History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c83.s3.12

v5.c83.s3.12

In addition to this import duty, a poll-tax called *jaziya* was imposed on non-Muslims from 2nd April 1679. The Christians, both European and Armenian, objected to this last impost, but the Quranic law does not exempt Christians and Jews from it, though they are *ahal-i-kitab* or believers in the Old Testament like the Muhammadans. The Mughal Government seems to have found it difficult to assess and levy the *jaziya* per head from the Europeans in the same manner as from the Hindus, and consequently it seems to have offered them a compromise by turning the *jaziya* into an addition to the import duty on their goods, raising the latter to 3½ p.c. [Farman of 15 March, 1680 in Stewart's *Bengal*].