Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c13.s3.7

v1.c13.s3.7

The mischief worked in a vicious circle. The paralysis of the central authority led to the loss by conquest or independence of the provinces, whose revenue had hitherto fed the Court and its army. The stoppage of the regular revenue made it impossible to pay the soldiers or replenish their equipment and munitions for fitting out any expedition. Therefore, no attempt could be made to subdue any of the revolted governors or usurping zamindars and exact the dues of Government from them. Time only intensified the bankruptcy of the Court. Then followed a mad scramble among the powerful ministers and favourite Begams to take for themselves the most fertile and easy to administer jāgirs and the best revenue-yielding markets and similar rich sources of taxation. That famous fiscal milch-cow of the 17th century, the customs of the royal port of Surat, had been long lost to the empire; but the grain-markets near the capital still yielded a sure and large income, while the Jamuna canals brought a clear gain of 25 lakhs a year to their superintendent. [Safdar Jang enjoyed this last. *Asiatic Annual Register* for 1800, Misc. Tracts, 37, Polier's letter.]