Storia do Mogor 281.12
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 281.12
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281.12.1
Near eight o'clock in the evening of December 24, 1701, there was a great noise in the air along with a bright light, which was seen even at Pondicherry, where I then happened to be, although it is distant thirty leagues from this town of Madras. At the end of my Third Part (III. 30) I have reported that the Chevalier Norris, Ambassador of the New English Company, had left Masulipatam on his way to Surat. He had made magnificent preparations for his journey to the court. Now I must add that he arrived there in the month of March, 1701, exactly at the time when the king was occupied with the campaign against Shivā Jī (the Mahrattahs), as I have just stated (IV. 33). On his arrival this diplomatist spread the rumour that the pirates who, during seventeen years past, have captured many merchant vessels belonging to Surat, used ships belonging to the old company. This statement having come to the ears of the principal ministers, they demanded proof of what he had asserted. Unable to produce any, he denied the statement, and only got out of it by a considerable payment. The merchants of Surat had complained to the court several times of the great losses they had suffered by this miserable scum of the ocean. This complaint had compelled the king to imprison the English merchants and the officers of the Old Company who were resident at Surat, and they were released only by dint of argument and the payment of money.
281.12.2
At length, tired out at hearing the complaints renewed every day, the king forced [34] the English, Dutch, and French inhabitants of Surat to protect the ships leaving that port by undertaking to convoy them on all their voyages, and bring them back safe from any insult by pirates; he directed that the English should have the care and direction of all the ships going to and coming from the coast of Bengal, the French of those trading with Persia, and the Dutch of those comprising the fleet of the Mogul (Mecca). But all this was of no avail. The pirates never ceased their robbery, and even took a king's ship returning from Mecca, which had become separated from its convoy. In it there was much valuable property, which became the prey of these thieves, whose brutality was extreme, and they carried it so far as to violate several women of rank who were on board returning from the pilgrimage.
281.12.3
The king, on hearing what had passed in this encounter, felt the insult very bitterly, and ordered the governor of Surat to put the English into prison again, to treat them more harshly than before, and to force from them payment of all losses. When they were thus afflicted the Chevalier Gayer, general of Bombay, moved to their assistance with four ships; but all he could do was to blockade the port, and prevent all entry and exit. The governor, seeing things in this condition—commerce stopped, and merchants nearly ruined—found no other expedient to stop these disorders than to make a peace with the general (Sir John Gayer). This project he worked at. In a few days terms were arrived at between the parties and confirmed by the chiefs on each side. After this the general, Gayer, ignorant of Mogul bad faith, and relying upon the treaty, landed with his wife and a few men. As soon as he was ashore these deceivers seized him at night time and sent him to prison, where he still lies. A demand was made from him for the restoration of all the lost property. The ambassador [W. Norris] reached the court, and a few days afterwards made a public entry, to the admiration of everybody. Never had an ambassador from Europe appeared with such pomp and magnificence. He erected his tents in the open within sight of the royal army, to prove thereby that he had no fear of Shiva Ji (the Mahrattahs). He was armed and provided with good cannon, and had a numerous retinue.
281.12.4
After he had rested for some days, he paid a visit to the chief minister, named Asett Can (Asad Khan), secretary of the king and his counsellor, and prayed him to assist him in the business he had to bring before the court, giving him great presents in order to obtain his support. These were civilly accepted by the minister, who, on the Englishman's taking his leave, paid him many compliments and made him many promises. This ambassador made a great show, and his expenses were extraordinary. No prince has ever been attended with greater pomp and ostentation, and in addition thereto his liberality was unbounded. He imagined that in this way he could push through his business more quickly. But he was quite ignorant of what the king's intentions were in regard to him. For, after all, the only thing he acquired was the nickname 'King of England,' given him by the common people in the army.
281.12.5
After an interval of some days the king accorded him his first audience, where nothing of any significance passed, beyond his producing several considerable presents, of which, however, the prince accepted only a trifling part. He made great efforts to get his business concluded quickly; but he was not acquainted with the customs of this court, and had no faithful adviser, thus the more he sought to advance the farther off he got. Some months afterwards he went to the court and presented a statement of the things [35] he wished them to grant. In it he asked for factories on the coast of Choromandal, GingilT, and Bengal. After this the king gave him permission to leave, and sent word he would give him a reply later on.
281.12.6
Some months elapsed and he saw that no answer came, so he abandoned the chief minister and addressed himself to another grandee, by whom he was forced to wait even longer. His expenditure and his exertions were of no avail, except that he was fed on pleasant words which ever renewed his expectations. This is the Mahomedan habit ; they always act in this way, with the idea of increasing their gains in the end. Finally, at the end of nine months, after spending more than six hundred thousand rupees, he was told that his demands were conceded, his majesty would permit his Company to establish factories on the coast of Choromandal, at Machhlipatnam, and in Bengal, but in order to obtain the necessary documents he must present to the king two hundred thousand rupees, and one hundred thousand to the officials. The ambassador promised to satisfy all these demands. He only did this to be delivered from all the troubles and expenses, and from the overwhelming heat, with all of which he was oppressed. Moreover, a stay in tents extremely inconvenienced him, and had already caused the death of some of his men. In addition, the king was making preparations to march for the country of his enemy, Shiva Ji.
281.12.7
Thus, to obtain from the king his audience of leave-taking, he represented that he had been at his court nearly a year, and he supplicated his majesty for permission to depart. In consideration for this favour, he would pay down the three hundred thousand rupees. The envoy's proposition was laid before the king, but there they spoke of only one hundred thousand rupees as the present, the officials keeping back the other two hundred thousand for themselves. The prince accepted the present, and ordered the speedy preparation of the documents, on condition, however, that the envoy should undertake in writing to be liable for all the losses at sea occasioned to his subjects by the pirates.
281.12.8
The ambassador, who was not expecting any fresh demand, refused to enter into any such obligation. He besought his majesty to think no further of such a thing, because it was on this very account that he had offered to make him a present of other one hundred thousand rupees payable at the port of Surat. Upon hearing this answer the king fell into such a rage that the documents were not delivered, nor was he (Norris) allowed to depart. They kept him amused with soft speeches, extracting from him meanwhile whatever money they could. At this time the king began his march, and the ambassador, foreseeing nothing but an entry into new troubles, was so chagrined that he broke up his palanquins, set fire to his tents and part of his baggage, and started for Burhanpur on his way to Surat. Upon the king becoming aware of this move, he sent after him an officer called Quefaet Kan (Kifayat Khan), a very great friend of mine, who speaks Portuguese fairly well, and both speaks and writes Latin to perfection. He is son of the astronomer (Qutb Beg, I. 241), who advised Aurangzeb not to ride upon an elephant at the battle that he fought against his brother Dara close to Ajmer.