Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 24.13.1

24.13.1

He used every year to purchase large quantities of fresh fruits of Iran from the merchants, and to send them in presents to the principal English, and to the Grandees of Bengal. Besides that, he had it in custom, two or three times a year, to compliment with such delicacies, all the persons of Azim-abad, that seemed of distinction, whether by their rank, or by their merit or virtue; and as he found that still some people were forgotten, and had no share in the distribution, he betook himself to this expedient: Over and above the sum of money yearly spent for his own use, he set apart another sum, which he used to lend to the fruit-merchants, who were to employ it in fruit, to be sold publicly in their shops. So that any one might become a purchaser; and whatever remained unsold, he took it off their hands in part of payment; by which management neither the merchant became a sufferer, nor did the public want for fruit. Not satisfied with that, he, by dint of money, engaged some fruit-gardeners, amongst those that either cultivated fruit-trees or dealt in fruit, to quit their abodes at Shah-djehan-abad and at Lahor, and to settle at Azim-abad, where he lent them capitals, sufficient to put it in their power to cultivate such fruit-trees as the climate would bear, and such as could afford an object of trade.