Papers relative to East India

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affairs.

Copy of the Phirmaun.

O all governors, officers, and managers of our affairs, jagheerdars, fougedars, karnries, rahdars, guzerbauns, and zemindars of the prefent and time to come, in the provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Orixa, port of Hougly, and other ports of the aforefaid provinces, who hope for our royal favour.

Be it known unto you all, that in thefe days of our triumphant reign, Mr. John Surman and Kauja Širhud, agents on the part of the English company, have preferred a petition, in our juft and equitable prefence, to the following purpofe; that, in confequence of a decree of his moft facred majefty Shah-deceased, and former grants, the English company are exempt ed from cuftoms in all parts of our dominions, except the port of Surat, and pay annually, into our royal treafury, at the port of Hougly three thousand rupees, as a tribute, in lieu of cuftoms; and they hope that, according to former grants, our royal phirmaun will be vouchfafed to them.

Our abfolute and high command is paffed, that you well knowing, that whatever goods and merchandize their agents may bring into or carry out from the ports, borders, and quarters of thefe provinces, either by land or water, are exempt from duties, fhall leave them to buy and fell at their own free liberty, fhall annually receive the eftablished tribute of three thoufand rupees, and on no other ac

count whatever impede or interrupt them. Moreover,

If any-where any of their effects fhall be made away with, you are to ufe all diligence in the recovery thereof, and fhall punish the thieves, and deliver over the goods to the proper owner. Further, wherefoever they may set up a factory, and buy and fell goods and merchandize, you are to afford them help and fupport in their just concerns, and with juftness and fairnefs caufe to be repaid unto their agents, whatever just demand they may have upon any merchant, weaver, or other perfon, and you are to allow no one to moleft their agents, nor fhall you ftop for cuftoms, &c. boats hired by them, or of their own property.

I.

Treaty executed by Meer Jaffier.

Hatever articles were a

W Ha

greed upon in the time of peace with the Nabob Serajah Doula, I agree to comply with.

II. The enemies of the English are my enemies, whether they be Indians or Europeans.

III. All the effects and factories, belonging to the French in the province of Bengal, Baher, and Oriffa, fhall remain in poffeffion of the English; nor will I ever allow them any more to fettle in the three provinces.

IV. In confideration of the loffes, which the English company have fuftained by the plunder and capture of Calcutta by the Nabob, and the charges occafioned by the maintenance of their officers, I will give them a crore of rupees.

V. For the effects plundered

from

from the English inhabitants of Calcutta, I agree to give fifty lack of rupees.

VI. For the effects plundered from the Gentoos, Muffelmen, and other fubjects of Calcutta, twenty lack of rupees fhall be given.

VII. For the effects plundered from the Armenian inhabitants of Calcutta, I will give the fum of feven lack of rupees. The diftribution of the fums allotted the natives, English inhabitants, Gentoos, and Muffelmen, fhall be left to the admiral, and Colonel Clive, and the rest of the council, to be difpofed of by them to whom they think proper.

VIII. Within the ditch, which furrounds the borders of Calcutta, are tracts of land belonging to feveral zemindars; befides this, I will grant the English company fix hundred yards without the ditch.

IX. All the land lying to the fouth of Calcutta, as far as Culpee, fhall be under the zemindaree of the English company, and all the officers of thofe parts fhall be under their jurifdiction, the revenues to be paid by them (the company) in the fame manner with other zemindars.

X. Whenever I demand the English affiftance, I will be at the charge of the maintenance of their troops.

XI. I will not erect any new fortifications below Hougly near the river Ganges.

XII. As foon as I am eftablished in the government of the three provinces, the aforefaid fums fhall be faithfully paid.

Dated 15 Ramazan, in the fourth year of the king's reign.

Treaty concluded between Mr. Van Sittart, and the gentlemen of the select committee, and the Naboh Meer Mahomed Cossim Cawn.

I.

T

HE Nabob Meer Mahomed Jaffier Cawn fhall continue in poffeffion of his dignities, and all affairs be tranfacted in his name, and a fuitable income shall be allowed for his expences.

II. The neabut of the foubadaree of Bengal, Azimabad, and Oriffa, &c. fhall be conferred by his excellency the Nabob on Meer Mahomed Coffim Cawn. He fhall be invested with the administration of all the affairs of the provinces, and after his excellency, he shall fucceed to the government.

III. Betwixt us and Meer Mahomed Coffim Cawn, a firm friendship and union is established. His enemies are our enemies, and his friends are our.friends.

IV. The Europeans and the Seapoys of the English army fhali be ready to affift the Nabob Meer Mahomed Coffim Cawn in the management of all affairs, and in all affairs dependent on him they fhall exert themfelves to the utmost of their abilities.

V. For all charges of the company, and of the faid army, and provifions for the field, &c. the lands of Burdwan, Midnapoor, and Chittagong, fhall be affigned, and funnuds for that purpose fhall be written and granted. The com"pany is to ftand to all loffes, and receive all the profits of these three countries; and we will demand no more than the three alignments aforefaid.

VI. One half of the chunam produced at Sillet for three years fhall

fhall be purchased by the gomaftahs of the company, from the people of the government, at the cuftomary rate of that place. The tenants and inhabitants of that place fhall receive no injury.

VII. The balance of the former tuncaws fhall be paid according to the kiftbundee agreed upon with the Royroyan. The jewels which

Treaty and agreement concluded between the governor and council of Fort William, on the part of the English East India company, and the Nabob, Shuja-ulmoolk Hessam-ul dowla Meer Mahomed Jaffier Aly Cawn Bahadre Mohabut Jung.

On the part of the company.
E engage to reinstate the

back again.

VIII. We will not allow the tenants of the Sircar to fettle in the lands of the English company, neither fhall the tenants of the company be allowed to fettle in the

lands of the Sircar.

IX. We will give no protection to the dependents of the Sircar, in the lands or the factories of the company; neither fhall any protection be given to the dependents of the company in the lands of the Sirear, and whoever fhall fly to either party for refuge fhall be given up.

X. The measures for war or peace with the Shahzada, and raifing fupplies of money, and the concluding both thefe points, fhall be weighed in the scale of reafon, and whatever is judged expedient fhall be put in execution; and fhall be fo contrived, by our joint .counfels, that he be removed from this country, nor fuffered to get any footing in it. Whether there be peace with the Shahzada or not, our agreement with Meer Mahomed Coffim Cawn, we will, by the grace of God, inviolably obferve, as long as the Englify company's factories continue in this country. Dated the 17th day of the monrh of Suffur, in the year 1174 of the Hegyra.

Heffam-ul-dowla Meer Mahomed Jaffier Aly Cawn Bahadre Mohabut Jung, in the fubadarrey of the provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Orixa, by the depofal of Meer Mahomed Coffim Aly Cawn, and the effects, treasure, and jewels, &c. which fhall fall into our hands, shall be delivered up to the Nabob aforefaid.

On the part of the Nabob. 1ft. The treaty which I formerly concluded with the company, upon my acceffion to the nizamut, engaging to regard the honour and reputation of the company, the governor and council, as my own, granting perwannahs for the currency of the company's trade; the fame treaty I now confirm and ratify.

2dly, I do grant and confirm, to the company, for defraying the expences of their troops, the chuchlehs of Burdwan, Midnapoor, and Chittagong, which were. before ceded for the fame purpose.

3dly, I do ratify and confirm to the English the privileges granted them by their firmaund, and fe-. veral hufbulhookums, of carrying on their trade, by means of their own duftucks, free from all duties, taxes, and impofitions, in all parts

of

of the country, excepting the article of falt, on which a duty of 2 per cent. is to be levied on the rewana or hougly market price. 4thly, I give to the company half the falt-petre which is produced in the country of Purnea, which their gomaftahs fhall fend to Calcutta ; the other half fhall be collected by my phoufdar, for the ufe of my officers; and I will fuffer no other perfons to make purchafes of this article in that country.

5thly, In the chuchleh of Silet, for the fpace of five years, commencing with the Bengal year 1170, my phoufdar and the company's gomaftah fhall jointly prepare chunam, of which each fhall defray half the expences; and half the chunam fo made fhall be given to the company, and the other half fhall be for my use.

6thly, I will maintain twelve thousand horse, and twelve thoufand foot, in the three provinces; if there fhould be occafion for more, the number shall be increased by the confent of the governor and council, proportionably to the emergency; befides thefe, the forces of the English company fhall always attend me when they are wanted.

7thly, Wherever I fhall fix my court, either at Morfhedabad, or elsewhere, I will advife the governor and council; and whatever number of English forces I may have occafion for in the management of my affairs, I will demand them, and they fhall be allowed me. And an English gentleman fhall refide with me, to transact all affairs between me and the company; and a perfon fhall also refide on my part at Calcutta, to

negotiate with the governor and council.

8thly, The late perwannahs iffued by Coffim Aly Cawn, granting to all merchants the exemption of all duties for the fpace of two years, fhall be reverfed, and called in, and the duties collected as before.

9thly, I will cause the rupees coined in Calcutta to pafs respect equal to the ficcas of Morfhedabad, without any deduction of batta ; and whoever fhall demand batta fhall be punished.

10thly, I will give thirty lack of rupees to defray all the expences and lofs accruing to the company from the war and ftoppage of their investment. And I will reimburse to all private perfons the amount of fuch loffes (proved before the governor and council) as they may fuftain in their trade in the country. If I fhall not be able to difcharge this in ready money, I will give affignments of land for the amount.

11thly, I will confirm and renew the treaty which I formerly made with the Dutch.

12thly, If the French come into the country, I will not allow them to erect any fortifications, maintain forces, or hold lands, zemindaries, &c. but they fhall pay tribute, and carry on their trade as in former

times.

and the Nabob aforenamed hath fet his hand and feal to another part hereof; which was mutually done, and interchanged at Fort William, the 10th day of July, 1763.

Explanation of Persian and Moor"ish terms made use of in the foregoing treaties.

Batta, an extraordinary allowance to the army when abroad in the field, or in any country garrifon where provifions are scarce. Chuchleh, the jurifdiction of a phoufdar, who receives the rents from the zemindars. Chunam, or Chinam, lime. Duftuck, an order. Crore of rupees, an hundred lack. Firmaun, or Phirmaund, a patent or paper figned by the Mogul; a royal mandate or grant. Gomaftah, factor or agent.