The Strait of Hormuz is not merely a narrow waterway separating the\nArabian Peninsula from the Iranian mainland. It stands as a silent\nwitness to clashes of civilisations, the grandeur of maritime kingdoms,\nand the profound spirituality of ancient Persia.<\/p>\n
From a name derived from the supreme god to its status as the world\u2019s\nenergy lifeline, Hormuz remains the most crucial point on the global\ngeopolitical map. Currently, the Strait of Hormuz is the talk of the\nworld because it is the shipping route for about 20% of the world\u2019s\ncrude oil.<\/p>\n
This is because Iran has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz in response\nto US-Israel attacks. So, what is the origin of the name Hormuz and the\nstory of the Kingdom of Hormuz as well as the Commander of Hormuz who\nduelled against the Islamic commander Khalid bin Walid.<\/p>\n
The name Hormuz has religious etymological roots. Historians agree\nthat this name is a derivative of Hormizd, which in Old Persian refers\nto Ahura Mazda. In Zoroastrianism\u2014the official religion of great Persian\nempires such as the Achaemenid and Sassanid\u2014Ahura Mazda is the One\nSupreme God, the creator of the universe who symbolises wisdom, light,\nand truth (Asha).<\/p>\n
The use of the god\u2019s name for this region indicates how important the\nlocation was to Persian national identity. Besides Ahura Mazda, Persian\nmythology also recognises other gods such as:<\/p>\n
The Kingdom of Hormuz (10th to 17th centuries) was a unique\nphenomenon in maritime history. Despite its arid territory and lack of\nfresh water, this kingdom became one of the richest ports in the world.\n\u201cIf the world is a gold ring, Hormuz is the gem in its centre,\u201d goes an\nancient proverb describing the prosperity of this region.<\/p>\n
This name is also often associated with Sassanid kings who bore the\nname Hormizd (such as Hormizd I to IV). They viewed themselves as\nrepresentatives of Ahura Mazda on earth, so the cities they built or\ndeveloped often bore names reflecting the god\u2019s glory.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, the Kingdom of Hormuz was not originally located on\nthe island we know today. The ancient city of Hormuz was on the Persian\nmainland (Minab region). However, due to continuous Mongol attacks in\nthe 13th century, the inhabitants and rulers of Hormuz relocated their\ncapital to the safer island of Jarun in the middle of the sea.<\/p>\n
The name Hormuz was carried over to the island. From then on, this\nsmall but strategically important arid island became known as Hormuz\nIsland, and its kingdom grew into one of the most prosperous\nthalassocracies (maritime kingdoms) in the world, controlling every ship\nentering the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n
Although the people of Hormuz later embraced Islam, remnants of\nZoroastrian cultural influence attached to the name Hormuz are still\nevident in their reverence for natural elements, especially the sea and\nthe sun. The name Hormuz became a symbol of Persian resilience in\ndefending their maritime gateway for thousands of years.<\/p>\n
Hormuz\u2019s power lay in its control over the flow of goods in the\nPersian Gulf. It became the main intermediary for valuable\ncommodities:<\/p>\n
Hormuz\u2019s prosperity attracted the attention of European nations. In\n1507, the Portuguese explorer Afonso de Albuquerque conquered the\nisland. The Portuguese built a massive fortress whose ruins can still be\nseen today. For over a century, Hormuz was under Portuguese control,\nmaking it a military base to dominate Indian Ocean trade routes.<\/p>\n
Hormuz\u2019s fall occurred in 1622, when Shah Abbas I of the Safavid\nDynasty, aided by ships from the British East India Company,\nsuccessfully expelled the Portuguese. However, instead of reviving the\nisland\u2019s glory, the trade centre was moved to the mainland, namely\nBandar Abbas, marking the end of the golden era of the Kingdom of Hormuz\nas an independent maritime entity.<\/p>\n
Today, the Strait of Hormuz is the world\u2019s most strategic shipping\nlane. With a width of only about 33 kilometres at its narrowest point,\nthis strait serves as the exit for crude oil from major producers such\nas Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates to global\nmarkets in Asia, Europe, and America.<\/p>\n
Technically, there is no alternative route capable of handling the\nvolume of cargo like the Strait of Hormuz. Closing the strait, even\ntemporarily, could trigger a drastic surge in global oil prices and\ndisrupt world economic stability. This makes the Strait of Hormuz a very\npowerful political bargaining tool in international diplomacy.<\/p>\n
In addition to the Kingdom of Hormuz, history also records a\nCommander of Hormuz as a Marzban (Border Governor) who ruled the coastal\nregion. In the Persian hierarchy, he belonged to the upper class of\nnobility entitled to wear a crown worth 100,000 dirhams. He was known as\na harsh figure towards the local population, especially Arab tribes on\nthe border, and extremely loyal to Sassanid sovereignty.<\/p>\n
After completing the Ridda Wars in the Arabian Peninsula, Caliph Abu\nBakr Ash-Siddiq instructed Khalid bin Walid, the Drawn Sword of God, to\nadvance towards Iraq (Persian territory). Khalid sent an iconic\nchallenge letter to Hormuz, offering choices: embrace Islam, pay jizyah,\nor go to war.<\/p>\n
Hormuz, feeling insulted by the challenge from desert dwellers,\nquickly assembled a large force. He chose the location at Kazima (now in\nKuwait) to intercept the Muslim forces before they reached the heart of\nhis territory.<\/p>\n
This battle is known in Islamic history as Dhat al-Salasil or the\nBattle of the Chains. The name arises because Hormuz ordered his\nsoldiers to chain themselves together in small groups. The aim was to\nprovide mental resilience so that no soldier would retreat from the\nfront line, while also creating a solid human wall against the enemy\u2019s\ncavalry.<\/p>\n
However,<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/history-of-hormuz-from-the-persian-god-kingdom-strait-khalid-bin-walid-1775145054", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }