>7i 



THE COAST OF MALABAR. 2% 



according to my author, they, in the year 943, or A. D. 

 I 53^"7> obtained from Bebader Shah, its monarch, 

 (whom they are charged by Zeirreddiex with having 

 afterwards (lain) the ceilion of the fortrefs of Diu, of 

 which they ftill retain poiTeiTion. 



XXII. The author, Zeirreddien, places within 

 the following year the Portuguefe building a fort at 

 Cranganore, and their fuccefsful refinance at Diu, to 

 an exepedition fitted out againft them from Egypt, by 

 command of the Ottoman Emperor Solyman, whole 

 bafha, or commander, is reprefented to have retired 

 in a difcreditable manner from the conteft. 



XXIII. This author places fubfequent to the He- 

 jira year 963, A. D. 1556, a difference that enfued 

 between the Portuguefe and All Rajah * the Mahom- 

 medan chief of Cannanore ; and to whom belonged alfo 

 the Laccadivian Iflands, which, on this occafion, Zeir.1- 

 reddien charges the Chriftians with having; barba- 

 roufly ravaged ; and towards the clofe of his hiftorical 

 detail, he inferts the following notice of the refult of 

 the long and bloody competition between them and the 

 Mahommedans for the trade of the eaft. 



id. " It pleating the Almighty to try the fidelity 

 <c of his fervants, he gave fcope to the Portuguefe, 

 <c and bellowed on them the maftery of a number of 

 " fea-ports ; fuch as thofe in Malabar, and in Guze- 

 " rat, and in Concan, &c. and they became rulers in 

 " ail the towns and cities, and /'warmed therein, and 



B 4 " reared 



* The head of this principality of Cannanore. (of which a fe- 

 male, known by the name of the Beeby, is the p relent representa- 

 tive) is alfo called Alt Rajah, which, in the Malabar tongue., may 

 be interpreted tp Lord of the Sea;" a diilinction affe£t'-d (as 1 

 have heard) from this family's having long poileifed the Lacca- 

 dives, whence thev have occasionally invaded the Maldives; the 

 BadJIia, or monarch, of which is laid to be to this day jealous of 

 them on that account. 



