16 , GENERAL VIEW OF 



the Indian commerce ; the report of their civil and 

 religious tyrannies ; the impatience of the natives to 

 throw off the intolerable yoke, began to engage the 

 attention of other European ftates, particularly the 

 Dutch, who, with the affiftanceof the natives, ex- 

 pelled the opprefTors of India from almoft every 

 fettlemerit, which the Dutch feized for themfelves, 

 and thus eftablifhed a new, and more permanent 

 power, becaufe founded on juftice and moderation 

 towards the people over whom they prefide. 



The Englifh wifely contented themfelves with the 

 poueflion of Madras, Calcutta, Bombay 3 and other 

 forts in the Mogul empire ; where, being indulged 

 by the native princes with fundry exemptions, and 

 exclulive privileges, they carried on a flourifhing 

 commerce, and divided eight per cent, upon their 

 capital. 



The Mogul empire, or Indoftan, extends, in a 

 compact fquare rnafs of country, from the Tartarian 

 .mountains in north latitude 36, to the Bay of Ben- 

 gal, latitude 22. From thence it ftretches due 

 fouth, in the form of a peninfula, to Cape Como- 

 rin, within eight degrees of the line, and thus en- 

 joys a coaftof three thoufancl miles, which, befides 

 the benefits to trade and navigation, contributes to 

 the health of the Europeans who choofe to reiide in 

 thofe very diflant regions. 



Indoftan, in its moft exteniive fenfe, contains 

 1,1 16,000 fquare miles, and is confequently equal 

 in fize to Great Britain, Ireland, France, Spain, Por- 

 tugal, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Turkey 

 in Europe. The number of people who inhabit In- 

 doftan is computed at 100,000,000 of Indians, and 

 10,000,000 of Mahometans or Moors, the defcen- 

 dants of thofe Arabs, Perfians, and Tartars, who at 

 various periods over-ran and fubdued this unwieldy- 

 empire. 



The 



