Later Mughals v2.c14.s33.3

v2.c14.s33.3

In this year (1728-29) the collection of the revenue in the district round the city was a source of trouble. Himmat Dil Khan quarrelled with the headmen and tenantry, they fled, he resigned, the assessments and collections fell into confusion. Ali Muhammad Khan who had known the people for many years, having been Prince Jahan Shah's agent in the reign of Bahadur Shah (1707-1712), was placed in charge, one son* was made faujdar of the district and another was appointed to several offices in the city, [such as] the collections on cloth, the customs dues, the horse market, and the mint. Soon the governor's necessities caused him to ask for ten thousand Rupees more than had been assessed. Ali Muhammad Khan pointed out that in the current year the district could not bear further harassment; if left alone it would pay a large increase in the coming year. But the need of money was extreme. Sarbuland Khan next suggested that the money might be raised in the departments of receipt subordinate to the faujdar or magistrate's office. As money in that department could not be levied without oppressive action, Ali Muhammad Khan refused and resigned his offices. Zainal Khan, a dependant on Mumin Khan, succeeded. The extra funds were produced by imposing fines and leasing the ferries to harsh unscrupulous renters. Once or even twice in the year the trading community was taxed either on their income or the number of persons or on the number of houses. One Hasan, an iron merchant, who had risen to wealth by questionable means, was killed one night on his way home. His heirs accused his caste-fellows of the crime. The governor, glad of the pretext, seized their chief men, and by beatings and torture extorted three lakhs of Rupees, one of the chief men dying under the cruelties inflicted.