategies were neither backward nor passive. Portuguese ships were not necessarily bigger than Asian; but they did carry cannon as a matter of course, while at first Asian ships did not...

I wonder whether these two 'book size' posts (#29 & #30) are necessarily the full contents of the link provided above in the first place. If i may (also) change course from the Pirate Cutlass topic, i would elect a couple paragraphs that, in my humble perspective, are put by the authors in a rather (intentional ?) simplistic manner.

"Satish Chandra has argued that the corsairs could only succeed where their ships could outmanoeuvre or outgun an ordinary ship."
Not necessarily so. One screaming example is the battle of Ormuz in 1507.


"In this context K.N. Chaudhuri's reference to "a clear naval Portuguese superiority over Asian ships" has to be re-examined. The Vasco da Gama period in Asian history, as Steensgaard names it, was not a uniform period of European naval superiority."
The Vasco da Gama period took place in the early 1500's, not in the 17th century. But so were Cabral and Albuquerque and a few others, with similar level of achievements and evident superiority; and cruelty... let's admit it.

"Asian naval techniques and strategies were neither backward nor passive. Portuguese ships were not necessarily bigger than Asian; but they did carry cannon as a matter of course, while at first Asian ships did not.
Not so simply as just Cannon; but implying quality (bronze versus iron; breech loading) quantity ... and the best way to use them; composite ammo, further reach, ricochet waterline shot.

Nowithstanding all this glory only lasted for a couple centuries !!!.