The Baqqāra List: A biography of a Bahraini vessel in a letter seeking restitution for its plunder in 1818

摘要

A document produced by the Shaikh of Bahrain to claim restitution for items plundered from one of his vessels in 1818 gives a macro view of seafaring in the Persian Gulf from the perspective of a local party. The items listed show how a relatively common vessel was outfitted for an armed commercial venture in an era of enduring maritime violence. The context of the letter highlights the potential patchwork nature of Persian Gulf watercraft, where origin and identity were at once shared and contested.