Piracy Since Ancient Past, through Medieaval and Colonial Times

Piracy is age - old. It has existed all over the world seas and is not peculiar to Indian waters. Piracy in the Indian coastal waters is as old as the history of sailing in the Indian seas. The threat of piracy in Indian coastal waters is spoken of in most sea travel accounts ever since pre-Christian era till the present. The Periplus of the Erythrean Sea , Pliny (70 AD) and Ptolemy, the Buddhist jatakas of the early past, Marco Polo in the medieaval past, Varathema, Ibn Batuta, Nicolo Conti, Francois Laval and others of the colonial period have all referred to the threat of piracy, along different sections of the west coast of India. Increasing sea trade during the mediaeval period was no doubt the motive behind such piractical acts, but it is also the nature of the coasts and communities living on them that have contributed to piracy in different sections of the Indian coastal waters, and in particular the Gujarat coast. Poverty of the hinterland and aggressive militancy of some communities skilled in seafaring have made certain sections of the Gujarat coast more vulnerable to piractical activities than others, especially in close proximity to the focal prints of sailing routes considerable sea trade. Piracy is illegal violence committed at sea or in port approaches and river mouths, on ships or vessels engaged in legitimate trade.