English
Roe obtained a ‘ permit ’ in 1616 for the English to reside at Surat and to travel freely into the interior, and also a similar ‘grant’ in 1618 from Prinoo K^urram (afterwards Emperor ghahJahnn) who was thon Mnghal Viceroy of Gujrat. The English by their good oonduct gradually acquired tho posi¬ tion of a useful sea-police, aud as patrol of tho Moslem pilgrim-ocean-roate, and as a ‘ sure source of revenue,’ under the Great Mughal. In 1667 tho Eng¬ lish Company decided that there shonld bo one ‘ presidency ’ in India, that being at Surat. See Hunter's History of British India, Vol. II, Chap. II. 8 Akbar conquered and re-conquered Gujrat and tho province on tho shore of the Gulf of Cambay betwoon 1572-1592 ; and theso wero finally annexed to the Mughal Einpiro in 1593. Surat was tho Capital of Gujrat and tho Chief Mughal port ou tho western coast for the embarkation of pilgrims to Mecca. Surat is the modern representative of the ancient province of Surash- tra which included not only G-njrat but part of Kathiwar. Seo Dr. Hunter s History, Vol. II, p. 47, and bis reference to Cuuuingham's Ancient Geography of India. 410 the ports of India, and after sale of their cargoes nsed to sail back to their own country. After they settled down at Surat, the trading factories of the English Christians, like those of the Christian Portuguese and the French, Ac., gradually sprang up at different centres both in the Dakhin 1 and in Bengal,* and they paid 1 For the first English settlements on the Madras Coast (1611-1658), Bee Dr. Huuter’s History of British India, Vol. II, Chap. III. Their first settlement under Captain Hippen on that coast was in 1611 at Masnlipatam, the chief sea-port of the Moslem Golconda Kingdom (founded in 1512 under Kutab Shahi line on the breaking-up of the Musalman Bahmani Dynasty, and not subdued by the Mughal Empire until 1687). In 1632, the English received the ‘ Golden Pherrnaund’ (farman) of the Golconda King for their settlement at Siasulipatam. In 1639, the English under Francis Day built a factory at Madras. In 1645, the Moslem King of Golconda confirmed the grant of Madras for an English settlement. In 1653, Madras was raised to an indepen¬ dent ‘ presidency,’ and in 1658, the English Company declared all its settle¬ ments in Bengal and the Coromandel Coast subordinate to Fort St. George. * For an account of the English settlements in Bengal (bet aen 1633-1658), see liunter’s History of ‘British India,’ Vol. II, Chap. IV, and Wilsons * Early Annals of the English in Bengal, ’ Vol. I. In 1632, by order of Emperor Shah Jahan, Qasim Khan destroyed the Por¬ tuguese settlement at Hugli, and expelled the Portuguese who had been ill- treating the Moslems. The English Company’s agent at the Masulipatam fac¬ tory seized the occasion, and sent out in 1633, on a country boat, eight Eng¬ lishmen to try and open up trade with the fertile provinces at the mouth of the Ganges. These headed by Ralph Cartwright reached Harishpor in Orissa, and then quietly crept up to the court of Malcandy, in Fort Barabnti, in Cuttack, where resided a Mughal Deputy-Governor for Orissa, named Agha Muhammad Zaman. This polite Persian—the Deputy-Govemox of Orissa— ‘received the Englishmen in his Audience-hall, affably inclined Lis head to Mr. Cartwright, then slipping off his sandal offered his foot to the English merchant to kiss, which he twice refused to do, but at last was fain to do it. (Hunter’s History, Vol. II, p. 89). The Deputy-Governor on May 5th, 1633, sealed an order giving the English ample license to trade. (See text of or er in Wilson’s Barly Annals of the Bnglish in Bengal, Vol. I, pp- 11-12). e beginning of the English trade with Orissa is usually ascribed to a farman granted to the English in 1634 by Emperor Shah Jahan, confining them to Pippli near an old mouth of the Subarnarukha river. On May 6th, 1633, ie English bnilt a house of business at Hariharpur,' near Jagatsingpur m the Cuttack district, this being the first English factory in the present Lieutenant- Governorship of Bengal. In June, 1633, Cartwright founded a factory at Bulusore. I,i 165U, the Beglish fotmdcd a factory at Hugh. G.bnel Bough; ton an English Surgeon, who was in 1650 Surgeon to .shah Shuja ( S_ Viceroy of Bengal who resided at Rajmahal), used his intinonce in the Vice- regal Court, in gettiug favour extended to the English, who received in 411 customs-daties lik# others. During the reign of Emperor Aurang- zeb Alamgir, the English rendered loyal services to the Emperor, and were, therefore, granted an Imperial Far man permitting them to erect trading factories in the Imperial dominions generally, and in Bengal especially, and also remitting customs-duties on the ships of the English Company, in consideration of an annual payment by the latter of three thousand rupees, as has already been mentioned in connection with the foundation of Calcutta. From that time, the English acquired much prestige in Bengal. In tho year 1162 A.H., Nawab Muzaffar Jang, maternal grand¬ son of Nizamu-l-Mulk Aijaf Jah, at tbe instigation of Husain Dost alias Chand, who was one of the leading men of Arkat (Arcot), allied himself with the Christian French, and attacked Auwaru-d-din Khan Shahamat Jang Gopamani, who was Nuzim of Arkat from the time of Nawab Nizamu-l-Mulk A?af Jah, in order to wrest the province of Arkat. A great battle was fought, and Nawab Shahamat Jang, on the battle-field, displaying bravery and heroism, was killed. Nawab Nizamu-d-daulah, second son of Nawab A$af Jab, who, on the death of bis father, had suc¬ ceeded to the masnad of the Viceroyalty of. the Dakhin, on hear¬ ing of the hostility of his maternal nephew, with a force of seventy thousand cavalry and one hundred thousand infantry, set out to chastise Muzaffar Jang. Arriving at the port of Bulchari (Pondichery) on the 26th Rabiu-l-awal 1163 A.H., Nizamu-d- daulah fought a battle, in which he triumphed, whilst Muzaffar Jang was captured. Nizamu-d-daulah spent the rainy season at Arkat. The Christians of Bulchari (Pondichery) conspired with Himmat Khan and other Afghan generals of Karnatik, who were servants of Nizamu-d-daulah, and deceiving them by holding out temptations of lands and treasures, blinded their sense of obliga¬ ti ‘ niehan* or ‘ permit’ from Shah Shuja to trado duty-free iu Bengal on pav- ment of Rb. 3,000. 1 His Ma i e8, T Emperor Anrangzeb on 27th February, 1690, granted a far- man to the Engliah. Tho farman seta forth that ‘ all the English having made a most humble, BubmiBaive petition that the ill-orimea they have done may be pardoned,’ and promised to pay a fiuo of Rs. 160,000, to restore all plundered goods., and behave themselves no more in such a shameful manner, tho Em¬ peror accepts their submission and grants them a new license for trhde, on condition that' Mr. Child, who did the disgrace, bo tnraed oat and expelled ’ (See Hunter’s History, Vol. II, p. 266). In 1690, Charnock returned from Madras, and for the third time anchored at Calcutta. 412 tions. Those traitors tied up the waist of mutiny and treachery, and conspiring with the Christians of Bulchari (Pondichery), on the night of the sixteenth Muharraro, 1174 A.H., delivered a night-attack, and killed Nawab Nizamu-d-daulah. After the fall of Nawab Nizamu-d-daulah, the Afghans and the Christians (the French) placed Nawab Muzaffar Jang on the masnad. Muzaffar Jang proceeded to Bulchari (Pondichery) with a contingent of the Afghans, and taking a large number of Christian French in his service made them his confidants. In the same year, taking a large force consisting of Afghans and Christians, he set out for Haidarabad, and crossing the confines of Arkat came to the Af¬ ghan tract. From the vicissitude of fortune, hostility broke out between Muzaffar Jang and the Afghans, and it led to a fight. On the 17th Rabiu-l-awal of the aforesaid year, both sides ar¬ ranged themselves in battle-array. On one side were arrayed Muzaffar Jang and the Christian French, and on the other the Afghans. Himmat Khan and other Afghan Generals, meeting with their deserts for disloyalty, were killed, whilst Muzaffar Jang from an arrow-shot which pierced the pupil of his eye was also killed. After this, the Christian French entered the service of Amlru-l-Mumalik Salabat Jang, third son of A$af Jah, received as jagir& Sikakul and Rajbandan, &c., and acquired so much influence, that their orders became current in the Dakhin. No Musalman ruler had before this taken into employ the Christian French, though from a long period they used to frequent the ports of the Dakhin. It was Muzaffar Jang who taking the Christian French into his service, introduced them into the Moslem dominions. When the Christian French acquired so much influence, the Christian English, who thirsted for the blood of the French, also cherished ambition to meddle with the Imperial dominions, acquir¬ ed possession of some tracts in the Dakhin, brought the fort of Surat into their own possession, and established fortified fac¬ tories in Bengal. In that the French slaying Nawab Anwaru-d- din ghaa Gopamani, the Subahdar of Arkat, and nominally installing another person at its head, had become dominant in the Dakhin, Nawab Muhammad All IQian, son of Nawab Anwaru-d-din Khan entered into an alliance with the English Chiefs. The latter advancing to the assistance of Nawab Muhammad All Khan spared no measure to help him, and exerted themselves Strenuously to exterminate the French. In 1174 A.H., the English bested 413 the fort of Bulchari (Pondichery), and wresting it from the hands of the French rased it, whilst Sikakul, Rajbandari, and other JSgirs were unexpectedly abandoned by the French.