🏴☠️ Bawarij is a group of pirates who operated in the Indian Ocean in the past. Hailing from Sindh and Baluchistan, they plundered from the 3rd century to the 14th century. According to reports, AD They have been active for 251 years. From the 9th century, their activities can be seen growing.
🏴☠️ Their main target was Persian and Arab ships from Arabia to India, China and Southeast Asia. Slaves, Chinese pottery, perfumes, musk, cardamom, pepper, cloves, bamboo, camphor, rice, sugar, betel leaves, wood, ivory, iron, jewellery, cloth and cotton were the main items they plundered. They caused so much trouble to the merchants of the Red Sea that even weapons such as Greek Fire were attached to the ships to drive them away.
🏴☠️ From Sindh in the south to Sri Lanka and in the west to the Red Sea, their power was spread in the entire Western Indian Ocean. Apart from Sindh, Gujarat, Kutch, Kutch, Somnath regions and Socotra island in Yemen were their other bases.
🏴☠️ The word Bawarij is derived from their type of warship called Barja/ Baruja. The Baruja was a type of Arab warship. There is also an opinion that the name bawarij is derived from the boat named Bera. Most of these ships are Indian dhows. Bowridge ships were large with 2 or 3 masts with a deep keel. A Bowridge fleet consisted of 10-40 ships. Small bārija vessels were large enough to carry 45-48 men. A large barija can hold up to 70 people.
🏴☠️ Apart from the captain of the ship, about 40 soldiers, 39 oarsmen, a carpenter, a cook and 3 firemen were in one warship who boarded the enemy ships and fought. This has been mentioned in Al terbary's description of an attack by them on Basra in 866. Ibn Battuta mentions that the ships with about 50 oarsmen were covered with planks to protect them from fire and arrows.
🏴☠️ Their end is not specified. The invasion of Sindh by the Umayyads is considered their downfall due to constant attacks on their ships and especially the capture of 2 treasure ships sailing from Ceylon to Arabia, which was like a declaration of war. It ended completely in the 14th century when it became Muslim.
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