Voyages, 1608-11.

Swally fight,

1615.

in the East, instead of exploring new sources of commerce like the East India Company, followed the pernicious example of the Portuguese, and plundered the native traders among the islands of the Indian Archipelago. He in this way secured a considerable booty, but brought disgrace on the British name, and seriously hindered the Company's business at Bantam.

In 1608, Captain D. Middleton, in command of the fifth voyage, was prevented by the Dutch from trading at Banda, but succeeded in obtaining a cargo at Pulo Way. In this year also, Captain Hawkins proceeded from Surat, as envoy from James I. and the East India Company, to the court of the Great Mughal. He was graciously received by the Emperor (Jahángír), and remained three years at Agra. In 1609, Captain Sharpay obtained the grant of free trade at Aden, and a cargo of pepper at Priaman in Sumatra. In 1609, also, the Company constructed the dockyard at Deptford, which was the beginning, observes Sir William Monson, 'of the increase of great ships in England.' In 1611, Sir Henry Middleton, in command of the sixth voyage, arrived before Cambay. He resolutely fought the Portuguese, who tried to beat him. off, and obtained important concessions from the Native Powers. In 1610-11, also, Captain Hippon, commanding the seventh voyage, established agencies at Masulipatam, and in Siam, at Patania or Patany on the Malay Peninsula, and at Pettipollee. We obtained leave to trade at Surat in 1612.

In 1615, the Company's fleet, under Captain Best, was attacked off Swally, the port of Surat, at the mouth of the river Tápti, by an overwhelming force of Portuguese.1 But the assailants were utterly defeated in four engagements, to the astonishment of the natives, who had hitherto considered them invincible. The first-fruit of this decisive victory was the pre-eminence of our factory at Surat, with subordinate agencies at Gogra, Ahmadábád, and Cambay. Trade was also opened with the Persian Gulf. In 1614, an agency was established at Ajmere by Mr. Edwards of the Surat factory. The chief seat of the Company's government in Western India remained at Surat until 1684-87, when it was transferred to Bombay.2

For this date and account of the engagement, see Bombay Gazetteer, SURAT and BROACH, vol. ii. pp. 77, 78 (Bombay Government Press, 1877). * Orders issued, 1684; transfer commenced, 1686; actually carried out, 1687. Bombay Gazetteer, vol. ii. p. 98.

DUTCH OPpress ENGLISH.

367

am- Sir Thomas

In 1615, Sir Thomas Roe was sent by James I. as bassador to the court of Jahángír, and succeeded in placing Roe, 1615. the Company's trade in the Mughal dominions on a more favourable footing. In 1618, the English established a factory at Mocha; but the Dutch compelled them to resign all pretensions to the Spice Islands. In that year also, the Company failed in its attempt to open a trade with Dabhol, Baticola, and Calicut, through a want of sincerity on the part of the Zamorin or Calicut Rájá. In 1619 we were permitted to establish a factory and build a fort at Jask, in the Persian Gulf.

Dutch,

In 1619, the Treaty of Defence' with the Dutch, to Treaty prevent disputes between the English and Dutch companies, with was ratified. When it was proclaimed in the East, the Dutch 1619. and English fleets, dressed out in all their flags, and with yards manned, saluted each other. But the treaty ended in the smoke of that stately salutation, and the perpetual strife between the Dutch and English Companies went on as bitterly as ever. Up to this time, the English Company did not possess any territory in sovereign right in the 'Indies,' excepting in the island of Lantore or Great Banda. The island was governed by a commercial agent of the Company, who had under him thirty Europeans as clerks and warehousemen. This little band, with two hundred and fifty armed Malays, constituted the only force by which it was protected. In the islands of Banda and Pulo Roon and Rosengyn, the English Company had factories, at each of which were ten agents. At Macassar and Achín they possessed agencies; the whole being subordinate to a head factory at Bantam in Java.

attacked

In 1620, the Dutch, notwithstanding the Treaty of Defence, English concluded the previous year, expelled the English from Pulo by Dutch, Roon and Lantore; and in 1621 from Bantam in Java. The 1620. fugitive factors tried to establish themselves, first at Pulicat, and afterwards at Masulipatam on the Coromandel coast, but were effectually opposed by the Dutch. In 1620, the Portuguese also attacked the English fleet under Captain Shillinge, but were defeated with great loss. From this time the estimation in which the Portuguese were held by the natives declined, while that of the English rose. In 1620, too, the English Company established agencies at Agra and Patná. In 1622 they joined with the Persians, attacked and took Ormuz from the Portuguese, and obtained from Sháh Abbas a grant in perpetuity of the customs of Gombroon. This was the first time that the English took the offensive against the Portuguese.

Masuli- In the same year, 1622, our Company succeeded in re-estabtory, 1622, lishing their factory at Masulipatam.

patam fac

The mas

sacre of

Amboyna, 1623.

English driven out

of Archipelago, 1624.

English retire to India, 1625.

Their

early

factories, 1625-53.

Trade to

Bengal, 1634.

The massacre of Amboyna, which made so deep an impression on the English mind, marked the climax of the Dutch hatred to us in the eastern seas. After long and bitter recriminations, the Dutch seized our Captain Towerson at Amboyna, with 9 Englishmen, 9 Japanese, and I Portuguese sailor, on the 17th February 1623. They tortured the prisoners at their trial, and found them guilty of a conspiracy to surprise the garrison. The victims were executed in the heat of passion, and their torture and judicial murder led to an outburst of indignation in England. Ultimately, commissioners were appointed to adjust the claims of the two nations; and the Dutch had to pay a sum of £3615 as satisfaction to the heirs of those who had suffered. But from that time the Dutch remained masters of Lantore and the neighbouring islands. They monopolized the whole trade of the Indian Archipelago, until the great naval wars which commenced in 1793. 1624, the English, unable to oppose the Dutch, withdrew nearly all their factories from the Archipelago, the Malay Peninsula, Siam, and Java. Some of the factors and agents retired to the island of Lagundy, in the Strait of Sunda, but were forced by its unhealthiness to abandon it.

In

In

Driven out of the Eastern Archipelago by the Dutch, and thus almost cut off from the lucrative spice trade, the English betook themselves in earnest to founding settlements on the Indian seaboard. In 1625-26, the English established a factory at Armagáon on the Coromandel coast, subordinate to Masulipatam.1 But in 1628, Masulipatam was, in consequence of the oppressions of the native governors, for a time abandoned in favour of Armagáon, which now mounted 12 guns, and had 23 factors and agents. 1629, our factory at Bantam in Java was re-established as an agency subordinate to Surat; and in 1630, Armagáon, reinforced by 20 soldiers, was also placed under the presidency of Surat. In 1632, the English factory was re-established at Masulipatam, under a grant, the Golden Firman,' from the King of Golconda. In 1634, by a farmán dated February 2, the Company obtained from the Great Mughal liberty to trade in Bengal. But their ships were to resort only to Pippli

These brief chronological abstracts follow, with a few omissions, additions and corrections of dates, Sir George Birdwood's official Report on the Old Records in the India Office (folio), p. 83. For notices of the Indian towns mentioned, see the articles in The Imperial Gazetteer of India.

ENGLISH FACTORIES, 1639-85.

369

in Orissa, now left far inland by the sea. The Portuguese were in the same year expelled for a time from Bengal.

Presi

In 1634-35, the English factory at Bantam in Java was Bantan again raised to an independent presidency, and an agency deny, was established at Tatta, or 'Scindy.' In 1637, Courten's 1635. Association (chartered 1635) settled agencies at Goa, Baticola, Kárwár, Achín, and Rájápur. Its ships had the year before plundered some native vessels at Surat and Diu. This act disgraced the Company with the Mughal authorities (who could not comprehend the distinction between the Company and the Association), and depressed the English trade with Surat, while that of the Dutch proportionately increased.

In 1638, Armagáon was abandoned as unsuited for commerce; Madras founded, and in 1639, Fort St. George or Madraspatnam (Chennapat- 1639. nam) 1 was founded by Francis Day, and the factors at Armagáon were removed to it. It was made subordinate to Bantam in Java, until raised in 1653 to the rank of a Presidency. In 1640, the Company established an agency at Bussorah, and a factory at Kárwár. Trade having much extended, the Company's yard at Deptford was found too small for their ships, and they purchased some copyhold ground at Blackwall, which at that time was a waste marsh, without an inhabitant. Here they opened another dockyard, in which was built the Royal George, of 1200 tons, the largest ship up to that time. constructed in England.

Our factory at Húglí in Bengal was established in 1640, and Húgli, at Balasor in 1642. In 1645, in consequence of professional 1640. services rendered by Mr. Gabriel Boughton, surgeon of the Hopewell, to the Emperor Shah Jahán, additional privileges were granted to the Company; and in 1646, the Governor of Bengal, who had also been medically attended by Boughton, made concessions which placed the factories at Balasor and Húglí on a more favourable footing. In 1647, Courten's Association established its colony at Assada, in Madagascar. MadaIn 1652, Cromwell declared war against the Dutch on account gascar, 1647. of their accumulated injuries against the English Company. In 1653, the English factory at Lucknow was withdrawn. No record has been found of its establishment. In 1658, the Company established a factory at Kásimbázár (spelt 'Castle Bazaar' in the records), and the English establishments in

1 Bishop Caldwell derives Madras from the Telugu maduru, the surrounding wall of a fort. Its native name is obtained from Chennappa, the father-in-law of the Nayakkur or Chief of Chinglepat. Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian Languages, p. 10 (ed. 1875).

VOL. VI.

2 A

Bombay ceded, 1661.

Our factories, 1685.

Bantam.

Madras.

Bengal were made subordinate to Fort St. George or Madras, instead of to Bantam.

In 1661, Bombay was ceded to the British crown as part of the dower of Catharine of Braganza, but was not delivered up until 1665. King Charles II. transferred it to the East India Company, for an annual payment of £10, in 1668. The seat of the Western Presidency was removed to it from Surat in 1684-87. The Company's establishments in the East Indies then consisted in 1685 of the Presidency of Bantam in Java, with its dependencies of Jambí, Macassar, and minor agencies in the Indian Archipelago; Fort St. George and its dependent factories on the Coromandel coast and Bengal; Surat, with Bombay. its affiliated dependency of Bombay; and factories at Broach, Ahmadábád, and other places in Western India; also at Gombroon (Bandar Abbas) and Bussorah in the Persian Gulf and Euphrates valley. In 1661, the factory at Biliapatam was founded. In 1663, the English factories established at Patná, Balasor, and Kásimbázár were ordered to be discontinued, and purchases to be made only at Húglí. In 1664, Surat was pillaged by the Maráthá Sivají, but Sir George Oxenden bravely defended the English factory; and the Mughal Emperor, in admiration of his conduct, granted the Company an exemption from customs for one year.

Persian
Gulf.

Bengal.

from

Madras, 1681.

Bengal In 1681, Bengal was separated from Madras, and Mr. separated Hodges appointed agent and governor' of the Company's affairs in the Bay of Bengal, and of the factories subordinate to it, at Kásimbázár, Patná, Balasor, Maldah, and Dacca. A corporal of approved fidelity, with 20 soldiers, to be a guard to the agent's person at the factory of Húgli, and to act against interlopers.' In 1684, Sir John Child was made 'Captain - General and Admiral of India;' and Sir John Wyborne, Vice-Admiral and Deputy Governor of Bombay.' Bombay a In 1687, the seat of the Presidency was finally transferred from Surat to Bombay. In 1686, Kásimbázár, in common with the other English factories in Bengal, had been condemned to confiscation by the Nawáb Shaistá Khán. The Húgli factory was much oppressed, and the Company's business throughout India. suffered from the wars of the Mughals and Maráthás.

Presidency, 1687.

'GovernorGeneral.'

Sir John Child was appointed 'Governor-General," with full power in India to make war or peace; and was ordered to

1 Sir George Birdwood's Report on the Old Records of the India Office, p. 85, quotes this title from the MSS. It is therefore, nominally, a century older than is usually supposed; but Hastings was the first real GovernorGeneral, 1774