In 1819 the British government of India decided to mount an expedition to Ras Al Khaimah to suppress piracy in the Persian Gulf.
A British memo of 1819 stated:
- The piratical enterprises of the Joasmi tribes and other Arab tribes in the Persian Gulf region had become so extensive and attended by so many atrocities on peaceful traders, that the Government of India at last determined that an expedition on a much larger and comprehensive scale than ever done before, should be undertaken for the destruction of the maritime force of these piratical tribes on the Gulf and that a new policy of bringing the tribes under British rule should be inaugurated.
For the expedition the government engaged a number of merchant vessels to transport troops and ordnance stores.
| Name | Burthen (bm) | When and where built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angelica | 300 | 1808† / 1818‡; Demaun | Later sold to the Portuguese‡ |
| Ann | See ship article | ||
| Bombay Castle | 571‡ / 580† | 1815† / 1816‡; Cochin | Still sailing out of Bombay in 1838‡ |
| Carron | 451† / 484‡ | 1817; Cochin | Sailing out of Bombay in 1838‡ |
| Conde de Rio Pardo | 430 | 1816;† Demaun | Sailing out of Bombay in 1823 under the name King George the Fourth‡ |
| Cornwall | See ship article | ||
| Diana | 500† | 1818†; Cochin† | Wrecked June 1820 off the coast of Muscat |
| Ernaad | 550 / 557 / 594 | Bombay 1813 / Demaun 1814 | Timber ship built for the British East India Company (EIC), sold at public auction and sailing out of Calcutta in 1839. |
| Faiz Remaun | |||
| Francis Warden | 410† / 419‡ | 1810† Beypoor / 1803‡ Beypour | Launched as Duncan; sailing out of Bombay in 1837‡ |
| Glenelg | 810† / 867‡ | 1817 Cochin | Sailing out of Bombay 1838‡ |
| Hannah | See ship article | ||
| Jemima | 460‡ | 1817‡ Chittagong‡ | Later called Mahomed Shah; foundered at the Sand Heads September 1822‡ |
| Jessy | 338 | 1814‡ Cochin | |
| Orient | See ship article | ||
| Orpheus | See ship article | ||
| Pascoa | See ship article | ||
| Upton Castle | 596 | 1818 Cochin | Still sailing out of Bombay 1839 |
†:Register; ‡: Phipps; no mark when both agree
Following the surrender of Ras Al Khaimah and Dhayah Fort, the British expeditionary force then blew up the buildings comprising the town of Ras Al Khaimah and established a garrison there of 800 sepoys and artillery, before visiting Jazirat Al Hamra, which was found to be deserted. They went on to destroy the fortifications and larger vessels of Umm Al Qawain, Ajman, Fasht, Sharjah, Abu Hail, and Dubai. Ten vessels that had taken shelter in Bahrain were also destroyed. The Royal Navy suffered no casualties during the action.
Citations
- "'Précis of correspondence regarding the affairs of the Persian Gulf, 1801-1853' [57r] (113/344)". qdl.qa. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2015. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Low (1877), p. 353, fn.
- ^ Phipps (1840), p. 165.
- Wadia (1986), p. 339.
- ^ Phipps (1840), p. 147.
- Lorimer (1915), p. 669.
- United service magazine Part 1, pp. 711–15.
References
- East-India register and directory (1819)
- Lorimer, John (1915). Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. British Government, Bombay.
- Low, Charles Rathbone (1877). History of the Indian Navy: (1613-1863). R. Bentley and son.
- Phipps, John (1840). A Collection of Papers Relative to Ship Building in India ...: Also a Register Comprehending All the Ships ... Built in India to the Present Time ... Scott.
- Wadia, R. A. (1986) . The Bombay Dockyard and the Wadia Master Builders. Bombay.
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