Don Duarte De Menezes Entered Upon The Government Of India On The 22d Of
January 1522, John III.
Being then upon the throne of Portugal.
Having
dispatched his predecessor with the homeward trade, and sent off
commanders to the different establishments in India, he began to
experience the bad effects of Sequeira having appointed Portuguese
officers to the custom-house at Ormuz; as he received advice that the
Moors of that place had taken arms and killed some men, and had even
besieged the fort. He immediately sent his brother with relief, and
appointed Simon de Andre to command at Chaul, who began his career by
taking two Turkish gallies, and gaining a victory over the people of
Dabul, by which that city was reduced to pay tribute. Malek Azz was
terrified by these successes, and withdrew his fleet from before Chaul.
As formerly mentioned, the late governor Sequeira had appointed
Portuguese officers to collect the revenue of Ormuz, which in fact had
been done contrary to his own private judgment, but by command of the
king of Portugal. These officers conducted themselves oppressively to
the natives, from whom they made many undue exactions to satisfy their
own cupidity, and behaved to them with much insolence and violence, even
forcing from them their wives and daughters. Unable to endure these
oppressions, the inhabitants of Ormuz and its dependencies formed a
conspiracy against the Portuguese, and broke out into open insurrection
against them suddenly at Ormuz, Bahrayn, Muscat, Kuriat, and Zoar[165],
all in one night by previous concert, by a private order from the king
of Ormuz.
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