The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c20.95

v4.c20.95

In September, 1703, two ships of Surat were captured by the pirates when returning from Mocha. The new governor of Surat, I‘tibār Khān, extorted 600,000 rupees from the Indian brokers of the English and the Dutch nations. Aurangzīb, on hearing of it, disapproved of this action. But the captivity of Sir John Gayer and his council, brought about by the machinations of the New English Company¹ in February, 1701, continued for six years, with only occasional intervals of liberty and varying in rigour according to the caprice of the governor. The Dutch made reprisals by capturing a pilgrim-ship from Mecca with two pious descendants of the late chief Qāzī on board (1704), at which Aurangzīb, realising his utter helplessness at sea, made an unconditional surrender to the Europeans and forbade any bond to be taken from them in future for indemnity for the loss caused by the pirates.