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What information did rahmangs provide to sailors navigating the Arabian Sea?

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Map showing the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, highlighting physical features such as ocean basins, ridges, and trenches. Surrounding countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and parts of the Middle East and Southeast Asia are labeled with major cities and boundaries. Ocean depths are indicated with shading and spot depth values.
Arabian Sea

The term "rahmangs" refers to medieval "books of routes" written by pilots from Oman and the Hadhramaut region between the 9th and 15th centuries. These guides provided essential practical knowledge for sailors navigating the Arabian Sea, including:

  • Descriptions of coastlines, islands, and port approaches.
  • Data regarding seasonal winds and surface currents.
  • Technical details on soundings (measuring water depth).
  • Methods for navigation by the stars.

These works documented routes connecting ports across the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa, India, Malaysia, and China, identifying key landmarks such as Cape al-Ḥadd, Cape Madrakah, and Cape Gwardafuy in Somalia.1