Baghlah
Encyclopedia
A baghlah, bagala or baggala is a large deep-sea dhow
, a traditional Arabic sailing vessel. The name "baghla" means "mule
" in the Arabic language
.
and quarter galleries. Their average length was 100 ft (30 m) with an average weight of 275 tons.
Usually they had two masts using two to three lateen sails
; supplementary sails like a jib
were often added on the bowsprit
, as well as on a topmast
atop the main mast
.
As a large and heavy ship the baghlah required a crew
of at least 30 sailors
. Some had even up to 40.
The ghanjah
or kotiya is a similar type of vessel, often difficult to distinguish from the baghlah.
and the minor seas around the Arabian Peninsula
. They reached eastwards to Sindh
, India
and up to the Bay of Bengal
and further beyond as far as the Spice Islands
. Southwestwards they reached down to the East Africa
n coast. They were one of the main types of ship used by the Bohra
traders.
In the early 19th century these ships were also part of pirate fleets operating from semi or completely independent harbours in Persia or along the Arabian Peninsula
.
In favorable conditions a baghlah could sail up to 9 knots, but it was a somewhat unwieldy ship and was largely replaced by the easier to maneuver boom
in the 20th century.
Dhow
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
, a traditional Arabic sailing vessel. The name "baghla" means "mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
" in the Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
.
Description
The baghlah dhows had a curved prow with a stem-head, an ornately carved sternStern
The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section...
and quarter galleries. Their average length was 100 ft (30 m) with an average weight of 275 tons.
Usually they had two masts using two to three lateen sails
Lateen
A lateen or latin-rig is a triangular sail set on a long yard mounted at an angle on the mast, and running in a fore-and-aft direction....
; supplementary sails like a jib
Jib
A jib is a triangular staysail set ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bow, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast...
were often added on the bowsprit
Bowsprit
The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a pole extending forward from the vessel's prow. It provides an anchor point for the forestay, allowing the fore-mast to be stepped farther forward on the hull.-Origin:...
, as well as on a topmast
Topmast
The masts of traditional sailing ships were not single spars, but were constructed of separate sections or masts, each with its own rigging. The topmast is one of these.The topmast is semi-permanently attached to the upper front of the lower mast, at the top...
atop the main mast
Mast (sailing)
The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship...
.
As a large and heavy ship the baghlah required a crew
Crew
A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard...
of at least 30 sailors
Sailors
Sailors is the plural form of Sailor, or mariner.Sailors may also refer to:*Sailors , a 1964 Swedish film*Ken Sailors , American basketball playerSports teams*Erie Sailors, baseball teams in Pennsylvania, USA...
. Some had even up to 40.
The ghanjah
Ghanjah
A ghanjah or ganja , also known as kotiya in India, is a large wooden trading dhow, a traditional Arabic sailing vessel.-Description:...
or kotiya is a similar type of vessel, often difficult to distinguish from the baghlah.
History
Baghlahs were widely used in the past centuries as merchant ships in the Indian OceanIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and the minor seas around the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
. They reached eastwards to Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and up to the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
and further beyond as far as the Spice Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
. Southwestwards they reached down to the East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
n coast. They were one of the main types of ship used by the Bohra
Mustaali
The Musta‘lī Ismā'īlī Muslims are so named because they accept Al-Musta'li as the nineteenth Fatimid caliph and legitimate successor to his father, al-Mustansir...
traders.
In the early 19th century these ships were also part of pirate fleets operating from semi or completely independent harbours in Persia or along the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
.
In favorable conditions a baghlah could sail up to 9 knots, but it was a somewhat unwieldy ship and was largely replaced by the easier to maneuver boom
Boom (ship)
A boom , known as dhangi in India, is a medium-sized deep-sea dhow, a traditional Arabic sailing vessel.This type of dhow has two masts with lateen sails. a stern that is tapering in shape and a more symmetrical overall structure than other dhow types...
in the 20th century.