Vol. Ill, No. 6.] The Ferinai Pirates of Ghatqaon, 425 



half they kept. This tribe was called Barmai.^ They had 100 

 s^viftjalha boats full of war-materials. The Governors of Bengal 

 were disturbed by their robbery and were too weak to prevent it. 

 As the Harmads [ = Feringi pirates] were not in need of the help 

 of the Arracan fleet, the king of Arracan did not send his ships 

 to practise piracy in Mughal territory (Bengal). He considered 

 the Feringi pirates in the light of his servants, and took the 

 booty they brought [as his share], 



[In December, 1665, the Feringis of Chatgaon, partly in fear 

 of Arracanese treachery and partly won over by Shaista Khnn's 

 tempting overtures] [152, a], came with all their families in 42 



J albas and took refuge with Farhad Khan, the Mughal tlianahdrn 

 of Noakhali. The Khan sent their chief. Captain Moor, with a 

 few of their great men to Shaista Klmn at Dacca, while he kept 

 all the others w^ith their ships at Noakhali, with great attention 

 and kindness. The captain and other leaders of the Feringis had 

 audience of the Nawwab at night, and received splendid robes of 

 honour and other unexpected favours. The Nawwab asked them, 

 '* What did the zemindar of the Maghs fix as your salary?" 

 The Feringis replied, *' Our salary was the Imperial dominion ! 

 [152, 6.] We considered the whole of Bengal as onvjagir. All tlie 

 twelve months of the year we made our collection [i. e., booty] 

 w^ithout trouble. We had not to bother ourselves about ^amlas 

 and amuis ; nor had we to render accounts and balances to 

 anybody. Passage over water was our [land-] survey. We never 

 slackened the enhancement of our rent, r/z., booty. For years we 

 have left no arrears of [this] revenue. We have with us papers of 

 the division of the booty vilhige by village for the last 40 

 years. " One can infer from this answer the condition of things 

 and the weakness of the Governors of Bengal. The coming over 

 of the Feringis gave composure to the hearts of the people of 

 Bengal. [153, a.J Two thousand rupees were presented from 

 the Nawwab's own purse as reward to Captain Moor and the 

 other Feringis who had come from Chatgfion, and from the 

 Imperial Treasury a monthly stipend of Rs. 500 was settled on 

 the Captain, and other comfortable salaries on others of the 

 tribe. 



1 This word is evidently armad, a corruption of armada, Armad Is 

 used in the sense of fleet in the Kalimaf-i-taiyabat. 



