kingdom · Arabia and the Gulf

Kingdom of Ormus

1060 CE – 1622 CE (approx.) · capital Hormuz

The island kingdom of Hormuz, which controlled the mouth of the Gulf and its horse and spice trade until Persia and England expelled the Portuguese.

Origins

Arab and Persian traditions say the kingdom was founded in the 11th century on the mainland near modern Minab by a ruler from Oman. Around 1300, harried by Mongol-era raids, its king moved the capital to the barren island of Jarun, which took the name Hormuz.

Rule and society

Hormuz lived by trade, taxing ships between India, Persia, Arabia and East Africa and shipping Arabian horses to India. Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta visited it. Kings controlled ports on both sides of the Gulf, including Qalhat, Muscat and Bahrain, and paid tribute to stronger mainland powers. Water and food had to be brought to the island.

Decline and legacy

Afonso de Albuquerque attacked in 1507 and in 1515 made Hormuz a vassal of the Portuguese Empire, which built a fortress and controlled its customs. In 1622 an Anglo-Persian force under Shah Abbas I of the Safavid Empire captured the island, ending the kingdom; trade moved to Bandar Abbas.

Connections (7)

More states of Arabia and the Gulf →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Ormus. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-ormus
MLA
“Kingdom of Ormus.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-ormus. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Ormus.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-ormus.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Ormus’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-ormus (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻