The Mughal emperor who issued a firman to the East India Company in 1717 to trade freely in Bengal was?
VerifiedAnswer: Farrukh Siyar
Explanation:
Emperor Farrukh Siyar was the Mughal ruler who granted the crucial firman of 1717 to the British East India Company. This imperial decree became a turning point in Indian history, as it provided the Company with unprecedented trading privileges in Bengal, one of the richest provinces of the Mughal Empire.
Farrukh Siyar ruled the Mughal Empire from 1713 to 1719, during a period when the empire was gradually weakening. The East India Company had been seeking better trading conditions in Bengal for years, and they found an opportunity when they helped the emperor during his political struggles. In return for their support, particularly in medical assistance provided by Company surgeon William Hamilton, the grateful emperor issued this generous firman.
The firman of 1717 granted the British East India Company several significant privileges. Most importantly, it allowed them to trade freely in Bengal without paying customs duties, except for a nominal annual payment of 3,000 rupees. The Company was also permitted to issue passes or dastaks for the movement of their goods, and they received the right to rent additional land around Calcutta.
This firman had far-reaching consequences for both the Company and Bengal. It gave the British a massive economic advantage over other European trading companies and local merchants. The Company began to expand its influence rapidly, using these privileges not just for legitimate trade but also for private commerce by issuing dastaks to non-Company traders for personal profit.
The generous terms of this imperial decree eventually led to conflicts with local rulers, particularly Siraj-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Bengal, who was concerned about the Company's growing power and their misuse of trading privileges. This tension ultimately contributed to the Battle of Plassey in 1757, which marked the beginning of British political dominance in India.
Therefore, Farrukh Siyar's firman of 1717 is considered one of the most significant documents in the history of British expansion in India, as it provided the legal foundation for the Company's economic dominance in Bengal, which eventually paved the way for British colonial rule over the entire subcontinent.
