Shivaji's ransacking of Surat has often been twisted to imply ethnic hatred by the usual suspects. what was essentially sacking of the wealthy merchants who were funding the Mughal army's is shown as to be looting of a city.
A short thread:
Shivaji sent an emissary the night of 5th January with a letter requiring that the governor, Virji Vora,Haji Kasim,Haji Zahid Beg(3 eminent merchants & moneyed men) meet Shivaji in person & reach an agreement or else he would attack.
Foster, The English Factories in India61-64
They (the merchants) we're being treated as defacto representatives of the Mughal regime & rightly so since the eminent merchants hid with the governor and rest of the king's ministers in the castle. Foster, The English Factories in India 1961-1964
& in 1664 after the raid the Subhadar sent Vora & Beg to the Mughal court at Agra to persuade the authorities at Agra to raise a castle around town for future protection.
Mehta, Indian Merchants and Entrepreneurs in Historical Perspective.
Jadunath Sarkar writes, based on accounts of General Smith (of the English factory), that Voras house was looted of 28 seers of large pearls, with many jewels, rubies and emeralds and an incredible amount of money.
Sarkar, Shivaji and his Times’
Iverson, one of the staff at the Dutch factory, an eye witness, states that Vora lost 6 tons of gold,pearls,jewels. He also states that two other Hindu merchants suffered to the extent of 30 tons. Foster estimates his loss to be 50,000 pounds.
Foster,The English Factories 61-64
The merchants were compensated for their losses both times. The traders who stood and defended the factories received commercial privileges from the emperor. Sarkar, Shivaji & his times.
The emperor also vowed revenge and remitted all the customs (payments from the merchants) and after a year, the customs were to be reduced by one fourth.
Foster, The English Factories in India 1661-1664
Where it gets even more interesting is the behavior of the masses post Shivaji's raids, Sarkar writes Shivaji attacked the larger houses, and, as soon as Shivaji left, the poor people fell to plundering what was left.
Sarkar, Shivaji and his times.
All this and much more has been cited in an article written by @maidros78 , @sarkar_swati , @dikgaj , Aparna & Yours truly on mercantile collaboration in Gujarat.
myind.net/Home/viewArtic…
Army is shown*
"Presumed followers" Virji Vora who often negotiated with other English and Dutch merchants on behalf of the Mughal regime, was a signatory to an agreement the Mughals & EIC.
Pearson,Merchants and rulers in Gujarat
Mehta,Indian Merchants & Entrepreneurs in Historical Perspective
Presumed follower Virji Vora who was on the committee to decide on the trading rights of the EIC.
Mehta,Indian Merchants and Entrepreneurs in Historical Perspective.
When Hakim Sadra the then governor imprisoned Vora over a trading dispute, Shah Jahan summoned Vora
Who was subsequently set free while the Sadra was removed.
Mehta,Indian Merchants and Entrepreneurs in Historical Perspective
Vora and his peers were for all practical purposes no different from the Mughal regime!
"Presumed followers"
"Presumed followers"
How is it that Gujarati society of that time had no problem in supporting and participating in the loot, but today it's a problem?
They knew the intricate relation the moneyed men had with the Mughal regime.
Read more about the relation in this article
myind.net/Home/viewArtic…
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