A History of Agriculture in India v2.c83.s1.8

v2.c83.s1.8

The records of the East India Company for 1602-18 published in six volumes, entitled *Letters Received by East India Company From Its Servants in the East*, contain references to crops. One of the earliest English records of tobacco cultivation in India is by William Biddulph. In his letter dated 28 October 1613 from Surat to the East India Company, he mentions widespread cultivation of tobacco in that area. The first record of export of tobacco from India is also to be found in one of these volumes. On 9 February 1619, 155 maunds of tobacco valued at 707 mahmudis and 6 *p* was sent in the ship *Lion* to Persia.²