A Study of the Commercial and Economic Relationships of the Dutch in the Persian Gulf during the Safavid and Afsharid Periods

The Persian Gulf and its hinterlands have always been the focus of attention of colonial countries due to their particular geographical status. The rise of the Safavid government in Iran coincided with the presence of the Portuguese and their military army and navy in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. The Safavid Kings did not initially paid much serious attention to the Persian Gulf for several reasons, such as their rivalry with the Ottomans. However, after the coming of Shah Abbas I to the throne, his expelling the Portuguese from the Hormuz Island and transferring the trade and commerce center of the country to Bandar Abbas, the British East India Company and some other British and Dutch commercial companies played a significant role in the sea trade of the Persian Gulf. During the last years of the Safavid era and in the Afsharid period, the Dutch were the dominant commercial power in the region and enjoyed a clear superiority to their other rival, England. The present paper deals with the commercial and economic relationships of the Dutch in the Persian Gulf in the Safavid and Afsharid period.