1 68 Chronological Table. 



1727. — So much had the country trade increased, in ten years, after the patents 

 or grants obtained by the Embassy to the Emperor, in 1717, that the private tonnage 

 employed in Bengal, by this time amounted to 10,000 tons. Many of the Company's 

 Servants were concerned in this trade. — Grant. Mill. 



Tbe Court at Vienna, after much hesitation, at length yielded to the combination 

 of the European powers, against the Ostend Company. The Emperor suspended its 

 charter for seven years, thus virtually abolishing the Company*. — Grant. 



1728. — The Danish East India Company, residing at Copenhagen, published pro- 

 posals for a new subscription, and the following year, they obtained extraordinary 

 privileges, from the king of Denmark, who declared his intention of making it the 

 most flourishing Company in Europe. — Anderson. E. I. Chron. 



1729. — The Dutch Company had their Charter extended for 23 years, for which 

 they paid the Republic a large consideration ; at this time, their wealth and power 

 in India, particularly at Java, equalled those of several monarchs. — Anderson. E. 

 I. Chron. 



1730. — The Charter, after much discussion, renewed to the English United East 

 India Company, for 33 years. The Charter to expire on Lady Day, 1769, includ- 

 ing the three years' grace. — Mill. 



Four English China ships arrived this year, with 1,707,000 lbs. of tea, and three 

 other Indiamen, with 371,000 pieces of calicoes, besides other valuable merchandise. 

 — Anderson. E. I. Chron. 



From 1725 to 1730, the English Company exported goods, £551,234, and bullion, 

 £2,551,872.— Grant. 



1731. — The king of Sweden set on foot an East India Company, for trading from 

 Gottenburg. A Charter granted for 15 years. 



The king of Portugal formed a temporary East India Company, with one ship, to 

 trade to Surat. Their former Empire in the East thus reduced! — Anderson. East 

 India Chronology. 



1732. — The English Company first began to make up annual accounts. This year 

 their sales amounted to £1,940,996. But their competitors, the Dutch, were far 

 exceeding them in return and profits ; thus in 1732, the English reduced their divi- 

 dends, from S to 7 per cent, per annum, which thus continued till 1744. The Dutch 

 during a main portion of that time, realised 25 and 20 per cent, upon the capital 

 stock, and never less than 12§. — Mill. 



1733. — Mr. Freke's government of Fort William commenced. — E. I. Chron. 



]734. — Under the able rule of Shuja Addeen Khan, the provinces of Bengal, Be- 

 har, and Orissa greatly improved. His power was respected by the Europeans. — 

 Stewart. 



M. Mahe de la Bourdonnais, afterwards famous in India, was commissioned to 

 improve the Isle of France, by the French Company. To this officer the island is in- 

 debted for its forts, aqueducts, bridges, hospitals, and granaries. The French 

 influence and trade fast improving^n the East. — Mill. E. I. Chron. 



1735. — The Mahrattahs had made such progress, that they burned the suburbs of 

 Delhi, under the Emperor Mahomed Shah, who, (after the demise, in 1819-20, of 

 the two infants, Ruffeh ad Durjaut and Ruffeh ad Doulah,) had succeeded Feroksere 

 on the Musnud. The Mahrattahs acquired the greater portion of Malwa, and a 

 grant of the fourth part of the net revenues of the other royal provinces ; thus ori- 

 ginating the Chout, — Hamilton. Rennell. 



From 1730 to 1735 the English Company had exported £717,854 of goods, and 

 £2,406,078 of bullion.— Grant. 



Richard Benyon, Esq. succeeded George Morton Pitt, Esq. as Governor of Mad- 

 ras. His government lasted nine years. — Dalrymple. 



1735. — a proclamation was issued in January, prohibiting British subjects from 

 trading to the East Indies, contrary to the liberties and privileges granted to the 

 Company ; or from serving in, or being on board any ships unlawfully trading. 

 This was probably to prevent connexion with foreign Companies. — E. I. Chron. 



1737. — Calcutta nearly destroyed by a hurricane and earthquake-^. — E. I. Chron. 



* It was afterwards altogether dissolved by the treaty of Seville; but the Germans were not 

 finally expelled from Bengal, until 1733. In 1730, their factory, at Banhy Bazar, was in existence, 

 and an English naval force seized one of their ships, and drove another under the factory guns. 

 The Dutch and English shortly after, by intrigues and misrepresentation, induced the Foujdar at 

 Hooghly to invest the factory, which made a long and gallant defence, with a garrison reduced to 

 onlv 14 men. At length, the agent, or chief, being severely wounded, the factory was evacuated, 

 the little garrison rea.hing the ships in safety, and the Mogul troops, taking possession of the 

 empty fort, levelled the works to the ground, — (Stewart. Gladwin's Mar. of Govt. Bengal.) 



f The following extract is from the Gentl man's Magazine, printed in 1 738-39 . " In the night 

 between the 11th and 12th October, (1/37,) there happened a furious hurricane, at the mouth of 

 the Ganges, which reached 60 leagues up the river. There was, at the same time, a violent earth- 

 Qiiake, whii h threw down a great many houses along the river side : in Galgotta, (i. e. Calcutta,) 

 alone, a port belonging to the English, two hundred houses were thrown down, and the high and 



