Money Talks - Sha’dhows’ of Trade

The influence of Dhow Boats on Banknote Imagery

Dhow boats are seen sailing in the crescent-shaped western Indian Ocean by harnessing the monsoon winds peculiar to that region from even before first century. Built by hand, with knowledge skills passed down through generations, dhows have contributed to trade as well as exchange and interactions of customs, traditions and cultures as can be seen and experienced even, today on the western coast of the Indian sub-continent, the Arabian Peninsula and Eastern Africa.   

According to maritime historian, Clifford Hawkins (1983), “the dhow can justly claim to be the traditional craft of the Indian Ocean.” However, there isn’t just one type but variants customised by local climatic conditions and cultures. Their quintessential design being the stitched lateen sails and coir-sewn wooden planks contributing to their tenacity and longevity.

This age-old dhow-trade still flourishes in the region on the coasts as well as on the banknotes from the region. The nations of Bahrain, Djibouti, India, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates and Yemen; all sport different dhows on their money.

Although obviously visible, the documentation on banknotes has not been pursued in academic literature. This research is the first-ever to present the imagery of the dhows; their shadows of trade on present-day banknotes. It also aims to fill the lacuna of their symbolic importance in our everyday lives. Thereby contributing to our sense in understanding our culture; the past, the present and its role in shaping our future.

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