406 Jonrnal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal [June, 1907. 



Dacca] 



a 



.small force to Munawwar, prevented the crew of their own boats 

 from retreating by turning them round. The crew, on seeing 

 their passengers averse to flighty jumped into the sea and swam 

 ashore to safety. Ism'ail Khan and his comrades boldly made a 

 firm stand and repelled with their bows and guns tbe enemy who 

 had advanced to seize them. A musket-shot grazed the leg of 

 Tsm'ail Khan [122, 6]. The current drove their sailor-less boats 

 to the bank, and they escaped destruction. The few boats that 

 «till belonged to the nawwara were thus lost, and its name alone 

 remained in Bengal. 



Shaista Khan's Resolve to Suppress Piracy, 



■ 



On the 8th March, 166J^, the new Viceroy, Shaista Khan, entered 

 Rajmahal [the western capital of Bengal]. [115, h.'] When he 

 learned that the cause of the ravages of the pirates was the power 

 .aud equipment of their fleet and the delapidation of the Bengal 

 fleet, he gave urgent orders to Mahmud Beg [ Abakash, the dSrogha 

 of the naicwara] to restore the flotilla, wrote to 'Aqidat Khan 

 also [on the subject], accepted the suggestions of Mahmud Beg, 

 appointed at his request Qazi Samu as Tntisharraf of the natv- 

 wara^ and sent them back to Dacca with robes of honour and pre- ' 

 .sents. As timber and shipwrights were required for repairing 

 jind fitting out the ships, to every mauz^a of the province tliat had 

 timber and carpenters, bailiffs {rnuhasat) were sent with warrants 

 (parwdnah) to take them to Dacca. It was ordered [116, a] that 

 at the ports of Hughli, Baleswar, Murang, Chilmari, Jessore, 

 and Karibari, as many boats should be built as possible 

 and sent [to Dacca], The Ifawwab spoke to the Captain of the 

 Dutch, who was present at the audience, " You make vast amounts 

 every year by your trade in the Imperial dominions, for which yon 

 have to pay no duty or tithe. For this reason, the path of the 

 profit of Muslim and Hindu heparzs and merchants in the Im- 

 perial dominions, especially in Bengal, has been closed. In grati- 

 tude for such favour and bounty you should call for ships from 

 your country, and co-operate with the Imperial forces in the 

 expedition against Arracan for extirpating the Maghs, which I 

 have in view. Abolish the factories (kofhl) that you have in 

 AiTacan. Otherwise, know for certain that trade and traffic with 

 you will be forbidden all over the empire, and your gains 

 stopped.*" The Captain replied, ** I cannot agree to this great and 

 serious proposal without first writing to our head, the General 

 [Governor-General of the Dutch Indies], and getting his consent," 

 [116,&.] The Nawwab, accepting the Captain's entreaty, said, 

 *' Write and call for a reply," and entrusted to the Captain a 

 jparwSnah on tbe above subject, one suit of MH'at and one jewelled 

 saddlecover, for the General, Through God's grace, their help 

 was at last found unnecessary, 



^ As the Feringis engaged in piracy, kidnapping and plun- 

 dering the inhabitants of Bengal, and lived at Chatgaon under 



