266
HISTORY OF INDIA.
[Book II.
AD. 1C34 now governed by a president and council VVliile tlias Vjfcset with difficulties, the trade of the Company wa.s brought almost to a stand in India }jy the devastation of a large portion of the country by a famine, followed as usual by a pestilence ; and in England by the state of ferment into which all minds were now thrown by the approaching civil broils. Perseverance The best tiling that Can be said for the Company during this gloomy period
difficiutius. is tiliat they never abandoned them.selves to despair, and even while losing ground, were always on the alert to take advantage of any favourable opening which might occur. In this way their success was often greater than they covdd have ventured to anticipate. The new Persian monarch. Shah Sophi, issued firmans reinstating them in all their former privileges, including the grant of the customs of Gomberoon, which, in 1632, yielded as the Company's share 550 tomands, a sum equal to £1650 sterling. In the same year the
General View of MASULiPATAM.—ChurchUl's Collection of Voyages.
factory at Masulipatam, which had been abandoned in consequence of the extor- tion and oppression of the governor, was re-established on favourable conditions by the express authority of the King of Golconda, to whom the territory belonged ; while Armegon, though abandoned as a commercial emporium, acquired new importance from the additional strength given to its fortifica- tions. A secure asylum was thus obtained within the Bay of Bengal, to which the attention of the Company was now more especially directed. Foundation Duriug Sir Thomas Roe's embassy to the Great Mogid Jehangir, a firman with Bengal, had been obtained, in general terms authorizing the English to trade in Bengal The importance of the permission thus granted appears not to have been appre- ciated, and no use had been made of it when Jehangir's reign teiminated by his death in 1627. During the reign of his son Shah Jehan, whose favour the English generally enjoyed, the idea of a Bengal trade was revived; and in 1634) a firman was obtained, which threw the whole trade of the province open to the Company, subject to the restriction that their ships were to resort only to the port of Piply or Peipley. This place, situated on the Soobunreka ten
