Back رحمة بن جابر الجلهمي Arabic Rahmah bin Jabir al-Jalahimah French Rahmah bin Jabir al-Jalahimah Dutch
Rahmah ibn Jabir al-Jalahimah رحمة بن جابر بن عذبي الجلهمي أو الجلاهمة | |
|---|---|
 A sketch of Rahmah ibn Jabir drawn by Charles Ellms in his 1837 book The Pirates Own Book | |
| Born | c. 1760 |
| Died | October 1826 |
| Piratical career | |
| Type | Captain |
| Allegiance | Al Jalahma clan |
| Years active | 19th century |
| Rank | Captain |
| Base of operations | Arabian Gulf |
| Commands | Al-Manowar Al-Ghatroushah |
Rahmah ibn Jabir ibn Adhbi al-Jalhami (Arabic: رحمة بن جابر بن عذبي الجلهمي; c. 1760–1826) was an Arab ruler in the Persian Gulf region and was described by his contemporary, the English traveler and author, James Silk Buckingham, as "the most successful and the most generally tolerated pirate, perhaps, that ever infested any sea."[1]
As a pirate, he had a reputation for being ruthless and fearless. He wore an eyepatch after losing an eye in battle, which makes him the earliest documented pirate to have worn an eyepatch.[2] He was described by the British statesman Charles Belgrave as "one of the most vivid characters the Persian Gulf has produced, a daring freebooter without fear or mercy"[3] (ironically, his first name means "mercy" in Arabic).
He began life as a horse dealer, and used the money he had saved to buy his first ship and with ten companions began a career of buccaneering. He was so successful that he soon acquired a new craft, a 300-ton vessel, manned by 350 men.[4] He would later have as many as 2,000 followers, many of them black slaves. At one point his flagship was the "Al-Manowar" (derived from English).[5]
- ^ a b James Silk Buckingham (1829). Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia. Oxford University Press. p. 356.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ Lampe, Christine (2010). The Book of Pirates. Gibbs Smith. p. 14. ISBN 9781423614807.
- ^ Charles Belgrave, The Pirate Coast, G. Bell & Sons, 1966 p. 122
- ^ Charles Belgrave, p122
- ^ Charles Belgrave, p126