for a wealthy Nawab; the mosques and reedghurs displayed but little of that elegance and taste of which Mussulmans have left so many traces in India; and no grand temples were raised in honour of the Hindu gods. On the other hand, when considered as a mart, the place was highly interesting. It was filled with merchandise and human beings from all parts of the world. English, French, Dutch, Portuguese, Mussulmans of India, Persians, Arabs, Americans, Parsis, Jews, Mahrattis and Goozerathis composed a population of about six hundred thousand souls, and formed as motley a crowd as may be seen at the present day in Bombay. So late as 1816 the population was double that of the presidency. According to an official return received at the India House in 1825, signed "John Romer, Magistrate," there were then a hundred and twenty-four thousand inhabitants, ten thousand of whom were Parsis.* Cashmere Shawls, Kinkhabs, jewels, manufactures inlaid with ivory, ebony and sandal, afforded a rich treat for the merchant's eye, and a prospect of abundant gain.

as

Between the outer and inner walls of the town were numerous gardens, but one especially, styled Mahmouda-Bhag, was preserved for the Nawab's pleasure. It contained the finest building in Surat, with seven hundred apartments of various sizes, including a durbar one hundred feet in length, and commanded a good prospect of the city and its environs. Here also were the Nawab's seraglio, hot-baths and fountains tastefully arranged, the water of which was introduced by what Stavorinus describes a kind of chain pump, to which earthen pots are fastened," -in other words by Persian wheels. Although at the period of which we write, this edifice was only forty years old, and had been raised at a cost of nine lakhs of rupees, it was then in a ruinous condition. "The gardens," says Forbes, were made by a former Nawab, and called after his name; they cost an immense sum, and required many years to complete them; yet his successor never resided there, nor prevented their decay: while with the iron rod of despotism, he was converting a populous part of the city into a large garden, adorned with extensive walks, groves and fountains, to surround a summer pavilion. The reigning Nawab dignified this favourite retreat with the appellation of “the gift of God"; the suffering manufacturers, driven from their quiet habitations, and shady, verdant lawns, called it "the Garden of Oppression."

Previous to the decline of the Mogul empire, the city was under a Governor to whom the Cutwal was subordinate; there

* Martin's British Colonies.

was also a Governor of the Castle, the two Governors being perfectly independent of each other, and solely responsible to the Emperor, who reserved to himself the power of life and death, and to whom reference was made before the infliction of capital punishments. There was a strict Police surveillance, but the functionaries were, like other Orientals, accessible to bribes. The Cutwal himself was obliged to parade the streets during the night, and persons found in them were ordinarily imprisoned. Guards were placed at various stations, and at nine, twelve, and three o'clock the Cutwal passed with tom-toms, horns, and the shouts of his attendants, who were answered by the detached police. An incident, however, which occurred during Thevenot's stay, proves that all this was little more than an organized system of tyranny. A certain Armenian merchant had been robbed of two thousand four hundred sequins; at the same time two of his slaves disappeared and were suspected of the theft. After strict enquiry had been made, and yet neither money nor slaves discovered, a report gained ground that the slaves had committed the theft, that they had been drawn to the house of a certain Mussulman with whom they were in communication, and there murdered by him for the sake of the stolen property.

The Governor urged upon the Cutwal the necessity of making good the Armenian's loss; for if a report were sent to the Emperor, all blame would fall upon him. The Cutwal did not object, but simply demanded that they should wait a short time, until he might place the merchant and his servants under restraint, and examine the latter by torture. The Governor consented; but as soon as the Armenian was informed of the new turn which affairs had taken, he let the prosecution drop, and preferred losing the whole of his money to suffering the tortures which the Cutwal had in store for him.

With regard to the Custom House also we read complaints of the extortion practised. Foreigners were compelled to part even with the property which they brought for their private use at the price which the extortioners fixed. We find the Governor himself sitting at the Customs on one occasion, and after seeing amongst a traveller's baggage a bracelet and a diamond, informing him that it was his highness's desire to purchase them. The victim's protestations that he valued them as presents from dear friends, only saved him the diamond; the Governor detained the bracelet until, as he said, the stranger should honour him with a visit, which was of course the approved Suratian version of the classical phrase ad Græcas Kalendas.

There was actually a tax on money; and so vexatious were the regulations that even the gilded buttons of officers were taxed, and the purser of the English ships was compelled to pay this as often as he crossed the river.*

The city has been often pillaged. Murad, the son of Shah Jehan, sought to supply by its plunder his failing exchequer. The Portuguese, however, brought upon it the greatest misery. They ravaged it in 1512, and subsequently under Antonie de Saldague they nearly destroyed it. We need not then be surprised that the Roumi or Turkish Admiral in 1553 describes them under no other name than "the miscreants," and that after he had with singular gallantry resisted their attacks, the inhabitants of Surat should thus address him and his crews, "You are in the country of Guzerat; you have appeared as its liberators, in the time of trouble. Yet we hope that, if it please God, the country of Guzerat will soon be reunited to the Ottoman Empire, and that this will afford the opportunity of delivering the commercial towns of India from the hands of the vile miscreants."I

The English, Dutch and French appear to have all enjoyed here their seasons of prosperity in trade, as also the Portuguese, but on a more contracted scale. The Swedes too had a factory for a short period.§ Our country gained the precedence before the Dutch and French in time. Their factors at Bantam and the Moluccas recommended the opening of a trade in cloths and calicoes with Surat and Cambay, and the first English ship having arrived in 1608, after numerous difficulties they succeeded during the year 1612, in obtaining permission to carry on their traffic. The Dutch established themselves here in 1617, and the French somewhat later. The agents of each nation lived in much splendour, but in this respect the Dutch probably outshone their rivals.

Surat and Bantam were for some time the seats of our East Indian Company's principal establishments. In 1628 the former became the seat of Government, and had superintendence over the factories of Agra, Ispahan, Masulipatam, Cambay, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Broach and Dabul. It is singular that

A voyage to Surat by Oleef Foreen, Chaplain of the Gothic Lion, East Indiaman. -Ovington's voyage.

+ Conquestes des Portugais par Lafitou. Milburn's oriental commerce. Voyagee de Sidi Aly par M. Moris.

§ Voyage of Oleep Foreen.

Mill's History of India. Mandelslo's travels

about ten years later the Company's trade here suffered a complete suspension, simply in consequence of an opposition raised by Sir William Courten, who arrived with a few ships from England; but it was soon restored, for in 1658 all the English factories and presidencies were rendered subordinate to the President and Council at Surat. In 1667 it was again languishing, so much so that the out factories and agencies were suppressed. In 1673 the President and Council of Surat estimated their debts at £100,000, whilst all their disposable funds amounted only to £88,228; and in the following year this debt had risen to £135,000. In 1687 the English gave offence to the powerful Aurungzebe; in 1691 their factory at Surat was consequently seized, and only returned after their most abject submission.* A short time previous to this the seat of Government had been removed to Bombay " Ex illo fluere ac retro sublapsa referri ;" and finally a century later the courts of Suddur Dewanee and Suddur Foujdaree Adawlut were also removed to the new Presidency.t

The coast in the neighbourhood of Surat witnessed many struggles with the Portuguese before they would permit our countrymen to participate in their trade. The English vessels were attacked by them at Swally, and it was only after a successful defence that the British gained a footing. A few years later the Portuguese again made an attack under their viceroy, but were defeated with a loss of three hundred and fifty men. 1619 they met with a similar fate off Jasques, having engaged a fleet from Surat, and in 1630 they were again foiled at Swally, in an attempt to destroy English ships, and to procure the exclusive trade of Surat.

In

It is strange that at the very time trade was most flourishing, alf traffic should have been rendered insecure by robbers on land and

sea.

Numerous bands of depredators infested the country; and just as European commerce was reviving, they so worked upon the fears of the Nawabs as to induce them to cede portions of territory for their exclusive use. Piracy was long committed almost with impunity." Domus, now resorted to for its cool breezes and salubrious climate, was then a nest of pirates, and its inhabitants relieved the tardy and wearisome occupation of cultivating the soil, by the more exciting pursuit of maritime plunder. Many are the stories related about the connivance of the authorities in these nefarious practices; and doubtless high native

* Mill's History, Vol. I.

+ Bombay Government orders, 26 Sept. 1828. Letter from President and Council of Surat in 1691.

functionaries found robbery a cheaper aud more expeditious method of indulging their taste for finery than the vulgar process of bargaining in the bazárs. That under such circumstances commerce should improve is astonishing, and this fact affords another proof, if such were wanting-of the commercial advantages which Surat enjoyed.

But the greatest danger to European trade was indirectly wrought by the Piracies of Europeans themselves. The old records which are preserved by Government shew, that at one time the factory was on this account reduced to a most pitiable plight; complaints had been made to the Great Mogul of losses which Mussulman traders had sustained from piracies ; and his Majesty immediately desired the Governor of Surat to adopt stringent measures. It would appear that the Governor was in ill-odour at the Court of Delhi; and gladly seizing the opportunity of regaining his master's favour, he demanded in 1698 of the French and Dutch not only an indemnity for past losses, but a security in money against all piracies which should be committed for the future. Lest his demand should not meet with due attention, he added threats of violence, declared that unless his terms were conceded he would with five hundred men seize the French and Dutch chiefs and chabuk" them to death; and at the same time he shewed that he was in earnest, by at once flogging a few brokers. Resistance appeared vain, and the required indemnity was given. All this time the English were parleying with the Governor, and fancying that they should not meet with such treatment as their European neighbours. They were mistaken. An indemnity of Rs. 1,400,000 was demanded from them, and additional security for the future. The Chief referred the matter to Sir John Gayer, Governor of Bombay, who declared that he would not give a rupee. Upon this the Governor of Surat was furious. The brokers of the factory were seized, ropes were placed round their necks, and they were led away to be hung on the Castle green. At their earnest entreaty, however, they were permitted to persuade the English; and the result was that our proud islanders were forced to make concessions and to satisfy the greedy tyrant. The early records shew that such circumstances as this often occurred, and that in numerous instances the English were brought to great distress.*

Many amusing accounts of the inhabitants may be gleaned from old books, but as generally they have been proved by better

* Papers relating to the Surat factory in the Record office of Bombay.