A History of the Mahrattas v1.c13.28

v1.c13.28

¹ The sack of Surat, on this occasion, is most minutely described in the Records of the English factory, now in the East India house. In consequence of their generous defence of the property of others, Aurungzebe granted to the English a perpetual exemption from a portion of the customs exacted from the traders of other nations at Surat. During the time the Mahrattas were plundering the town, Sivajee remained outside. A person named Smith, an Englishman, was taken prisoner and carried before Sivajee, whom he represented as seated in a tent, ordering heads and hands to be chopped off in cases where persons were supposed to be concealing their wealth.