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eighteenth century, was attended with many inconveniences. The 

 firmaun obtained at that time from the Mogul emperor vested the 

 English company with the government of Surat castle, and the 

 command of the imperial fleet stationed at that emporium. It also 

 gave them power to appoint a naib, or deputy, to the nabob, for 

 the administration of affairs in that city. This mingled govern- 

 ment of the English and nabob continued during the reign of 

 Moyen Odeen. who died in 1703, and of his son Cootub Odeen, 

 who filled that station during the whole of rny residence in India, 

 and died in 1790. Nizam Odeen succeeded his father in the na- 

 bobship, but the authority of the Mogul emperor being at that 

 time dwindled to a name, this title was never confirmed by the 

 court of Delhi. Nizam Odeen dying in 1799? the government of 

 Bombay very properly interfered in the appointment of a succes- 

 sor, with a view of putting an end to tumults, confusion, and mis- 

 chief, which on various occasions had molested the peace of Surat, 

 occasioned by the exactions, oppressions, and corrupt administra- 

 tion in the nabob's durbar; especially in collecting the revenues 

 and conducting the police of the city. This mal-administralion 

 had so often disturbed the happiness of the inhabitants, the walls 

 and fortifications were in such a defenceless stale, for want of 

 timely repairs, and the surrounding districts had been so often in- 

 vaded on the nabob's quarrels with the Mahrattas, that it was evi- 

 dent the power of a Surat nabob, now no longer an officer of the 

 Mogul emperor, was inadequate to this important situation. 



After a full and clear arrangement between the governor- 

 general in council at Calcutta, and Nassar Odeen, the brother of 

 the last deceased nabob, the Bombay government was authorized 



