Piracy in the Indian Ocean World

Abstract

This essay argues that the prevailing Eurocentric view of Indian Ocean World (IOW) history ignores the early rise and development of an IOW global economy characterized by a sophisticated and durable system of maritime exchange from Africa to the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Far East. The economic cycles of this economy largely regulated maritime commerce and with it the incidence of piracy. There appears a clear correlation between the upturns in the IOW global economy and piratical activity, but piracy also appears to have increased during downturns in that economy, possibly as a reflection of economic uncertainty. Contrary to conventional assumptions, it also appears clear that pirate activity required significantly more investment in ships, arms and men than individuals or poor communities could afford. The bulk of indigenous IOW pirate activity was directly sponsored by local land-based authorities, and operated under a command hierarchy with military discipline and organization. Pirates gained a share of any loot, and in at least one instance, the widows of pirates killed in action were compensated. In sum, this essay challenges the conventional wisdom on piracy in the IOW and attempts to lay the basis for an alternative viewpoint that calls for more profound and non-Eurocentric research.