Resumen de Shipwrecks: Their impact on the behavioural patterns of sailors and on littoral societies during the age of sail in the western Indian Ocean, circa 800–1600
This article begins by investigating the construction techniques of medieval Indian ships to explore the extent to which the building methods were responsible for shipwrecks. Then, the article attends to the impacts of a shipwreck on the minds or behaviour of sailors. A link is drawn between various superstitious beliefs and certain irrational behaviour among sailors in the Indian Ocean and shipwrecks. The dreaded nature of a voyage would often create panic among sailors, which led them to various superstitious beliefs. However, a voyage would also attract many with the promise of adventure. The article also discusses how the atmosphere in the ship played the role of a catalyst in shaping the behaviour of the mariners. Finally, the article explores the ramifications of shipwrecks in littoral societies across the western Indian Ocean. During the medieval period, merchants from different regions and countries whose livelihood depended on the maritime trade settled in port towns. Moreover, littoral people relied on the supply of products from across the oceans for their livelihoods. Therefore, the smooth conduct of shipping was necessary for these coastal people. This article examines how a shipwreck would impact sectors of the littoral society in general and sailors in particular. Although the paucity of sources sets limits on the extent to which these aspects can be reconstructed, a number of contemporary traveller accounts shed light on the situation.
