708 
S U R 
Hindostan. The firman, or order, is dated in 1612. The 
Dutch and French acquired the same privileges a short time 
after. At this period its articles of commerce were of the 
richest kind, viz., diamonds, pearls, gold, musk, ambergrise, 
spices, indigo, saltpetre, silk, and fine cotton manufactures, 
both plain and coloured. But since the rise of Bombay, the 
value of its traffic has much declined, and now consists 
chiefly of raw cotton, a few of its own manufactures, and ar¬ 
ticles imported from Gujerat. The greater number of vessels 
which now enter the port are Arabs. Although Surat is in¬ 
habited by persons of all nations, the Parrses, or fire wor¬ 
shippers, are the most considerable in affluence. They have 
been settled here since the 7th century, when driven from 
their native country, Persia, by the followers of Mahomet. 
They intermarry only with each other, and retain all their 
ancient customs and prejudices, the most remarkable of 
which are their repugnance to extinguish fire, and exposing 
their dead to be eaten by birds. They are, however, dex¬ 
trous mechanics, good servants, and skilful merchants. 
The next extraordinary people of this city are a sect of 
Hindoos, who never willingly deprive any thing of life, and 
erect hospitals tor the preservation of maimed or diseased 
animals, though this practice has of late fallen into dissue- 
tude. Surat is situated on a fertile plain, protected on one 
side by the river, and on the three others by a brick rampart 
and ditch. It also possesses a strong citadel, situated on the 
bank of the river, and surrounded by an esplanade. Under 
the native governments the citadel was always commanded 
by an officer, independent of the governor of the town, and 
who, under the Mogul system, was also superintendant of the 
royal marine. The governor of the citadel and its garrison 
were maintained by an assignment on the revenue of the district. 
The governor of the town received not only the customs of 
the ports, but the duties levied in the city, and the rents of 
the district surrounding it. Of the ancient history of Surat 
under the Hindoo dynasties, we have no authentic records, 
although it was probably at that period a place of consider¬ 
able consequence; But it is stated in Feriskta’s History of 
Gujerat, that in the year 1538 Sultan Mahmoud being 
much alarmed at the incursions of the Portuguese, sent orders 
to his general, Khodovund Khan, a Turk commanding in 
the southern districts, to build a strong fortress at this place; 
and from the description given of it, it is doubtless the pre¬ 
sent citadel. It was taken by the Mogul emperor Akbar, in 
the year 1572, after a vigorous siege of 47 days, who found 
therein a number of Turkish cannon, which were called 
Soleymanv, from their having belonged to the Ottoman em¬ 
peror, and had been sent on board his fleet to India for the 
purpose of expelling the Portuguese. Akbar appointed a 
governor to the district including the city, but the defence of 
the citadel was entrusted to a Kelada independent of the 
governor, which system was continued by his successors. 
To the latter was subsequently added the appointment of 
admiral or comptroller of the Mogul marine, which con¬ 
sisted of several men of war, and a number of small vessels. 
In the year 1664 the city was surprised and plundered by the 
Mahratta chief Sevajee. The exterior wall at that time was 
only of mud, and the gates were not strong. He had there¬ 
fore little difficulty in entering the town, but was compelled 
to retreat by the fire from the citadel. The booty he obtain¬ 
ed for his own share amounted to a million sterling Five years 
subsequent to this event he again repeated his visit; and al¬ 
though a new and better wall had been commenced, yet as 
it was not finished, the inhabitants were compelled to pay a 
heavy contribution: the English and Dutch factories were, 
however, exempted, as they had been in 1664. In the 
year 1671 Sevajee again appeared before Surat, and com¬ 
pelled the inhabitants to ransom Iheir property, from which 
circumstance he jocosely named that city his private treasury; 
and his successors, not willing to relinquish their claim, 
laid it again under contribution in the years 1702 and 1707. 
On the decline of the Mogul authority, when the governor 
of every province assumed independence, those of Surat also 
wished to take advantage of the general confusion; but 
quarrelling with each other, one of the parties called in a 
S U R 
body of Mahrattas to his assistance, and assigned to them a 
third part of the customs of the port, while the English and 
Dutch factories espousing opposite sides, assisted them with 
ammunition and cannon. After various contests, Moyeen 
Addeen, the governor of the city, finding himself un¬ 
equal to the reduction of the citadel, offered to cede the place 
to the British, provided they would assist him to expel his 
rival. This proposal was accepted by the Bombay govern¬ 
ment, and a civil servant named Spencer was sent, in the 
year 1759, with a considerable force, to effect this object. 
On their arrival at Surat they were admitted into the town, 
and in a few days compelled the garrison to capitualate. 
The British took possession of the fortress, but in the 
name of the emperor of Delhi, from whom they shortly 
after obtained, in the name of the East India Company, the 
commissions of governor of Surat, and admiral of the Mogul 
fleet, with an assignment on the duties and customs, of 
25,000/. per annum, for the support of the marine and 
citadel. But as the Mahrattas still required the fulfilment 
of their agreement, and were too powerful to be refused 
either by the English or the nabob, this circumstance es¬ 
tablished three discordant authorities in the place, which 
could not fail of causing much confusion and oppression of 
the inhabitants. 
In 1763, the nabob Moyeen Addeen died, and was suc¬ 
ceeded by his son Cuttub Addeen, who died, in 1792, and 
was succeded by his son Nazim Addeen, who died in 1800, 
and was succeded by his son Nasir Addeen, who shortly 
after this event entered into a treaty with the British, to 
resign all his authority for the payment of an annual sum 
of 12,500/., and a proportion of the extra revenue that may 
hereafter be collected. The successes of the British against 
the Mahrattas in 1803 also compelled them to relinquish all 
claims on Surat, which is now governed by a civil servant, 
who is styled the chief and senior judge of the court of circuit 
and appeal, having under him a magistrate for regulating 
the police of the city and adjoining district. Under this 
judicious management the country in the vicinity of Surat, 
which was formerly overrun by banditti, is fast recovering 
its prosperity; and although the city, owing to the rivalship 
of Bombay, can never again attain its former splendour, it is 
still a rich and populous place, and of much political conse¬ 
quence. Lat. 21. 13. N. long. 73. 3. E. 
SURAT A, a river of South America, in New Granada, 
and province of Santa Martha, which runs into the river 
Lobrija. 
SU'RBASE, s. A kind of skirt, border, or moulding, 
above the base.—There is a double flight of steps, a rustic 
surbase. Pennant. 
Round the hall, the oak’s high surbase rears 
The field-day triumphs of two hundred years. Langhorne. 
SURBA'SED, adj. Having a surbase or moulding.—The 
tomb—has a wide sur-based arch with scalloped ornaments. 
Gray. 
To SURBA'TE, ». a. [solbatir, Fr.] To bruise and 
batter the feet with travel.—Their march they continued all 
that night, the horsemen often alighting, that the foot might 
ride, and others taking many of them behind them; how¬ 
ever, they could not but be extremely weary and surbated. 
Clarendon. 
SURBATING, is a term used to signify when the sole of 
a horn is worn out, bruised, or spoiled by any accident, as 
by bad shoeing, especially when the shoes lie flat on the 
feet. 
SU'RBEAT, or Surbe’t. The participle passive of sur- 
beat, which Spenser and Hall have have used for surbate. 
A bear and tiger being met 
In cruel fight on Lybick ocean wide, 
Espy a traveller with feet surbet, 
Whom they in equal prey hope to divide. Spenser. 
SURBURG, a large village in the north-east of France, 
in Lower Alsace, on the river Saur, with 1500 inhabitants. 
To SURCEA'SE, v. n. To be at an end ; to stop; to 
cease; to be no longer in use or being. 
Small 
